Harris Interactive surveyed U.S. adults in 2010 to understand why people do or would own RVs. (The study results can be found at: http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=pstudy.)
According to RVIA.org (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association), RV shipments and sales are currently up significantly from the start of the 2008 Great Recession and about ten million more households nationwide have high interest in buying an RV in the future.
According to the survey, both RV owners and non-RV owners agree that RVing provides an escape from everyday stress and pressure, that RVing allows you to be more physically active than on a typical vacation, and that traveling by RV reduces exposure to illness and other health risks. Both also agree that RVing allows families to spend quality time together and enables families to spend more time enjoying nature and outdoor activities together.
Other strong purchase motivators for potential future RV buyers are:
- Kids traveling with families by RV get educational benefits
- RVers save thirty to sixty percent on a family vacation
- Couples develop stronger bonds with each other
In addition to vacations, RVs are used for “tailgating, travel with pets and to participate in sports and other leisure activities.” Although we have seen a steady increase in the cost of fuel, RVers adapt by making shorter trips close to home. With 16,000 campgrounds nationwide, there is almost always a great one or two within an affordable distance.
Are you one of the ten million households thinking about buying a trailer or motor home one day? If so, perusing the study might help you take the next step. If you are already an RV-owner, are there major advantages to ownership that the study may have missed?
RVT has thousands of recreational vehicles for sale, and our inventory changes daily. Sometimes an RV seller can be an excellent resource for more information. Even if you’re not buying today, you could forge a lasting relationship with someone you may buy from down the road. 🙂
Author Levonne Gaddy’s book “This Restless Life: A dream chased through California parks in an RV” chronicles her relocation adventures from the Southwest to Central Coast California during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. They encounter many twists and turns including a dead body found near their camp hosting camp site, problems finding work and multiple threats of floods. @Levonnegaddy
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Beats me why people by motor homes. The depreciation is horrific and the fuel costs nowadays are a burden. The tires for a big rig are very pricey too. And most of the time RVs sit unused. Banks have been so badly burned with RV loans that they’re very picky about who they’ll lend to and on what.
Maybe it’s cheaper in the long run to hire a rig. Has anyone been an owner and a renter and can supply comparisons?
Norm, I am hoping there is someone out there that has experience with renting and owning a motor home that can address your question.
That’s it? That’s all the reasons you heard from people? Come on.. How about owning an RV to live in it, work from it, or in it, or just Retire in it… I plan to use a 21′ toy hauler as my home. Sounds strange, but it carries 30 gal. of gas, for boat motor, generator, motor scooter, tow vehicle, etc.. Carries about 80 gallons of fresh water vs about 45-55 gallons in a comparable travel trailer. Has room for a bicycle or 2, or any other large item you might want to carry inside, and I can open up the back to let Nature inside. I can build storage cabinets to fit between the bed lowering rails in back, about 20 or so inches high, to store big and odd sized items. The bed comes down at night, and out of the way during the day, so I have 21 feet of living space, unlike a travel trailer that has a bedroom taking up living space. Yes, this has less storage than a longer trailer, but shorter and lighter is better to me. Also my truck bed with a shell provides a Lot of storage area too. With a trailer hitch on the back of the trailer I can carry an electric or gas motor scooter to check out roads and camp sites without having to take the trailer somewhere that won’t allow something this big, or no place to turn around. Also with about 5 large solar panels and a battery bank, I can live or park most anyplace I want and No fees. Most parks are probably $500-$1000 a month, $25-35 a night. I would Just need to occasionally dump the tanks, get fresh water, and food, & gas, propane if needed, and If I felt the need to spend one night at a park for a long hot shower, to do laundry, or just visit with other people, while dumping, that would be nice too….. This is my idea of why I would own an RV…. Low cost housing, See the Country, the wilderness, special events, cultures, nature, wildlife, etc..
Hi Tom… Excellent RV plan! Appreciate the detail and thought put into it. 🙂
What is mentioned in the post is that these are the results from the Harris Interactive / Go RVing study. It’s possible that the responses were multiple choice only (I haven’t read the whole thing); the top four responses are on page 3.
When you look at it from that perspective it looks like your comments could fall under three of those top four responses!
You aren’t comparing like to like Tom. You’re talking about full timing in a toy hauler.
First of all I specifically said “MOTOR HOME” and mentioned “big rigs.” Secondly, I was looking for comparisons to hiring versus owning. So the implication there is that it’s for vacationing and not full time RVing.
Good Luck with your plans.
Norm.