RVs Remain Gateway To Great Outdoors

Lamont Robinson and his family canvassed the RV showroom floor at Memorial Coliseum masked up.

The Fort Wayne clan were among few wearing face masks Saturday and a reminder that COVID-19 still lurks.

“We’re just looking actually,” said Robinson, 49, a software developer who attended the three-day Fort Wayne Fall RV Show with his wife and three children this weekend. “When the pandemic started, I think people just wanted to get out. We were just restless.”

And that buoyed a $140 billion recreational vehicle industry that produces travel trailers, fifth wheels, pop-up campers and similar nature getaway rides.

“We were already seeing an increase in sales, and the pandemic just added to that,” said Monika Geraci, a spokeswoman for the RV Industry Association. “People are prioritizing … they want to spend time outside. It’s just good for your health.”

Some 3,000 people are expected to visit the sales and showcase event that ends today. Admission is $10; children younger than 16 are admitted free.

Read the full article from The Journal Gazette here.