People who caught the travel bug during the covid-19 pandemic and purchased RVs are now returning to those dealerships.

It’s not because they’re dissatisfied with their purchases, sales representatives said. Instead, many discovered a love for the outdoors and are seeking to upgrade their RVs.

“The industry’s changed for the better, and it’s only getting busier,” said Jeff Trader, sales manager at Camping World in Allegheny Township.

During the pandemic, shipments of RVs jumped nationally 75.9% from May 2020 to May 2021, according to the RV Industry Association. The average amount spent on an RV was about $75,000.

In 2021, the industry logged 600,240 shipments, said Monika Geraci, a spokeswoman for the association. She attributed some of the spike to campsites being shut down temporarily in 2020 as a health precaution.

Although the number of shipments decreased to 492,000 units in 2022, that still was the third-best year on record, Geraci said.

“2021 was a record, record year, and what we saw in 2022 was more of that normalization,” she said.

RVs refer to a motor vehicle or trailer that includes some amenities of a house.

According to a February study from the RV Industry Association, shipments have decreased from 2022 to 2023. But, Geraci said, the industry is still seeing solid demand.

The association reports that 37% of American leisure travelers — representing 67 million people — plan to take an RV trip in 2023. It defines a leisure traveler as someone who has taken some type of leisure trip in the past year.

“The pandemic changed people’s priorities, and getting outdoors became much more of a priority,” Geraci said.

‘Little apartment’

The RV association further reported the number of respondents citing that flexibility in work has increased by 12% in the past year.

Jana Randall, chief marketing officer at Aliner in Mt. Pleasant Township, said she sees that firsthand.

Aliner is attracting a lot of first-time customers, Randall said, which she attributes in part to the pandemic altering how some people work. Those who never returned to an office in person can travel and still do their jobs.

Other trends Randall has noticed include increased interest from customers in the 25- to 35-year-old age group. She said many of those people camped as children and are looking to reconnect with nature.

“Covid really provided that opportunity,” she said.

Statistics show the highest interest in RVing overall comes from younger age groups. About 49% of Generation Z and 48% of millennials said they plan to take an RV trip in 2023, according to the RV Industry Association.

Purchase intent also is higher, with 41% of Generation Z and 35% of millennials saying they plan to buy an RV in the next year.

Local retailers are seeing interest from all ages.

John Moats, 73, of Kiski Township said he bought an RV last summer from Camping World to make it easier to visit family.

His children live across the country, and traveling in an RV is a safe and cost-efficient way to visit them, he said. Because Moats and his wife, Jude, are retired, they have time to travel and plan to use their RV often this year.

“It basically has everything we need for traveling,” Moats said. “It’s very comfortable.”

An RV was something Brian Illar, 61, of West Leechburg always wanted. He bought his camper in 2021.

He said the pandemic really wasn’t a factor, but prices made it the “right time to buy.” He and his wife, Bev — along with their pets — take about seven or eight trips a year.

“It’s a home away from home,” Illar said, dubbing it a “little apartment.”

Supply chain turnaround

During the pandemic, Randall said, the demand for RVs was high, causing delays in the supply chain.

That backlog has since been corrected, and the supply-demand ratio is “way better than what it was with covid,” she said.

For 2023, Randall said Aliner is projecting about the same number of orders from 2022. She said the RV industry as a whole is seeing more normalized numbers for sales. The biggest factor she sees affecting the market is interest rates.

At Camping World, sales manager Chelsea Kording said that, while sales have plateaued since the pandemic, projections for this year are higher than in 2019.

“So far, month after month, we’re above where we were,” Kording said.

She said the business is seeing a mix in clientele, with some first-time buyers, retirees, families and people looking to upgrade.

Once people start camping, they realize its benefits, she said.

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