Yahoo Message Number: 15726 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15726)
We had a great rally at Moultrie, even if it rained a bit. We were told some 70 folks had to be pulled out of the mud. I had hoped to run into some folks from this board, but didn't get a chance. I saw Walt Rothermel's name on the board--space 122--I see him post on here regularly. Made several new friends--a lot of great people.
CC were happy too--they sold 22 coaches! Couldn't get our rope lights replaced--they didn't have any with them. A lot of folks got work done though. We met some folks that had the same coach, down to the colors and floorplan. They had bought theirs a week earlier, and had all kinds of problems. Toilet didn't work, refrigerator didn't work, and the inverter didn't work. Xantrex fixed the inverter, Dometic the refrigerator--both at no charge, and CC had the actuator that was broken on the toilet.
They left with the coach in much better shape.
Scary how the prices keep going up on the coaches, though. The Intrigue listed for $515k, and the Affinity at $721K. Actually the Affinity and Magnas are starting to look a bit too much on the glitzy side. The Intrigue is more like it, although they need a bigger fuel tank, especially with the 525 HP engine.
We will be looking forward to the next rally, but it will probably have to wait until the fall.
Per K.
95 Affinity 5259
Yahoo Message Number: 15729 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15729)
A quick guide to price points:
Inspires 300 series Prices in the $300K range.
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Allure 400 series Prices in the $400K range.
Intrigue 500 series Prices in the $500K range.
Magna 600 series Prices in the $600K range.
Affinity 700 series Prices in the $700K range.
Just my observation, not an official release from CC but it seems to make sense.
Yahoo Message Number: 15787 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15787)
While I, too, am concerned about the price increases, I believe some of the show coaches at Moultrie were really loaded. I think saw an 06 Allure at about $ 350m which compared fairly closely to my 03 which listed at $308m. The main differences were Silverleaf and 400hp engine on the show coach. I believe you can probably build an Allure to $ 450m if you want enough goodies on it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811
Yahoo Message Number: 15800 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15800)
Based on my observatios at Perry, CC prices are essentially in a league of their own. For example, a top of the line Newmar coach retails for considerably less than the 06 Intrigue and appears to be a very nice coach. We bought a new Intrigue in 1999 and had hoped to move up, but CC has virtually locked us out of the market with the exception of the Inspire.
Spending a quarter of a million dollars to move up to a new coach is definitely not smart. I would rather put that money toward a nice home in Florida, etc. that will appreciate and will not constantly have to be serviced and repaired. With the RV market being flooded with new coaches/trailers, etc, really nice campgrounds dwindling due to land being redeveloped for a higher tax base, and the price of fuel escalating, it will be interesting to see what happens to this industry.
--- travman100 travman100@...> wrote:
Yahoo Message Number: 15804 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15804)
traveman100
This probably will not be the only reply to your "riff raff" statement, but I for one do not think on us that have older- less expensive coaches as riff raff.
Egon
'99 Allure #30321
'02 Tahoe Z71
Yahoo Message Number: 15806 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15806)
Egon,
I apologize if that was offensive to you or anyone else. It was meant tongue in cheek....and not serious. I have deleted the message since it could be construed as you did. Again, I am sorry if anyone was offended by the remark.
ray
Yahoo Message Number: 15813 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15813)
Gene,
Yeah, I too, wonder about the future of this industry. The "Riff- Raft" comments are funny, but unfortunately somewhat true.
Prices getting up to $600-$700,000 for "non-bus conversion" coaches; some parks not letting "Riff-Raft" in with 1/2 a million dollar coaches that are over 5 years old -- what's goin' on?
There are, and probably always will be, entertainers, movie stars, race car folks, and corp. people who can afford most anything and demand the ultimate in everything around them. With the pressures on them, it is somewhat understandable that they would want these high-end, ultimate coaches.
I don't think, though, that there are enough of 'em to keep driving this "high-end" industry at the level that it now operates. What I mean is, that it is "us", folks, that are drivin' this thing, and I wonder just how much further "we the people" can push this rush to super opplulence.
Those of us who can easily afford these things represent maybe the top 1/4 to 1% of the American people. That's it. Most of us who can, got that way by working harder than the average bear for decades, and got pretty lucky in a wonderful country that allowed us to get there - but, have we forgotten where we started and just how hard it was to get "here"? Just a few years back, lots of us wouldn't have gone to 5-Star hotels that catered to the ultra-rich, yet now, some of us like to lanquish in the luxury of parks that keep 5-year old coaches out (the Riff-Raft). Hey, I, too, know the feeling of having folks look at my fantastic rig with drool, saying, "Gawd, I wish I had one of those things." It feels kind of good being in the spotlight like that for a few seconds, but I never look down on them or feel like I'm better than them. I just feel like I worked hard for this, and can enjoy that feelin'.
This whole "price and super luxury thing" is market driven - and we are the market. As long as we think we are elitists and are willing to plunk down more and more of the big bucks, CC and others will design and build more and more complex and luxurious coaches. But, there has to be a limit, don't you think? Where does it stop - $700K, 1 mil, 2 mil????? Come on, even we "Boomers" can't keep it goin' like that forever.
It is just unbelievable to me that most high-end coach owners change coaches every two or three years! That new heated toilet seat; electric computer operated back washer in the shower; slides that go out the back, front, bottom, and top syndrome causes folks to take tens of thousands of dollars in depreciated losses on their existing perfectly good coaches, and causes them to then plunk down a 1/4 of a mil more of their precious cash to get the lastest and greatest.
Such unadulterated hogwash! What the hell are they thinkin'? Two or three years in a fine luxury coach - then they dump it! They forgot how hard it was to make that money, I guess. They are squandering their fortunes at the hands of the RV Industry.
When I developed, then sold my company, I wanted a "deal toy", so bought my '04 Magna. We love the thing, even though we've had some problems with gadgets, of course. Like everybody, we love the quality and the amenities. At 57, my hope was to run this thing for 8 or 10 years, then maybe buy two more in my lifetime (assuming my lifetime lasts that long). At the rate of price increases, I couldn't justify that plan, I don't think. I'll run this one out, then settle for a good used one - maybe YOUR fine coach that you dumped for the heated toilet seat (thank-you very much)!
I have not yet been to a CC rally, and from comments made on this forum about the "show and buy" mentality of them, maybe I'll pass.
I want rallies where I can meet good people and attend informative seminars that can teach me things about my coach that the CC "walk- through" people couldn't.
I wouldn't want to speculate on the effects of higher fuel prices and insurance prices on this industry. Most folks who own these coaches could afford to spend 3 or 4 thousand dollars or more to fuel their coaches from one coast to the other and back. What lots cannot afford, though, are the drastic price increases to keep replacing perfectly good coaches. That bottomless well of money will deplete, eventually! For those few who even think about FINANCING these things - shame on you! For amounts above $5-600,000 for coaches, there must be some place better to put the money - real estate that appreciates, investments that create jobs in this economy that gave us what we have - something.
Anyway, just my thoughts. I thought hard about even responding here to the "Riff-Raft" issue, but couldn't resist. Somebody may shoot me down as being "anti-capitalist" or something here (which couldn't be further from the truth!), but, what the heck - attack me for even insinuating that you shouldn't squander your wealth on ever higher- priced depreciating assets! Oh, by the way, there's a new coach for $950K that has a computer operated "fuel arm" that keeps you from getting stinky with diesel fuel at truck-stops! Trade yours NOW while supplies last!
Glen 6362 Magna
Yahoo Message Number: 15820 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15820)
Glen, I for one am pleased that people buy the latest and greatest and then trade in three years. The only way we were able to get into a CC was by purchasing a used unit and if we ever replace it I expect it will be into a two year old used unit.
Please remember, that it all depends on how much discretionary income a person has to play with and what their desires are.
If people have a lot of money and want to spend it on high end coaches it doesn't make them elitists. In fact, they are helping the economy by providing work for many people not just profit for the shareholders.
It is also important to note that rich people are also capable of turning off the financial spigot if they so wish. An example of this was the ill fated attempt by California a few years back to raise sales tax on high end luxury items including sail boats and motor yachts.
The rich people who were buying luxury yachts either delayed the purchase or went overseas. The result was a big decline in sales and consequently no sales tax revenue for the state and a lot of unemployed boat builders.
Many who owned luxury cars simply held onto them for another year or extended their lease arrangements. Again, it resulted in a decline in high end luxury auto sales that in the end helped no one.
The other factor that we all hate to talk about is our window of opportunity. I am two months shy of my 70th birthday. The amount of time I have left to enjoy driving a big DP may be one day, one year or ten years but not likely to be much longer. Based on this my expenditures in the next few years if the discretionary income is available will be higher then in the past because time is running out and I have not yet found a way to take it with me!
David. Who has a barn big enough to hold the longest coach built but no money left over to purchase it!
Yahoo Message Number: 15934 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15934)
Glen,
Your Magna number is right below mine, so you blew your money right before me.
But we financed at 5% for 20 years. I'll be 87 when it's paid for but who cares, the life insurance will pay it off and I'll have fun before that time, I hope. Besides, by buying this coach I gave lots of people jobs on the west coast and at Lazy Days. Plus the state made some tax money and the Feds lost some tax money.
Bill G. 2005 Magna #6425..
Yahoo Message Number: 15939 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15939)
Hi, Bill.
Enjoy your coach to the max - I'm enjoying mine whenever we can get out in it. My post was just me "venting" mostly over parks that are selective in who can stay there. I do realize that none of us can "take it with us", so guess I was wrong in my analysis of purchasing at ever increasing prices. I admit my thinking errors and will probably get the first rig with the roll-out fueling arm!!! ;-)
Glen,
right before me.
but who
that time, I
the west
Feds lost some
Yahoo Message Number: 15975 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/15975)
Ray:
I have been trying to reply to your e-mail on the progress with CC but I prefer to do so direct rather than create some wrong impressions on this reflector.
Please send me an e-mail direct with your regular e-mail address.
Jim Green Intrigue 11021" Rollingghetto"