Will this be a banner year for RV travel? Consider that millions of cooped-up Americans are eager to get out and travel. Driving will be he preferred method of transportation and self-cocooning in some sort of RV would seem to be one of the most desirable ways to travel with family or close friends. It’s not just millennials who will be going after the van life. So I asked Craig Kirby, president of the RVC Industry Association for his thoughts on this coming boom.
This story by Everett Potter originally appeared in Forbes Magaine.
Everett Potter: Domestic travel is likely to recover first as the coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Where do you see the role of RVs in this recovery?
Craig Kirby: Americans love the space and freedom of the outdoors and the enrichment that comes with living an active outdoor life. RVs not only enable this lifestyle; they also provide a self-contained existence that other forms of travel don’t allow. After an indeterminate period of isolation, we believe families will be more enthusiastic than ever to get outside and see new places, even within their own states. RV travel allows people to sleep in their own bed, cook gourmet meals, and control where they go. Once federal and state restrictions are lifted, they’ll be able to experience the endless range of outdoor wonders throughout the country and the freedom of independent travel that RVs offer. This includes the option to forego a campground since RVs have everything a family needs to camp remotely.
EP: Let’s talk a little about the self-isolating aspect of RVs. How self-contained are they and can you stay off the grid?
CK: RVs are the ultimate self-contained units—it’s the reason why so many RVs are currently being used by medical professionals and others to self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic. RVs range from small towables to large motorhomes and many of them are designed to be completely self-contained with generators, solar panels, and laundry facilities, allowing RVers to live off-the-grid for weeks at a time. Not only are manufacturers onboarding new and improved technologies that promote efficiency and convenience, individual RVs owners are becoming increasingly creative at adapting their RVs for true off-the-grid living.
EP: For those who’ve never taken an RV vacation, what is the appeal?
CK: RVs provide travelers control: they allow people to travel where they want, when they want, and offer a unique travel experience that allows people to pursue their favorite activities and experience places in the country they may have only seen pictures of in a coffee table book or on Instagram. They can do this all with the ability to stay connected to family and friends. These are all positive features, but particularly attractive during this most unprecedented time. RVs provide a wonderful opportunity for people to continue to enjoy vacations with their families, while still adhering to social distancing, which will likely stay in place in some form for the foreseeable future.