Solid economic growth, coupled with the retiring Baby Boomer population seeking recreational vehicles (RVs), has prompted the longtime Mesa-based RV company Little Dealer, Little Prices to build a multi-million dollar dealership in Prescott Valley.
“Through due diligence and research, we determined the population in Central and Northern Arizona matches exactly what national industry experts say will create the largest expansion of the RV market in history,” said General Manager Danny Sampson.
Sampson cited research that predicts the Baby Boomer market will break all records in RV purchases.
“National demographics show that beginning this year, 10,000 to 11,000 people are retiring daily. What’s more, that pattern will continue for the next decade or so. We know that thousands of them look at RVs as a way to enjoy their newly found freedom,” he said.
Right behind the Baby Boomers are those 45 and older, who also are looking for new ways to enjoy their leisure time.
“We think the demographics of the Quad Cities and surrounding area – clear to the state’s borders – are a perfect fit for our dealership,” Sampson said.
Scheduled to be fully operational in February, Little Dealer, Little Prices will feature “…what we think is the largest and most diverse inventory of RV units in Central and Northern Arizona,” said Sampson. The family RV business is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Dealership Experience Includes Pioneer Setting
Located south of Highway 69 on the eastern edge of town, the 11-acre facility is anchored by a 30,000 square-foot-building – about two-thirds the size of a football field.
It is not just a building you will enter. Step through the door and to the right, you will see a jail. That is where the sales manager meets customers. Across the way is a log cabin, with rough-hewn pine interior walls, a potbelly stove and rustic furniture.
Look around and you will see storefronts reminiscent of a John Wayne western with a saloon, country post office, turn-of-the-century general store, a hardware store and hotel. All are decorated with antique or hand-hewn furniture and old-fashioned hanging lamps. Other features include potted pine trees and artifacts carved with chainsaws or hatchets.
Then, a big highlight: a cave-like entry takes the visitor into a realistic campground where a waterfall tumbles and a stream gurgles. The glowing moon lights the eastern horizon. The RVs are displayed with camp furniture and shimmering campfires bouncing off the nighttime sky.
Another unusual feature is a large conference and meeting area, which Sampson will make available to groups and organizations.
“We hope to attract car shows – antique and otherwise. We also want trade shows, RV clubs, travel groups – anyone coming through looking for a central location to meet and enjoy the RV lifestyle,” Sampson said.
Employees dress like park rangers, complete with 10-gallon hats.
“We want anyone, especially kids, who visit to enjoy what they see,” said Roy Donahue, a sales and service advisor. But we also want clientele who come here to know our emphasis is on excellent customer treatment and quality service. The best compliment we can receive is when our costumers refer us to others.”
From Tent Trailers to Elegant Motorhomes
The inventory will range from 200 to 300 units on the lot at any given time,” said General Sales Manager Chuck Morgan. Morgan, with more than 25 years of RV experience, believes RV buyers will find anything they are looking for.
“Our inventory is valued at more than $4 to $5 million. It represents a full range of choices,” Sampson said.
Among those:
- Folding tent campers
- Cargo utility trailers
- Camper shells
- Tonneau covers
- Travel trailers, many with “slide-outs”
- Travel trailers, which are also “toy haulers” for ATVs and motorcycles.
- Fifth wheel trailers, some with “slide-outs”
- A full range of motorhomes, ranging from 20-footers to 30 or larger.
The dealership will take trade-ins and consignments and buy used units.
Offering Vehicles, Parts, Full Service
Sampson emphasizes that sales are just one component within the dealership.
“We also provide a complete range of parts and service. We provide full service, too – propane, water, air for tires and dump stations for holding tanks. We’re also proud that Little Dealer, Little Prices dealerships are the only ones in Arizona that insist that every service technician is certified. That’s done through the Recreation Vehicle Learning Center, through a certification and competency-based testing process developed by The Ohio State University Center for Education and Training for Employment,” he said. “We only want to do a repair job once – and do it right the first time.”
The Prescott Valley dealership is the third in the Little Dealer, Little Prices family. The original store, founded 50 years ago by former Flagstaff residents Ray and Vivian Sampson, is in Mesa. The second store is in North Phoenix.
“We’re a family committed to what we do, and we want to do it well,” said Sampson.
Understanding the RV Appeal
Several generations of kids grew up in the years following World War II, well before electronic devices became the dominant recreation and entertainment for families.
Now, as grandparents and parents grow older, they may find themselves reflecting on those times when life was less complex, less boundaried. For some, RVing offers a return to a simpler, less stressful lifestyle. That is the opinion of Jim Stephens, a Dewey resident who recently bought a 30-foot Sandsport “Toy Hauler” RV from the Prescott ValleyLittle Dealer, Little Prices dealership.
“We can pack our food, clothing and gear, and anything else we need into this rig and be out in fresh air and away from crowds in less than 30 minutes,” he said. “There’s something about getting back to nature – trees and open space and really clean air – that is different from any fancy hotel or expensive restaurant you can imagine.”
Jon Fretland, a Prescott Valley resident, also recently bought a 28-foot toy hauler. “There’s nothing like getting away from the stress of everyday living [and] getting out in the country and having the right to hoop or holler when you want to,” he said. “I’m not tied down to a schedule, I can go where I want to when I want to – I don’t have someone telling me I have to be someplace. We’re sleeping in our own bed, cooking our own food the way we want to, when we want to. That’s hard to beat.”
“We’re finding that more and more people are looking at recreational vehicles as an escape from the rigors of today’s complex lifestyles. But beyond that, consumer confidence, lower interest rates, cheaper fuel and certainly, really ‘tricked out’ RVs appeal to consumers as a way to enjoy their free time with children, family or friends,” said Little Dealer, Little Prices General Manager Danny Sampson. “It’s also a lot cheaper than many vacation tours. People also feel safer when they are in control of where they go and what they do.”
Sampson, his wife and their three children, ages seven, nine and 13, are enthusiastic campers. In fact, they have a unit permanently set up at the back of the dealership so that it faces the tree-covered open space looking south toward the Bradshaw Mountains.
“We really enjoy going out there in the evenings, building a campfire, and just enjoying family life. And, know what? Sometimes, we’ll even order take out Chinese food and have it delivered to our camper. How’s that for roughing it?” Sampson chuckled. Sampson predicts that RVing will become a priority for vacationing Americans in coming years.
By Ray Newton, QCBN