Click here to sign up for reminders when new blogs are posted.
The News Update is all about getting up-to-speed on the latest RV news that may impact you. We look at various sources and try to boil the news down to a few main items to review. First up…
R-Pod 202 – The Eighth Wonder of the World!
Forest River just announced what they are calling the eighth wonder of the world in the form of the brand new and even larger R-Pod 202. Oh-kaay? By the way, the Great Pyramid of Giza that has endured since 2560 BC actually missed the new seven wonders of the world list published in 2007, so that would technically be the 8th wonder.
Let’s take a closer look at the R-Pod 202 marketing spin…
Traditional forms of travel have been hit hard…
TSA checkpoint numbers past 30 days are showing 92+% YOY drop in passenger traffic but trending up slowly in recent weeks (30 days – 5M vs 71M last year, through 5/20)
but RVs should do well…
RV News is reporting (May 19, 2020) that longtime RV business leaders say the industry is poised for a spike in sales, rentals and general interest in the RV lifestyle… At a time when most people will likely think twice before booking a flight or taking a cruise, RVs could emerge as the go-to for leisure travel and outdoor vacations.
Phil Ingrassia, RV Dealers Association (RVDA) president, “We are in a position to maybe come back more quickly than other industries in the travel sector,” Ingrassia said. “It’s the nature of the activity and nature of the products that allows us to provide an option to a lot of people who don’t have a lot of options right now.” However, Ingrassia said that surge in popularity is dependent on the return of other elements of outdoor recreation. In order for people to want to purchase or rent an RV, he said, they’ll have to be able to use it and be able to find the aftermarket parts they need. – RVNews
Link to full article: https://www.rvnews.com/exclusive-industry-leaders-predict-surge-in-rv-parts-service-and-sales/
Joel Holland, founder and CEO of Harvest Hosts, has an interesting quote… “There’s something interesting in every single state. There’s something interesting within every 100-mile radius,” he says. “We are excited to get back on the road, and it doesn’t mean we have to do a cross country trip. We’re just going to be excited to get out of the house.” – Phocuswire
2020 THOR North American RV Consumer Survey Report
Thor Industries:
-
- Founded August of 1980 when Airstream was acquired
- Largest manufacturer with 50% market share
- Dutchman and Four Winds purchased in the early 90’s
- Keystone purchased in 2001
- Heartland purchased in 2010
- Jayco purchased in 2016
The 2020 THOR North American RV Consumer Survey Report included input from nearly 20,000 randomly selected RV owners and prospective owners across THOR’s North American companies. The survey, which was conducted April 26- May 8, 2020, included questions assessing consumers’ canceled travel plans, travel intent throughout 2020, planned RV usage, key indicators initiating RV travel, purchase intent and openness to purchase virtually. -RVNews
-
- 94% still plan on vacationing in 2020
- 79% plan to use their RV’s the same or more than last year
- Campground being opened is the number one hinderance from this occurring
- ¼ of prospective buyers are looking for ultralights
Unfortunately, the report doesn’t compare levels from prior years to see how different this is now, yet the trend for new buyers in the market who are substituting RV for other types of vacations is fairly apparent.
My Take…
I think the trend toward RV travel for the near future is very strong. I am regularly on the various R-Pod & other RV forums and without question there has been an uptick in folks buying RVs. This has several secondary implications, including increasing demand for campsites, more RVs being produced which can impact quality, and a high need for instruction and training.
All the best on your camping endeavors!
We’d love for you to join the On The Road Team by subscribing to the YouTube channel. If you want to dive deeper, we put more content and photos on Instagram and Twitter @JohnMarucci. You can also follow John on Facebook @JohnMarucciOnTheRoad.
As always, thanks to our teammates who support the channel by watching the YouTube Ads and by starting their shopping from the On The Road Amazon Storefront at: amazon.com/shop/johnmarucci. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Watch the more than 100 videos from John Marucci – On The Road!