RV Owner Demographics: An Overview Of The Family Camper

The Go RVing RV Owner Demographic Profile is the most comprehensive study of RV ownership ever conducted, providing deep insights and perspectives on the demographics and ownership habits of RV Owners, Former RV Owners, and RV Intenders. The study identified seven distinct clusters based on RV owners’ unique motivations, needs, and habits.

One of the clusters is the “Family Campers” who make up 33% of total RV owners. These are RV owners who grew up with an RV and use camping to bond with family. Limited by full-time employment, these eager owners often go RVing in the summer.

Many RV owners in this category fall within a younger age range; 52% are within the 18-34 age range and 48% are between ages 35-54. Over half travel with their spouse and/or children under age 18, and 64% are employed full-time. The types of RVs most common among the family campers are the conventional travel trailer, expandable trailers, and toy haulers. An impressive 83% of “Family Campers” plan on purchasing another RV.

It’s worth mentioning that this cluster is often divided into two sub-categories: the “silver spoon,” which sees the RV as a status symbol and prioritizes luxury finishes and the latest technology, and “family matters,” which focuses on affordable, nature-focused travel.

As a whole, when the family camper category was asked their reasons for RVing, the most common responses were exploring the outdoors (40%), relaxing (40%), and visiting a location with natural beauty (34%). During their travels, many family campers prefer to go hiking, while still others participate in water recreational activities or fishing and hunting. When they’re not on the move, they tend to stay in state parks, private campgrounds, and recreation area campgrounds.

There are six other clusters that we will be exploring in the coming weeks. You can check out an overview of the clusters here.

Members of the RV Industry Association can view the full study here.