The Robin Williams movie "R.V." may be obnoxious but it was nothing compared to an "NBC Nightly News" story last night.
Tailgating the New York Times, "Nightly News" worried on December 3 that America is traveling down the road to recession, because R.V. sales are projected to decline by about 5 percent in 2008.
"Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams honked his horn saying, "when R.V. sales go down, the U.S. economy often follows."
Correspondent Lee Cowan explained "that Wall Street has been tailgating [the R.V. industry] for signs of a possible recession."
Cowan profiled the Newtons, who were hoping to upgrade their R.V. but were turned off by "oil flirting with 100 bucks a barrel." While oil did flirt with $100-a-barrel, Cowan didn't say that on that very day, oil was trading $12 lower -- under $88 a barrel -- and the retail price of gasoline was little more than $3 a gallon.
Despite, NBC's claim that R.V. sales are slipping "driven by rising fuel prices," gasoline prices have dropped six cents since November 15.
The thrust of Cowan's report was that recession is coming. The NBC correspondent said that over the last 30 years, every time there has been a decline in R.V. sales it's been followed by a decline in the U.S. economy, before citing forecasts that RV sales will drop 10% this year and 5% next year.
But that would mean that the decline in sales will be smaller in 2008, although Cowan didn't say that.
The media have also used sweater sales and Starbucks coffee to say recession is coming.
—Paul Detrick is a research analyst at the Business & Media Institute.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
R.V. sales are a barometer
December 4, 2007 - 12:49 ET by rbosqueR.V. sales are a barometer on the economy? Wow. That's really grasping at straws Brian. Try taking a class on macro-economics.
Yes because most Americans
December 4, 2007 - 12:52 ET by taterYes because most Americans can afford or even need an R.V.
Try something a lot of people need...such as milk, bread, or gas. That's a better barometer than a (in a cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation voice) RRRRVEEEE!!!
Do you realize how much it costs to run for office? More than any honest man could afford. -Montgomery Burns
'The sh*tter was full!'
December 4, 2007 - 13:14 ET by Six String SpiffSeriously, though. R.V. are an indicator for the economy? NOW I have heard everything. That's like saying because Starbucks is selling less coffee, there are that fewer gay people in that particular area. Oh wait...
If they really want to watch
December 4, 2007 - 12:55 ET by BruzillaIf they really want to watch for a rescession, they should look at the sales of shipping materials (boxes, pallets, supports, etc.) Those historically drop well before the actual delivery of goods drops and are the best way to forecast a recession.
RV sales are the leading
December 4, 2007 - 16:50 ET by Evil CapitalistRV sales are the leading indicator for consumer driven economy exactly because it is a -large- recreational purchase with high maintenance costs. The correlation has been shown time and time again.
Must...convince...American...people...
December 4, 2007 - 13:04 ET by MightyMouth...they...are...worse...off...today...than...8...years...ago!
---MSM/DNC
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
'nuff said
December 4, 2007 - 13:10 ET by red_dragon311'nuff said
MM
December 4, 2007 - 13:14 ET by MrShyThat is TOTALLY what the MSM agenda is, top to bottom!
"Shywear makes a great Stocking Stuffer!" - Everyone except Free Stinker
Brian Williams is a pimple brained non intellect
December 4, 2007 - 13:10 ET by Lame CherryIt would behoove a deeper analysis as to why do liberals want the economy to down turn beyond the elections in 2008 to keep democrats in power.
Perhaps, it might have to do with investment. General Electric is a huge STOCK TRADED corporation which owns NBC who employs multi millionaires like Brian Williams.
If Williams talks down the economy it will cause panic in people to not purchase goods, but instead HOLD THEIR MONEY IN BANKS or INVEST IT IN STOCKS.........both of which drives up the financial portfolios of GE and the millionaires at NBC.
My contention is someone like Mr. Bozell should have a group go together and file a multi billion dollar lawsuit against NBC and parent company GE for attempting to manipulate the economy for their benefit and the 12 trillion dollar Rockefeller banking family.
It is easy to always think Democrat elections, but these people are not all cherry in their motives of only benefiting political parties. This is a matter of their profits and when one manipulates masses of individual investment....voila you get a bubble you as GE can milk, take the profits and then dump the debt onto the public just like the Dotcom manipulation.
Williams knows very well that RV sales have to do with fuel prices and intelligent Americans are not going to invest in things which get 10 miles to the gallon. Look at Ford's new ads running........the big Ford pickups are all gone.........now it is the 35 mpg line cars they are pushing.
So it would be a good plan to file a lawsuit for the public good against Williams, NBC and GE. Then follow it up with that economic rapist George Soros as somewhere in this mix he is preying on the economic down turns........just like that other investment rapist out of Nebraska, the communist Warren Buffet.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
Hmm...
December 4, 2007 - 13:21 ET by islero47What about yacht sales? Or Rolex sales? Wait, only millionares unaffected by economy recessions buy those. They picked R.V.'s because of the white trashy aspect. Not that genuine white trash could afford one, but because R.V.'s lack class and refinement, like a gun rack on your gas-guzzling pickup truck.
Pog sales reached historic lows on Monday! The next Great Depression is here!
They picked R.V.'s because
December 4, 2007 - 17:47 ET by MidAmericaThey picked R.V.'s because of the white trashy aspect....
Have you priced some of those rolling mansions lately? Many run into the hundreds of thousands and up.
Hey, Brian. Just because
December 4, 2007 - 13:34 ET by fitzfongHey, Brian. Just because you wish it doesn't make it so.
RV recession
December 4, 2007 - 14:01 ET by lhbarnesIt never ceases to amaze me that the MSM can keep a straight face when they tell such an asinine story as this. How can anyone actually believe such nonsense! The MSM are driving themselves out of business because sensible people can't stand this sort of blather.
"The MSM are driving
December 4, 2007 - 17:41 ET by Chris Norman"The MSM are driving themselves out of business..."
Yes, they are. Apparently, just not in a new RV...
Wait a minute...
December 4, 2007 - 15:10 ET by SpockSo let me get this straight. If the economy is slowing, its a mega-recession and all Bush's fault. But... if the economy is strong, its bad for the envoronment and all Bush's fault.
You can't have it both ways.
When I think RV, I envision
December 4, 2007 - 16:53 ET by dscottWhen I think RV, I envision a motor home versus a trailer towed behind. Am I using the terms correctly or does the term RV refer equally to trailer and motor home? I have also heard it used for off road vehicles such as ATVs and dune buggies. And is Brian Williams using the terms the same way?
If so, maybe Americans being the savvy consumers they are would be eyeing trailers and 5th wheelers to tow instead of the gas guzzling RV motor home??? I know I would. Why spend $200k on an RV when you could buy a 5th wheel trailer with equal room for say $60k or $70k and then buy a diesel F-250 crew cab for another say $35k? Why lug around the whole house to go grocery shopping and sight seeing when you can park the trailer at the camp ground, which you are renting anyway, and get better fuel mileage? Well, duh! So even if you use the term RV generically to include trailers, well of course gross sales would be down if people were switching to trailers over motor homes since the tow vehicle (and hence it's value) would not be considered an RV, now would it?
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. dscott's corollary: The line between malice and stupidity is called depraved indifference.
I re-read the article,
December 4, 2007 - 17:14 ET by dscottI re-read the article, it is inconsistent in it's use of the term RV for example:
In an interview, Richard Riegel, chief operating officer of Thor Industries, the parent company of 11 R.V. makers, including Crossroads and Airstream, invoked the specter of a “challenging market.”
Crossroads only makes trailers to my knowledge, looking at the website.
That means Thor shoots for annual sales of 100,000 R.V.’s and trailers. It offers luxurious coaches from its Mandalay division, with $325,0000 models, but it also markets $6,000 starter R.V.’s. That middle range, he said, is “where the meat of the market is — not in the rock star bus pricing.”
Here the guy differentiates the terms RV and trailer.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. dscott's corollary: The line between malice and stupidity is called depraved indifference.
RV sales are an indicator
December 4, 2007 - 17:56 ET by IRRRVERNI sold my first RV in 1976. I still sell RV's for a living. As suggested, sales are off. Sales were off in the late summer and fall of 1987 (Oct 87, Black Monday). Sales were off in the run up to the 2001 Elections (the start of recession). Sales were off on the run up to the tech stock collapse. Let me just say that I have moved my investments to safer places. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I will not get burned again. My thirty years of experiance is all I have to go on. Every POTUS election cycle, the Dems scare the crap out of people and my business drops. The worst is when there is no incumbant. That is now.
And by RV's, I am refering to Motor Homes, Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheel Trailers. ATV's and motor cycles are not considered RV's.
Chuck from Tacoma
"when R.V. sales go down,
December 4, 2007 - 18:16 ET by jdhawk"when R.V. sales go down, the U.S. economy often follows."
And, did you know that people with large waists have higher IQs?
Yeah, it'a as true as the first quote is . . .
NBC = no body cares