The Washington Times: RV Sales Are Up With Happy Campers Nationwide

The RV industry is scrambling to meet soaring demand for motorhomes, travel trailers and campers since Americans have developed a new appreciation for self-contained excursions in the age of coronavirus.

That also means a lot of first-time RV travelers are learning the ropes at increasingly crowded RV parks.

“We are seeing a lot of newbies,” said Marcia Galvin, whose family owns the Normandy Farms Campground in Foxboro, Massachusetts. “There are a lot more calls for help than usual.”

The industry’s marketing research says that in an era of social distancing, camping offers travel benefits unavailable to cruise ships, theme parks and resort hotels. Like most businesses, RV manufacturers and campgrounds took a hit from March to May as COVID-19 prompted shutdowns of factories and national parks.

Now better times appear to be in the offing.

“For May, we were down 30 percent from last year, but since the first week of June, we’ve been rolling,” said Monika Geraci of the RV Industry Association. “What we’re seeing now is extra shifts to meet demand, as inventory was down across the country.”

Normandy Farms could not open until Memorial Day, and even now capacity limits require visitors to reserved slots at its four swimming pools.

While June business was down 10 percent from 2019, Ms. Galvin said her family, which has owned the land there since 1759, is “very optimistic” about the rest of the summer.

The RV sector has long relied on the opportunities it gives travelers to get close to the nation’s natural vistas, but now it has become even more appealing because it allows travelers to not get close to everyone else.

Check out the full article from The Washington Times here.