Survey predicts RVing to increase

My Synopsis: More people are discovering what we already know — RVing is great affordable family fun.

From the Go RVing pressroom: As the RV industry celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, a new survey shows that interest in RV travel remains strong, with nearly half of RV owners planning to spend more time on the road this spring and summer than a year ago.

According to the latest Campfire Canvass, a biannual survey of RV owners by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), 45.4 percent of RV owners expect to travel more this summer than they did last year; 41.9 percent say they’ll travel the same amount. More than 8.2 million U.S. households own an RV.

RV travel is as popular today as it was in 1910 when the first mass-produced RVs were built.

“For a century, Americans have enjoyed exploring what’s over the next hill and around the bend,” says Richard Coon, president of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. “That pioneering spirit is still alive and well today.”

Survey respondent Bob Jaffe, 65, of Palm Beach, Fla., exemplifies that pioneering spirit. He and his wife, Sheila, bought their RV in August 2009 and spent five months traveling throughout the U.S.

“Our No. 1 goal was to visit our daughter in wine country in Northern California,” said Jaffe, who retired from his printing business in 2008. “During our trip, we visited 13 national parks, five national monuments and many historic sites, and we didn’t even get wet.”

The Jaffes, who used to get soaked putting up and taking down their tent in the rain before they bought their first RV, are planning another five-month summer trip that will take them from Florida to the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada.

Among the survey respondents, 75 percent cited the flexibility of RVing as a major benefit of owning an RV.

Dennis Kiegel, 59, of Tampa, Fla., enjoys the freedom and control that RVing offers.

“Whenever my wife and I feel like it, we can just get up and go,” said Kiegel, a former Anheuser Busch employee.

“What we like best is the freedom to come and go as we please. With our RV, we can travel at our own leisure. We don’t have any set plans for the summer. For us, it’s more interesting to wake up in the morning and make a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

According to the survey, a primary reason so many RVers will be traveling this spring/summer is that they appreciate the value they get compared to flying, driving and staying in hotels. Almost 82 percent percent of owners say they save anywhere from 15 to 75 percent by traveling in their RVs. This is consistent with a study by international travel and tourism experts PKF Consulting, which found that family RV trips are, on average, 27-61 percent less expensive than other types of vacations.

“RV travel continues to appeal to people looking to save money and cut costs,” said Coon. “RVers get a bigger bang for their buck than they get from other types of vacations.”

State and national parks are among the most popular destinations for RV trips this spring/summer. Seventy-seven percent of the survey respondents said they’ll visit state parks, while 71 percent will visit national parks.

Rob Long, a 33-year-old architectural designer from Newark, Ohio, frequently visits state parks with his wife and three-year-old daughter in their RV.

“Staying at state parks is my way of giving something back and helping to sustain them,” said Long.

Long, whose parents and two brothers also own RVs, appreciates the family togetherness that RVing creates.

“RVing is a great way to work and play together as a family,” he said.

According to the survey, RVers plan to be on the move during major holidays, with 60 percent planning to travel over Memorial Day weekend and 64 percent over the July 4th holiday.

RV owners appreciate the recreational and health benefits associated with RV travel:

• 78 percent say RV travel provides them the opportunity to spend more time enjoying outdoor activities
• 73 percent of RV owners say they are more physically active on RV trips compared to other types of vacations
• 72 percent say RVs allow them to escape everyday stress and pressure
• 80 percent say their children are more physically active on RV vacations than other types.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association is the national association representing approximately 400 manufacturers and component suppliers producing approximately 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States.

Visit GoRVing.com for more information about RVing and to watch a video on how to get started RVing.