In this blog, we’ll be going over recent RV news and the very latest travel trends. One of the goals of the news blog is to give you tools to make better RV travel and purchase decisions. There is a lot to cover, so let’s get to it.
Travel News
First up, traditional forms of travel have recovered significantly in recent months.
TSA checkpoint numbers are showing air travel has recovered consistently to about 75-80% of 2019 levels. We’re not looking at 2020 numbers, since 2020 was such an anomaly given the pandemic. Over the last four-week period of September 15-October 12, 2019, vs 2021, 65.2M people traveled by air in 2019 vs 49.7M in 2021. So, 2021 is just a hair over 76% of 2019 volume. This is down from about 80% in mid-summer, yet up significantly since mid-spring, where it was sitting at about 60%. The rate of growth has slowed recently, and it is very possible that this 75-80 % of 2019 levels may be the new norm for the foreseeable future.
My take is that there has been a structural change to air travel, especially in the high-margin business travel sector. Most companies have cut back significantly on business travel and conference attendance, and it may never revert to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, virtual conferences, and meetings have taken root as the primary way to interact for business, even for sales endeavors. Ways to work remotely have also increased with better mobile bandwidth choices and lower costs. Likely we are seeing a seismic shift in how business is run due to the pandemic which will likely affect air travel volumes going forward.
Some have speculated, including myself in the past, that the boom in RV sales is in some way linked to people substituting RV travel for air travel. At this point, my take is that RV travel is becoming a serious option as a lifestyle for many people who have realized that life and work can be done remotely. With the increased quality, consistency, and availability of remote internet connectivity, options are opening for the average professional to work remotely.
RV Market News
New and used RVs for sale on RV Trader have grown consistently through the summer and early fall. The used RV market has rebounded significantly of late with the last 8 weeks having over 40,000 used RVs for sale. This compares to the low 30,000 range for the first half of the year. Unlike the number of new RVs for sale, which can include RVs in transit or already spoken for, used RV numbers tell the real story of how the overall market is moving. Used RVs for sale have increased by nearly 20% from mid-July to mid-October 2021. This says that more people are either leaving the RV experience altogether or are opting for an RV upgrade. Either way, the trend is toward more stock and availability. This doesn’t necessarily mean lower prices, as new RV prices are still on the rise given back orders, and shortages of parts and labor. What it does seem to mean is that more RV owners are being enticed to sell given higher prices in the secondary market and given the end of camping season.
Also, this week new RVs for sale have reached more than 130,000 for the first time since March of this year. The 132,501 new units for sale on RVTrader.com as of 10/13/2021 is the second highest number for the year and may foretell a rebound in production. As a reference, there were just under 93,000 new RVs for sale a year ago. It seems that we may be seeing the first signs of a rebound in new inventories. However, looking at high-end Airstreams, one of the nation’s largest dealers, Colonial Airstream in Millstone, New Jersey shows 285 Airstream RVs in their new inventory as of 10/13/21. Yet only 6 or 2% are on premises and available for immediate sale. A large number (248 or 87%) are Inbound to the dealer, with many of these (169) are already spoken for.
My take is that it seems too early to say that new RVs are becoming more readily available, given continued shortages in labor and supplies. If new RVs are scarce, then prices will remain high, and few discounts will be offered. This then impacts the secondary market and likely means the prices for used RVs will remain at historically high levels for the foreseeable future. In many ways, the competition for used RVs are discounted new RVs, so if the latter is scarce, the former will enjoy a run of elevated prices.
As a quick reminder, we have several free resources on the to help you with various tasks as an RV owner. Probably the most downloaded is our free RV winterization checklist. This RV winterization checklist follows our RV Winterization Basics video and will give you a paper checklist to have with you when you winterize your RV. All resources are free to download and use. Click the Resources page and the Docs & Downloads area for more information.
Small RV Changes
There is plenty of news in the smaller travel trailer market as R-Pod has just recently introduced the brand-new R-Pod 153 model. The new smaller trailer has a rear entry door and is built on the wider 7 ½ foot R-Pod platform. The new model has no slide out and includes a large folding bed that folds out over the dinette when deployed. They are calling it a murphy bed, but it really looks like a simple fold out mattress. While the entry door is in the rear of the cabin the small awning is not over the door but on the campsite side of the trailer. So don’t forget and leave your shoes outside the door overnight if rain is in the forecast!
The new trailer does have a full dry bath, with a nice shower and sink area, even though the floorplan is smaller. The kitchen layout is a bit odd, with the sink and convection microwave toward the front of the cabin and the large fridge near the entry door at the rear. There also appears to be an open panty with no doors – something I am not sure is the best idea for storing things when traveling. Specs and details on length, dry weight, and tank sizes have yet to be released.
My take is that the new 153 just looks a bit odd. The rear entry door, the kitchen area separated, and the exposed folding mattress at the dinette make this model feel a bit disjointed to me. I think this model feels small and it’s hard to design a small, light towable with a full bath. Something in design or function usually suffers.
Concurrently, the company has suspended production of all narrow-body 6 ½ foot models, including the entry-level R-Pod 171. Other narrow-body models, the R-Pod 180, 189 and 190 all show “Temporarily Unavailable” on the R-Pod floor plan page. So currently, there are no R-Pods with wet baths or one-piece fiberglass roofs being built.
My take is that until we see the specs on the new R-Pod 153, there are no published R-Pod specs with trailers less than 22 feet or under 3,300 lbs., effectively eliminating options for mid-sized SUVs. What is unclear is if these models which show temporarily unavailable will suffer the fate of the R-Pod 179 and simply be dropped or if they are on hold given labor and parts shortages. The latter is more likely given other published materials.
At almost the same time, Winnebago has introduced a new narrow-body line, the Hike 100. Primarily geared toward the adventurous camper, there are five floorplans all of which are a short 15’9” in length and weigh in at 2,700 lbs. unloaded.
Some things in common to all the Hike 100 models are:
- Dry weights under 3,000 lbs., so SUV towable
- Narrow 7’ body
- Azdel walls
- Walk-on roof
- 16” off-road tires with axle lift
- Goodyear Endurance tires
- 2” receiver for bike racks or accessories
- Exoskeleton framework that “accepts Thule accessories” for kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, etc.
- 190-watt solar panel
- Awning on three sides that provides up to 200 sq. ft. outdoor living space
- 31-gallon freshwater tank
- 25-gallon gray tank
- 12-volt pad heaters for the enclosed holding tanks
- Portable induction cooktop
- 1.1 cu. ft. Highpointe convection/microwave
- Compressor fridge
- Wet bath with full shower that can serve as a gear drying area
- Cassette toilet with 4.75-gallon capacity
Some model-specific features include:
- Murphy bed and sofa on the H1316MB
- U-Dinette, loft bed, and outside kitchen on the H1316DB
- Folding bench seats, drop bed, and dual rear doors on the H1316SB
- East/West queen bed, loft bed, and outside kitchen on the H1316FB
- Twin bunks, folding bench seat, and rear bike door on the H1316TB
My take is that the new Hike 100 is a rugged trailer that may be worth looking at, especially if you like the idea of adventure camping. The solar package, heated tanks, light weight, versatile exoskeleton, wet bath, and compressor fridge all seem to be excellent amenities. Given the small 4.75-gallon cassette toilet there is no black tank on this unit, so this wouldn’t be a trailer for parking long-term in one spot, unless there were facilities to regularly dump the toilet. Given the 25-gallon gray tank, you would still occasionally need to locate a public dump station. What is not apparent is the type of materials used in the floors. Overall, this new model from Winnebago seems worth considering if you are looking for a smaller, lighter base camp trailer for exploring and adventuring.
RV Quality
In a recent news blog, we expounded upon the criticism from dealers over RV quality of late, however, not all brands or models within a brand are equal in this regard. RVNews.com is reporting the results of the RV Dealer’s Association (RVDA) 2021 Quality Circle Awards. 21 RV brand models were awarded from dealer survey results, “for achieving the highest scores in the association’s 27th annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey… The 21 brands/manufacturers received at least 15 dealer responses and scored 4.25 or above on a 5-point scale in overall dealer satisfaction in the association’s survey, which was conducted June through September.”[1]
The RVDA asked dealers to express, confidentially, satisfaction on four issues: Reliability/quality, Parts, Warranty, and Sales. RVDA received responses from 520 dealerships in the U.S. and Canada that included 2,672 brand ratings, an average of more than five per dealer.
The towable brands that were repeat winners were: Airstream; Cruiser RV for the Shadow Cruiser, MPG, Radiance, Embrace, and Stryker models; East to West for the Alta and Della Terra models; Forest River for the Flagstaff and Shamrock models; and Grand Design for the Imagine, Momentum, Reflection, Solitude, and Transcend models.
Towable brands that were not repeats to the award from the prior year were: Alliance RV for the Paradigm and Valor models; CrossRoads RV for the Zinger and Volante models; Gulf Stream Coach for the Innsbruck, Amerilite, Conquest, and Kingsport models; Heartland RV for the Milestone, Elk Ridge, and Big Country models; Highland Ridge RV; Intech RV for the Flyer, Luna, Sol, and Terra models; Keystone RV for the Alpine, Avalanche, Cougar, Montana, High Country, Raptor, and Carbon models; KZ RV for the Durango, Durango Gold, Venom, V-Series, Sportsmen, Sportsmen Sportster, and Sportsmen Classic models; Lance Camper for their truck camper models; Venture RV for the SportTrek, Sonic, and Status models and Winnebago.
“There were also four motorized manufacturers repeated from 2020: Airstream, Leisure Travel Vans/Triple E, Newmar, and Tiffin. Other 2021 motorized winners are Gulf Stream Coach, Pleasure-Way, Renegade RV, and Winnebago. Airstream and Winnebago are the lone manufacturers to claim Quality Circle Awards in towable and motorized categories.”[2]
My take is that 2021 is not the best year to buy a high-quality RV in general, but there are brands that still produce quality products. The problem is supply shortages that will delay production. This means delays in delivery and higher prices (fewer discounts) for new RVs. The above Quality Circle Awards survey isn’t extensive or a conclusive tool to use when looking for an RV, but it is a data point to consider. It is one piece of information when searching for better quality. Unfortunately, no matter the brand, most RVs share similar components and appliances, so there is no guarantee that a high-priced RV won’t have parts shared with lower-cost RVs included in its build.
Gas Prices
AAA is reporting that gas prices have hit their highest level since October of 2014, with the national average for a gallon of unleaded gas costing $3.288 on 10/13/2021. This is up from $3.176 a month ago and up from $2.181 a year ago. If we hold these prices constant and you plan to traverse south this winter, plan to spend more. Given your tow vehicle gets 10 mpg while towing and your trip is 1,000 miles one way, with another 1000 miles between sites while away (3,000 miles round trip), last year’s total cost of $654.30 (3,000 miles / 10 mpg * $2.181 per gal) will now be $986.40 (3,000 miles / 10 mpg * $3.288 per gal) an increase of $332.10 or 50.8%.
According to AAA’s Andrew Gross, the main reason for the price increase at the pump is the cost of crude oil. “The key driver for this recent rise in the price of gas is crude oil, which typically accounts for between 50% and 60% of the price at the pump…And last week’s decision by OPEC and its oil-producing allies to not increase production further only exacerbated the upward momentum for crude oil prices.”[3]
My take is that we will all be paying more for traveling by RV for the foreseeable future if crude oil prices remain high. I am not as sure if this will curtail people from using their RVs or cancelling winter or early spring trips. I don’t think gas prices affect the use of RVs all that much for those already invested, at least not at the $3-4 per gallon level.
That’s our RV news for today…
Hopefully this news and analysis has shed some light on what is currently going on in the RV market and with travel trends in general. Remember, the free downloadable RV checklists mentioned earlier in the Resources area of the site.
All the best in your camping endeavors!
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