Jayco travel trailers are very popular. The company has been in business for over 40 years, and has a solid reputation.

As one of the largest RV manufacturers, Jayco also has a large dealer network. This is important not only for getting a great price, but also if you need service work while on the road.

There’s a Jayco RV to match almost any need. The product line includes camping trailers and pop up trailers, light trailers and large ones, fifth wheels, toy haulers, and motorhomes.

The models include:

• Select
• Baja
• Feather
• Jay Flight
• Eagle
• Designer

The motorhome line includes:

• Greyhawk
• Melbourne
• Precept
• Seneca
• Embark
• Insignia

The toy haulers are:

• Octane ZX (travel trailer)
• Recon ZX (5th wheel)

The product line has good depth. Not only are a variety of floor plans available, but there is a wide range of prices too. There are campers available to fit even modest budgets.

Jayco tends to avoid high-price luxury models. The company is known for solid RVs at a good price and good value.

Like other major manufacturers, Jayco has an owner’s club, with many local chapters. You can also get a factory tour if you’re ever in Middlebury, Indiana. Reservations are not required, but calling ahead is a good idea.

Be sure to check out this page on getting a great deal on an RV, Jaycos included.

Jayco Travel Trailers is a post from RV Sleuth, which teaches RVers how to get the RVs they want for big discounts.

As an example of the terrible toll the economic downturn has taken on the industry, Hi-Lo Trailer closed its doors a few days ago.

Hi-Lo was famous for its unusual style of RV — a telescoping travel trailer. The top fit over the lower portion. While traveling, this made for a compact trailer with a low center of gravity. Not only was this safer to tow, but the hard sides made it possible to camp in the winter as well.

While camping, the top locked in the raised position with an automatic hydraulic system.

Hi-Lo Trailer Co. Inc. was in Belleville, Ohio. It was founded in 1955. The end of the company was announced in a July 6 letter to Hi-Lo dealers from company President Jim Beveridge.

Beveredige said shareholders ”have voted to liquidate the assets of the corporation and dissolve same, effective immediately.”

”In light of the current economic situation and the downturn in sales of recreational vehicles, Hi-Lo Trailer can no longer continue to operate,” the letter said.

The announcement came as a surprise to many. Late last year, the company announced that it had streamlined its 2010 product lineup to include four floorplans based on the Hi-Lo Classic. This implied that the company was surviving the recession.

The toll the recession has taken is a post from RV Sleuth, which teaches RVers how to get the RVs they want for big discounts.

Follow-up to the previous post: the RVIA (Recreation Vehicle Industry Association) recently reported a positive upwards trend in RV sales.

The RVIA doesn’t track retail sales directly. It surveys the RV manufacturers and reports wholesale figures.

The most recent numbers are from May 2010 About 24,400 units were sold in that month. That’s the 10th month in a row of upwards trending.

For perspective, May’s shipments were 84 percent higher than the same month last year. On a seasonally adjusted basis, it’s an increase of 6 percent over April.

Motorhomes had the highest percentage gain in sales. This probably reflects the growing confidence in the economy.

Since towable represent the larger part of the market, they had a higher volume increase even though their percentage gain was lower.

In 2010 so far (through May), total RV shipments were 108,900 units. That’s a gain of 91.1 percent (!) compared to this same period last year.

Positive industry trends is a post from RV Sleuth, which teaches RVers how to get the RVs they want for big discounts.

As the economy recovers, America is remembering the RV lifestyle.

During the downturn, RV sales suffered. Several major RV manufacturers went under. A couple of others spent time in bankruptcy, but are slowly recovering.

The important thing for RVers is that sales are rising again. It will take a while before it reaches the boom levels of a couple of years ago. Nevertheless, the industry is strengthening.

That means demand for RVs is picking up. And that means it’s not as easy to get a good deal as it used to be.

In late 2007 and 2008, dealers were desperate. But not any more. It’s getting tougher to get a good RV at a good price.

That’s why I’m remodeling this site. With a new design, hopefully it will be easier to find everything. It will also be updated more frequently.

Hope you find it useful!

An important resource for RVers is a post from RV Sleuth, which teaches RVers how to get the RVs they want for big discounts.