Despite Fuel Costs, Traveling in RVs Expected To Be Strong In 2008
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Chances are good you’ve made plans for road trips in an RV. Those who own or rent RVs plan to use them this summer regardless of the price at the pump. A recent survey of current RV owners conducted by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association revealed that 93 percent of RV owners intend to use their RVs at least as much this spring and summer as in 2007. In fact, of the 16 summer weekends this year, nearly 50 percent of all RV’ers will spend half of these weekends traveling in their RVs. And of the 93 days of summer, 63 percent will spend at least 21 days in their vehicles. But the real indication of the RV trend is that RV rental bookings are up an impressive 20 percent between Memorial Day-Labor Day compared to 2007.
The reasons for this have a lot to do with the weakness of the U.S. dollar and higher airline fares and hotel rates. RV’ers get to travel closer to home, they don’t have to buy airline tickets, check in or out of hotel rooms or eat out every night. Everything being relative, a family of four can affordably rent an RV and travel much less expensively than flying and staying in hotels. Another revealing statistic: These campgrounds are filling up.
So what’s the breaking point? The psychographics of RV-ing seem to indicate that RV’ers would sooner give up new clothes and dining out before they abandon their RVs. RV owners may be spending as much time in their RVs — perhaps even more time — than last year.