Truck
Campers, A Truly American Institution
If you were to look for a
defining image of America, the two most enduring are the cowboy the open road.
The legendary cowboy was a real part of the American scene, but not as
important or influential as movie folklore would have us believe. The road,
however, is a different matter.
Americans have always been a
traveling bunch. Those who came across the Atlantic in the first place had the
moxie to leave their home to find opportunity on the other side of the horizon.
Many of them reached these shores and kept moving West. The pioneer's covered
wagon is a spiritual ancestor to the modern Truck Campers Recreational Vehicle.
The American Vehicle
If the defining image for
America is the open road, then their should be a defining American vehicle.
Candidates would include the iconic muscle cars of the sixties, but they are
almost extinct because of high fuel prices and safety concerns. The SUV seems
like a likely choice, but after they type matured from the rough and tumble
Willys Jeep, the SUV has become so civilized that it is more of a
grocery-getter than an adventure vehicle.
The truest American Vehicle
these days is the RV and the Northern Lite Campers. Like the covered wagon, these rigs
are designed to get you away from home so that you can see for yourself what
adventures and opportunities lie beyond the horizon.
Truck Campers and RV are an
American phenomenon in part because they work so well in America. Few other
countries have the combination of good roads and camping infrastructure that
are needed to really enjoy vehicular camping. This also means that a greater
portion of the truck camper or RV you are enjoying will be made in America.
From Back Roads To Wall
Street
Even investors are noticing what
a good American investment the recreational vehicle industry is. Although stock
prices for these manufacturers took a beating while the country went through
the real estate crisis, prices have recovered, in many cases to pre-2008
levels.
Camper sales will always be
somewhat volatile compared to the car or the truck market, after all, a new
camper is a luxury. The camper itself may be a better investment than than
stock in the company which built it. Truck campers can be more practical than a
full size RV because the slide in does not have to support a complicated power
train. If something goes wrong with the RV's engine, it will require the
services of a specialized mechanic. You can slide a whole new pickup under a
camper.
