remember way back to my automotive-magazine-editor days, when “car mags” used to book “round table” discussions with manufacturers and suppliers on a regular basis. Sometimes we visited them, other times they visited us — but the rationale was the same: a free-flowing exchange of information, giving us editor types a heads-up on pending releases so we could plan our editorial calendars accordingly.
It was at one of these get-togethers, though, when one of these editor-types posed a seemingly innocuous question to Chevrolet engineers: Why can’t you build another 1969 Camaro?
A case could be made that Chevrolet did exactly that with its latest-generation pony car that captures the essence of the look popularized oh-so-many years ago…except, the person posing the question wasn’t referring to the vehicle’s appearance — he was alluding to the simple way automobiles of the era could be repaired and tinkered with. The myriad systems that made up a typical automobile in the years since have virtually taken backyard mechanics out of the picture.
The same could be said — to a lesser extent — of contemporary RVs.
Sure, it’s nice to have all the “bells and whistles” — until you push a button or turn a knob and nothing happens. Then the fun starts. It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to realize that as more and more amenities are added to a vehicle, the layers of complexity increase exponentially. Taken one at a time, most systems on an RV can be maintained and repaired with some time, accurate information and readily available hand tools — but looked upon as a whole, they can be daunting, to say the least, when something goes awry.
One reason why I bring this up is the current maelstrom surrounding RV components today. Like other industries, the RV arena has been hammered with a “perfect storm” of outside influences — from overseas plant closures due to COVID to shortages of everything from shipping containers to truck drivers and even employees locally — that have conspired to push costs into the stratosphere. As I noted on this page last issue, manufacturing executives are losing sleep while trying to keep pipelines full to meet consumer demand. A big part of the problem, I learned, was their drive to maintain the creature comforts these various RVs have come to embrace.
Well, maybe they don’t have to.
Today’s environment would seem to provide RV OEMs with the perfect opportunity to build another “1969 Camaro.” De-contenting an RV would do more than simply help to stabilize prices — which have gone through the roof of late due to the aforementioned shortages of products that carry hefty new costs even when manufacturers can get them. Fewer systems mean fewer things that can go wrong — and when you’re towing or driving a “home on wheels” across hundreds or thousands of miles of oft-neglected roadways, it’s usually less a question of “if” then “when.”
Granted, a case could be made that the industry already does this by offering everything from entry-level stick-andtin travel trailers to opulent diesel pusher motorhomes, at more price points than you can shake a stick at…but that’s not necessarily true, because as RVs grow in size, they also grow in amenities. Some long-time campers, in fact, subscribe to the notion that RVing has outgrown its roots — that contemporary RVs are the equivalent of a second home, not a cabin in the woods. Yes, they are still an escape from the stresses of everyday living — but they also bring along many of those same systems that can cause aggravation when they misfire.
Is there a market for larger, stripped-down RVs that emphasize outdoor livability over indoor creature comforts? Perhaps. I’m not talking about completely disassociating from technology — inventors have made huge inroads by developing products designed to make lives easier. Unfortunately, we sometimes rely too heavily on them and become acclimatized to their use.
This isn’t exactly a new viewpoint. Doubtless many owners of pop-up travel trailers back in the mid-’70s thought owners of GMC motorhomes were missing the point of getting back to the great outdoors. But the rush of recent technology — and people’s demands that it be integrated into their RV — makes it a more viable discussion today, especially since it can contribute to complex issues as manufacturers attempt to meet skyrocketing demands for ever-more complex units.
Granted, this may be nothing more than mental melancholy. It’s said that “you can never go home again” — and that’s true. Time marches on, and you can’t recreate yesterday. But is there really a difference in the “fun factor” between a high-priced, system-complicated RV and one that has little more than the basic necessities? There will always be a market for larger, more opulent rigs as snowbirds and full-timers rely on amenities for long periods of time — but are such systems needed for a week-long vacation or a week-end escape?
One thing’s for sure: The next decade will be transformative. Like it or not, higher prices are probably here to stay, as are — for the most part — current fuel costs and the prospect for even higher prices long-term. It’s tough to un-ring a bell, and infrastructure improvements and higher employee costs cannot be dialed back. But the last time the RV industry approached a soul-changing moment in time, it embraced it. The Great Recession forced manufacturers to reimagine their products — and the net result was nothing short of amazing. Whether the pendulum swung too far in one direction has yet to be seen — but it appears that it’s created something of a void. It will be interesting to see how it’s filled.