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All The Comforts Of Home And Then Some

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 2, 2007

While many people go camping to get away from it all, a lot of us don't really want to get away from what comedian George Carlin calls 'our stuff.'

And that may be the key attraction to the booming motor home market.

Because no matter how much 'stuff' you've got, you can take it with you on the road if you own one of these bus-sized rolling domiciles.

Motor homes, built on truck chassis, can carry literally tons of gear. Some even have a rear section equipped with a hydraulic lift that allows stowing a couple of motorcycles, a personal watercraft, kayak or ATV in the 'trunk.' Others offer electric-powered luggage slides that let you stack endless suitcases and other gear in the belly of the vehicle, yet have it easy to get at with the flick of a switch.

For those who have tried traveling with pets, the agonies of being consigned to low-rent motels and smoking rooms disappear; you can bring along dogs, cats, even your parakeet and goldfish, and still enjoy all the luxury your disposable income can afford.

'If a family wants to go vacationing on the West Coast but they can't bear to leave their pets behind, they're not going to fly,' says Russ O'Connor, sales manager for Lazydays RV SuperCenter in Seffner. 'With an RV, they can load everybody aboard and live just as comfortably as at home throughout the trip.'

Others say that RVs are sort of the rolling equivalent of a vacation home. With financing available to as much as 20 years, and no real estate taxes to pay, the monthly payment on an RV can drop to less than $500, or well below the payment on a luxury automobile. Overnight camping fees are typically $20 to $30.

However, there is a difference between owning a depreciating asset and a home that's likely to appreciate.

'RVs are not an investment,' O'Connor said. 'They're a lifestyle, and most of our buyers feel they more than get their money's worth, but you are not going to make money on them at trade-in time.'

In fact, O'Connor and others say that the lifestyle is another major part of the appeal of RVs. Campers gather in the hundreds at big rally events all across the nation, and soon become friends with dozens of others with similar vehicles. The next year, they return to renew friendships and show off the latest additions to their rig. It becomes the way they spend much of their spare time.

'Most of our buyers are not rock stars,' O'Connor said. 'It's more likely they have invested wisely, or sold a successful small business and retired, maybe a bit early, and now they want to see the country on their own timetable.'

Retired college professor Dave Watkins and wife Audrey of Washington, N.C., come to Florida every winter in their RV. They typically stay for up to seven months.

'Once we get to Florida, we take just short day trips, so the fuel costs are not much of a factor,' Watkins said.

He said that Silver Springs is among his favorite Florida parks, and that kayaking and mountain biking are the couple's favorite pursuits while they are on the road.

'We socialize a good bit in the campgrounds, but we don't go in for the organized activities like bingo and dancing,' Watkins said. 'We enjoy spending our time in nature, rather than in those functions.'

Watkins said he started camping as a Boy Scout with a tent and gradually worked his way up through larger tents and pop-up campers to his current Class A motor home, a 32-foot Country Coach.

'The slightly smaller motor homes have an advantage if you want to stay in the state parks,' he said. 'The 40-footers won't fit the campsites in a lot of the parks.'

Tony and Trish Toscano of Yalaha, located near Leesburg, own a Monaco Dynasty Class A RV. They probably are typical motor home owners in terms of their reasons for getting into the lifestyle.

'I don't like to fly, and I don't like to leave my pets at home,' Trish said. 'With an RV, you can take your pets, your family, a lot of your belongings, all without the problems of moving in and out of motels.'

Also, the RV driving course she took at Lazydays in Seffner has allowed her to help share the driving chores.

'It's really not difficult to handle them, and now with GPS navigation, you can always find your way to just about anywhere you want to go,' she said.

She says that even before GPS, though, there was always plenty of help with road advice.

'RVers are a social group, and they are eager to share routes and interesting destinations with others,' she said. 'In fact, the social contact is a big part of the enjoyment of being at the campgrounds.'

Though fuel costs have risen, they have not been a factor in the amount of RV traveling the Toscanos enjoy.

'We don't pay for flights or hotels or rental cars, and when you add the convenience of being in your own bed every night, it's really just the best way to go,' Tony said.

Another cost factor to consider is that RVs depreciate so that makes buying a used camper or motor home an attractive option. It's possible to save 50 percent or more on many used rigs, but let the buyer beware. While repairing basic plumbing or electrical parts is usually not costly, fixing the running gear, including the engine and transmission, can run into thousands on these rigs.

However, well-maintained RVs can last a long time. According to Dave Kelly of the Seffner-based Florida Recreational Vehicle Trade Association, about 22 percent of RVs currently in service are more than 20 years old, and about 55 percent are more than 10 years old.

'It's a family thing, and if you grow up doing it with your grandparents, there's a high percentage chance you'll do it with your kids,' Kelly said. 'In fact, you might go camping in the camper your parents passed down to you.'

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