but as diane eastabrook reports, the economy is still the wild card. >> reporter: they're back. consumers flocked to dealer lots last month, thanks to warmer temperatures, a string of incentives, and optimism about the u.s. economy. tom bavone is seeing a complete change in customer attitude at his ford dealership. >> they talk about their jobs are doing well. they feel more secure in their jobs and they seem happier, you know. it's better than it was a year ago. >> reporter: it certainly couldn't get much worse. last year, auto makers experienced one of the worst years ever. u.s. sales plunged 30% from 2008 levels. rising unemployment and tight credit got most of the blame. but with the new year came an improvement in consumer confidence and auto sales. >> people have been buying camrys, carollas, hybrids... >> reporter: toyota dealer dennis pecho says last month was his best march ever. toyota offered 0% financing on most products after sales plunged earlier this year after the recall of eight million vehicles for sticky accelerators. pecho thinks the accelerator fix, coupled

diane eastabrook visited his office in suburban chicago. >> you ready? how are you? >> reporter: dr. brian o'leary's days are a blur of patient appointments, prescriptions, and more patient appointments. o'leary's has roughly 4,000 patients. he thinks health care reform will bring even more newe[f patients into his internal medicine practice and help him take better care of them. >> i'm hopeful that the pilot projects that are being funded by some of this legislation will look at innovative ways to take care of people to prevent disease from progressing in ways that are very expensive and reduce costs, preserve access and quality. >> ah, that's cold. >> sorry! >> reporter: 56-year-old ed beckenhaupt is a case in point. a recent change in insurance providers increased his co-pays and out-of-pocket costs. so he's cut down on doctor visits and medication for his diabetes. >> when was the last time you tested your sugar? >> it's been awhile. i haven't done it since the last time i seen you, no. >> do you have any way of guestimating about how you're doing? >> i'm probabl

diane eastabrook reports. >> reporter: if you're looking for signs the economy's recovering, you'll find them in elkhart county, indiana where 70% of the nation's recreational vehicles are built. jayco, the nation's third largest r.v. maker, is building twice as many trailers and motor homes as it did a year ago. it's also hiring back many of the workers it furloughed during the recession. marketing director sid johnson calls his business a good economic indicator. >> our customers, while conservative, are also the type of people who can afford to do things that they want to do for their family. and so when there's an upturn, even in anticipation of a general economic upturn, they begin buying again. >> reporter: this corner of indiana has traditionally been a barometer of sorts for the overall economy because it tends to lead the rest of the nation into and out of recession. the most recent downturn started here in the spring of 2008 when gas prices took off and the housing market tanked. those two factors caused the r.v. industry to collapse. as a result, r.v. makers like jayco, damon,