McCords Vancouver RV Center opened its doors to the public at its new Battle Ground location earlier this month. Vancouver RV Center General Manager Tom Lewis shared the recent trends in RV sales as the economic climate has dipped the buying scene 25-30 percent over the last couple of years, he estimated.
Lewis said that recreational vehicle buying is down nationwide for a number of reasons, but certain items have remained strong.
“One of the biggest is interest rates,” he said. “A few years back we were getting loans for 4 to 5 percent. For a tier one credit, a good loan right now, if you can get 7 percent you’re lucky, the standard rate right now is 8 percent.”
Lewis added that Washington’s current state of fuel costs has not helped either.
“We have one of the highest gas taxes in the nation,” Lewis said. “And then you just go to Idaho, for instance, and your gas is quite a bit cheaper than it is here, so that affects us locally.”
He said the general economy and the upheaval have been affecting the “wants” category of life. The current economic climate has put a dent in people buying motorcycles, boats, and RVs.
“Because those are kind of frivolous items, you don’t really need to have any of those things, so you know, people kind of hold off until things start looking better,” Lewis said. “And then with inflation, people don’t have the disposable income they once had. So all of that together, but really any ripple in the economy affects us.”
Destination trailers, on the other hand, have been a popular buy. A destination trailer, also known as a park model, is more along the lines of long-term, stationary living. Models that the Vancouver RV Center come in roughly around $90,000, making the trailer an affordable home option with high-quality furnishings.
“Destination trailers have been around a long time, but they’ve just started to gain popularity because of housing, number one, so if somebody has a piece of property or what we see a lot is mother-in-law cabins, the parents are getting older and kids have a piece of property,” Lewis said. “They put one on there and your mom and dad are close, grandma, whoever, we see a lot of that because housing is so expensive.”
Lewis also added that they’re good options for the recreation side of life. He recommended hauling it to a place like Campers Hideaway on Lake Merwin, where the trailer will stay for an entire season or year-round.
With the move to Battle Ground, the RV Center has now dipped into horse trailers, utility trailers, and even tractors, along with the wide array of towable RV options and Class C motorhomes. The new location has also expanded its parts and service options with more storage space and an eight-bay service center that they’re able to handle multiple years, make and model RVs.
McCords Vancouver RV Center is now located at 17733 NE 120th Ave. in Battle Ground, visible from state Route 503.
The RV center sales, 360-371-6804, are open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. And Sundays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The service center, 360-816-1346, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays by appointment only, and closed on Sundays, while the parts center, 360-816-1366, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and closed Sundays.
For more information, visit vancouverrv.com.
