'They Just Want To Get Away': RV Sales Boom Despite Higher Gas Prices

David Shirley and his family were packing up their RV last week at a shady, quiet spot in a campground in Bullitt County. 

They had traveled there from Evansville, Indiana for a basketball tournament and had been parked there for a week, surrounded by other recreational vehicles. 

The family takes their RV on the road about two weekends a month, and they, along with many others on the road this summer, aren't deterred by high gas prices. 

"Any time that we’re going to travel, we try to take it because it’s cheaper than a hotel room and you have all your cooking, grills and stoves and everything you need, so you don’t have to spend money eating out," Shirley said. 

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"We hear the same thing from everybody, no matter what age group they’re in," Johnson said. "Everybody wants the same thing. They just want to get away."

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"Everyone thinks that retirees is what fuels the RV business, but it’s actually millennials driving this," said Johnson. 

According to the RV Industry Association, families may take shorter trips or stay closer to home because of high gas prices, but they haven’t stopped driving RVs. 

"A hotel room is going to run you $150 a night," said Shirley. "You can stay here for $45 a night." 

A record 600,000 recreational vehicles were produced last year and this year is expected to be the second best year for production, according to the RV Industry Association. 

Read the full article from Spectrum News 1 here.