RV Dealers Say Safer Travel Options Amid COVID-19 Are Driving The Rise In Sales

RV dealers are experiencing a multimonth jump in sales this summer, boosted by the coronavirus pandemic that shows no signs of dissipating.

Dealers say consumers are turning to RVs as a safer option for vacation travel while practicing social distancing amid the pandemic. The loosening of stay-at-home orders have spurred more visitors on RV lots, said Robyn Ziegler, general manager at Happy Trails RV Center Inc. along Interstate 44 in Phillipsburg.

“The last two months have been great,” Ziegler said, noting year-over-year sales at the dealership were up 40-50 percent in May and June. “As soon as Missouri opened up a little bit, it’s been going crazy.”

RVs combine transportation and temporary living quarters for travel and camping – an attractive option for those not wanting to currently take vacations using airplanes or cruise ships, said RV Industry Association spokesperson Monika Geraci.

“You still have the freedom, but you also have that control,” she said.

“We are seeing that surge for those reasons. There’s a lot of first-time RVers who had never really thought of RVs as a way to travel.”

Although RV sales growth this year is fueled in part by the pandemic, it’s not a momentary success for the industry. According to a 2019 study by the RV Industry Association, it’s a $114 billion industry – with RV sales and service clocking in at $20 billion.

Check out the full article from SBJ here.