Check Out These HOT RV Internet Specials

Check Out These HOT RV Internet Specials

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration celebrated Earth Day on Wednesday by announcing $750 million worth of stimulus-funded projects to improve national parks and monuments.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, "These projects — at places like Ellis Island in New York and Dinosaur National Monument in Utah — are ready to go and will create jobs in communities across the country."

One of the projects most ballyhooed by the administration is spending $13.1 million to finally demolish condemned portions of the Quarry Visitor Center at Dinosaur and replace them. That center covers a cliff where fossils were carefully quarried and exposed in place for visitors to see.

Mel Bateson came out to University of Phoenix Stadium Saturday hoping a deal would catch his eye that could fatten his wallet.

The part-time Maryland resident, who spends three months each year living in his 40-foot RV in Mesa, said he was looking to downsize from his gas guzzler. The La Mesa RV weekend sale, with about 180 units, was the perfect venue.

"We have a 40-footer, and we're watching the market in these smaller units," he said. "Eventually we're going to size down to one of these smaller units to get more miles to the gallon. We're moving from about eight miles per gallon to about 18. It makes quite a difference."

Mike Sullivan, a salesman with La Mesa RV, said many customers are looking at smaller units and used RVs instead of bigger and newer vehicles.

"We've got a lot of used. Right now that's where the market is, kind of on the lower end. People are conserving their cash and looking more at a used vehicle than a new one right now," he said.

Sullivan said up to 40 percent discounts on new vehicles as well as reduced prices on used RVs were being offered at the four-day weekend sale.

 The Go RVing Coalition’s 2009 advertising campaign will invest $3.5 million in media to ensure the campaign contributes to the recovery of the RV industry.

Even with a reduction in media spending, the campaign is on track to make approximately a half billion advertising impressions this year. More than half of Go RVing prospects (52 percent) who provide information on their purchase intentions say that they are very likely to visit a show or dealership this year – compared to only 33 percent in 2008.

Media Partners Help Stretch Limited Budget
Go RVing negotiated

BILOXI, Miss. — Elderly, disabled and handicapped residents are the hardest to relocate, say government employees working to end FEMA’s longest temporary housing program, 44 months of assistance following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

The Disaster Housing Assistance Program is scheduled to end May 1. In Mississippi, 77 residents remain in hotels, while 1,960 are in FEMA travel-trailers or mobile homes. Most of those residents are in the three Coast counties.

“I feel pretty confident that we won’t see anybody who’s put out on the street,” said FEMA’s Mike Miller of Mississippi’s Transitional Recovery Office. “We’re all working very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Miller expects some residents to qualify for HUD vouchers. The Mississippi Case Management Consortium and FEMA are providing case managers to help other residents find housing alternatives. The cost of rent remains an issue, Miller said, for the elderly, disabled and handicapped on fixed incomes.

He said sales of mobile homes are picking up. FEMA has 300 mobile sales pending, with more inquiries coming in. He said residents in rural areas are particularly interested in buying their mobile homes.

Prices have ranged from $300 to around $11,000. Travel-trailers are being sold for salvage only, not as dwellings, primarily because of formaldehyde issues.

To read the complete story in the Sun Herald, click here.

2 new Job Openings in the RV Industry 

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