By PAUL GORDON
Journal Star
Posted Jun 03, 2008 @
12:05 AM
Last update Jun 03, 2008
@ 09:13 AM
When Dail Martin drove his motor home from
He thought
that was a lot. But when he returned this month to his native
Martin, 81,
who has lived exclusively in a motor home with his wife, Sue, for 30 years, was
philosophical about it when asked about how the explosion in fuel prices
affected him.
"When
you're moving your entire home every time you drive anywhere, I guess you're
going to pay a little for it. We have no control over it and this is what we
want to do, so we pay it," said Martin as he bicycled with his 11-year-old
granddaughter, Hannah, around Spindler Campground in
It helps,
Martin said, that he and his wife tow a car with them when they make the longer
trips so they don't pay to drive the motor home - which gets about 11 miles to
the gallon - on short trips or errands.
Annette and
Carl Ferrie, who have lived in a travel trailer they
tow with a diesel pickup truck since selling their Dunlap home in 1999, don't
have that luxury. They take the truck everywhere when they reach one
destination or another.
Still,
Annette Ferrie said while walking at Spindler, "We're not going to let the fuel prices stop
us from doing what we love. It may have slowed us some, we've put off a couple
trips, but it's still doable."
It cost the
Ferries $800 to drive back from
Closer to
home
Shorter
trips seems to be the biggest change in the RV industry in view of the fuel
crisis, said the heads of a couple Peoria-area RV dealerships.
"Sales
are down a little industrywide, but that's more
because of the economy in general rather than fuel prices," said Peter Koyak, manager of the Fourwinds
RV dealership in
Jack Miller,
owner of Tri-County RV in Mossville, said sales so
far this year have been as good as the previous five or six years.
"That does
sort of baffle us. But as I talk with customers and campground owners, we're
finding that people are taking shorter trips or they are parking their RV units
for longer terms and using other vehicles to get around," he said.
Miller said
buying and living in a motor home is not something people decide at the spur of
the moment; it's a lifestyle to which they've given much thought before
spending money.
"In
most cases, if they have the money for the motor home, they have the money for
the fuel, or they have had it planned so long they are not going to let the
spike in fuel costs change their mind," he said.
Boats still
afloat
That seems
to be true, as well, for boaters.
Boat sales
have not been affected much by the fuel prices, said John Swise,
sales manager at National Marine in
"Boaters
are going to boat. If they are going to buy a boat, the price of gas isn't
going to stop them, especially those who can afford big boats," he said.
Where he has
seen a difference is with the mid-sized boats, the cruisers in the 27-foot
range that normally appeal to younger boaters.
"We're
having a harder time moving them, but it's more because of the economy in
general than gas prices. The 20- or 30-somethings in particular are stopping to
think about spending $30,000 on boat when the economy is so uncertain," Swise said.
In the
meantime, Martin and Ferrie said they will wait for
politicians or somebody to decide enough is enough and bring fuel costs under
control.
"We
can't do anything about it, but I think others can," Martin said.
Americans
have been spoiled by an abundance of fuel that has been - and remains - less
expensive than in many other countries, Ferrie said.
"Americans
love to go. This is such a beautiful country to see, and it is great to meet
new people. It is such a privilege, but it's a privilege we should
protect," she said.
Paul Gordon
can be reached at 686-3288 or pgordon@pjstar.com.