Reconnecting with the World Around Us
For many individuals, being forced to spend more time indoors in the past year was a huge test. Our daily walks for fresh air and exercise have become an integral part of our routine, with more of us noticing the benefits to our minds and bodies of spending time outdoors. With social distancing limiting the time we can spend socializing indoors, people started heading out to explore the outdoors by boating, biking, and camping. For this reason, travelers across the country and the world are keen to spend their vacation time in different ways. Instead of returning to crowded vacation destinations and resorts, RV demand has skyrocketed. While RV demand increased substantially in 2020, this has continued over to this year and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Appreciating the Benefits of Traveling in an RV
There are so many benefits of traveling in an RV, which is what many consumers realized last year. Of course, social distancing was often the number one consideration at the time, but the other benefits will outlive COVID-19 and these restrictions. RV travel is a budget-friendly means of exploring the world. You can carry everything you might need in your RV, so you won’t have to spend a fortune eating out or on accommodation each day. It gives you total flexibility to plan your route. If you feel tired one day, you can stay for another night where you are to catch up on some rest. Alternatively, if you don’t enjoy a destination you’ve arrived at, you can just move on.
Combining Work and Travel
As many individuals are still working from home, the idea of working remotely on the road is something that’s becoming more realistic. On top of that, the interest in a minimalist lifestyle is something that increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we soon began to notice what’s really important in life. These two factors combined have boosted RV demand, with many individuals adopting the digital nomad lifestyle and hitting the road. As long as you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can travel anywhere in the world today. There’s no need to be stuck in a sterile office block when you could be working in the outdoors every day surrounded by nature and beauty.
Appealing to the Younger Generation
In the past, RV demand was primarily focused on retired couples and individuals looking to spend their weekends away. RV demand experienced a five-year growth period before the pandemic, primarily due to individuals looking to purchase a second home. U.S. tax code means that you can deduct the interest from your RV purchase loans as they are treated as a second home. However, the pandemic shifted the age range of RV buyers down a couple of decades. Many younger families found they didn’t need as much space as they realized during the pandemic and began to research downsizing to an RV either temporarily for vacations or permanently.
While RV demand has spiked in the last year, it’s unlikely we’re going to see a huge drop in sales. About 20% of owners today are under 35, and so the industry is only going to continue to grow as this age group research the benefits of the RV lifestyle and living in the outdoors. For many individuals, the pandemic has changed their way of living, with the under 35 age group looking to explore the world more and enjoy new experiences. With individuals waiting longer to purchase homes and get married than ever before, we can only expect this age group to continue to be passionate about the outdoors and exploring the world in an RV.
The evolution of RV demand has certainly been exciting to watch. While the pandemic has been a devastating time for individuals and businesses worldwide, those businesses connected to the outdoors have found they’ve thrived as people are looking for new ways to reconnect with nature. With more of us working from home or opting to take on non-traditional jobs, we can expect the country to be filled with families and couples working on the road from their RV for many years to come.
Recent Comments