I guess you have to define fairly new. I don't recall a 26 foot Southwind.
The model line starts at 30 or 32 feet now. It was a step above the Bounder
and under the Pace Arrow for Fleetwoods gas line up. Fleetwood products in
general depreciate quickly due to there being so many and thier tendency to
age rapidly.

No doubt the RV and boating industries are geting hit really hard. Except
for a trip to a ball game with some friends, I haven't used mine since
Christmas time. The cost of fuel though isn't the only issue as the economy
is turning. I also haven'tdone any trips in the Westy this summer.

I doubt the big RV industry is going to be gone any more than people will be
living in large houses. Yes there will be a turn but the reality is vehicles
like the westy are really only good for single folks, couples, and maybe 2
kids. A family of 6 or more is not going to comfortably live in one without
the aid of tents, trailers, roof racks, and then some.

Hopefully what we will see is usable sized RVs becoming more fuel effecient.
Over the last ten years they not only got larger, but also heavier with no
attention paid to aerodynamics. The one I have now is so bad that rain will
hit the windshield and be pegged in place, even with rainx.  Why do tractor
trialers get better mileage than even disel pusher RVs?

Most RVs will do better 5 mpg. I get 8.5 solo, 7.5 pulling the Syncro Westy.
The Westy is now only getting 16. My last RV was a Gas unit, 34' with the
triton V-10 and it did about the same.

What I would be more concerned about is folks in the north having to heat
there homes. We may be huddling in our vanagons with the propex heater to
avoid those oil deliveries.

Dennis

>From: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
>Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Vanagons  compared to RVs
>Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:16:32 -0700
>
>   I just saw a fairly new Southwind RV, maybe a 26-footer,  for sale in
>The
>Dalles, Oregon.  This one was nice looking well cared for but without all
>the fancy extra rooms that slide out, etc..Still, a "Substantial Vehicle"
>$7k was the asking price.
>   You can't find a decent Westie for that without being pretty
>diligent..Guess the big RV era is done..gone the way of the dinosaurs...  I
>suppose it would be difficult to fund a cross country trip at 5mpg when
>diesel in Oregon is (today..) $5.10/gallon..
>   Don Hanson