RV Industry Facts and Figures

RV Owner Demographic Profile Study from Ipsos 

• RV ownership is at a record high with 11.2 million households owning an RV in 2021, up 62% over 6.9 million households in 2001 and 26% more than 8.9 million RV-owning households in 2011.
• Data from Ipsos from June 2020 showed that 46 million Americans planned on taking an RV trip in the next 12 months.
• The survey showed that in total, 1 in 4 respondents plan to take some kind of RV action in the next 12 months. Specifically, 18 percent plan to take an RV trip. Another 18 percent plan to research more RV information online. Eleven percent plan to purchase an RV; 12 percent will visit an RV dealer; and 13 percent plan to rent an RV.
• The same Ipsos survey showed that 20% of US respondents are more interested in RVs as a recreational travel option, which was the highest of any travel option tested.
• RV camping leads in consumer confidence and interest across all age groups, with the highest rate of interest among those 18-34 years old.
• The study also showed Millennials and Gen Zers are becoming RVers for life with an impressive 84% of 18-to-34-year-olds planning to buy another RV in the next 5 years.
• Nearly a third of the respondents in the study (31 percent) are “first-time owners,” underscoring the growth of the industry in the past decade. Ownership is spread widely not only across age levels but also across genders, as well as household income and education.
• The study also identified seven distinct clusters of RV Owners ranging across demographics, attitudes, RV usage habits, and motivations. More information on the seven clusters can be found here. You may also contact us for more information.

Reasons for Increase in Demand

What we have been seeing over the past several months in terms of sales and interest in RVs is just the first wave. This has been fueled by people who see RVs as a way to experience freedom, control, and fun this summer and fall. They want the freedom to get out and take their vacation and enjoy the outdoors while also being able to control their environment—and have fun with family and friends while they do it.

The second wave is being driven by individuals seeking to use RVs as mobile offices. We have had a fundamental change in the workplace with the amount of telecommuting and remote work and we believe this will play a much larger role even as we exit the pandemic. You can set your RV up as a professional office and take that office with you on the road. You can zoom from a national park or any number of campgrounds across the country.

Additionally, the second wave is made up of families who want their children to learn about this country firsthand. With a large number of school systems teaching remotely this fall and many parents already working remotely, this provides an excellent opportunity for families to hit the road in an RV and discover our country's historical sites in person. Due to the school schedule, this was not possible in the past.

• As of Sept. 2, 73% of the 100 largest U.S. school districts had chosen remote learning only as their back-to-school instructional model, affecting more than 8 million students. That’s a lot of students now able to learn from anywhere.

According to the RV Owner Demographic Profile Study, released in March 2021, the top reasons noted by respondents for this surge in RVing include:

• Freedom to control the cleanliness of their environment
• Can avoid contact with others and still feel like they were vacationing
• Control own itinerary with no set schedule
• Bring everything you want from home
• Don’t have to leave pets at home or board them

An RV for Every Lifestyle and Price Point

• There is such a variety of products available in the RV space to rent or own, that there truly is an RV for every lifestyle and price point.
• Motorized and towable options range from under $9,000 for a small pop-up trailer all the way up to million-dollar coaches.
• The industry website GoRVing.com provides a lot of great information on the different types of RV and their prices, but the best resource for those interested in finding the right RV is to head to your local RV dealer.