It appears that 2018 will be another banner year for RV shipments, up another 30,000 over 2017’s record numbers of more than a half-million.
As RV parks and other campgrounds get more crowded, will some RVers tire of the hassle and opt out of the lifestyle? Or will more people take up RVing, sending its popularity to new heights in the years ahead? What do you think?
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i believe that as the baby boomers get to old for rving the next generation will not be the outdoors type. they cant leave their tv’s, computers and other indoor comfort items They don’t cook at home so can you expect them to cook while camping.
Think it will decline. As quality worsens, gas prices rice, and fewer and fewer campsites become available, I think more people will choose another hobby. There seems to be no motivation in the entire industry to remedy the problems.
I think here in Ca. there’s a real possibility motorized units may be outlawed in the future…sorry Billy Bob, no facts to support my feelings, just the fickle history of Ca. politics. BUT, I do hope that rv’ing in general gets more popular.
Totally agree, Billy. The less the fed gets involved, the better off we ALL are.
Having said that, I will repeat what I always say. Too many folks buy on impulse and really have no idea what RV’ing is all about. Once they get their shiny new rig, the first question is, “Now what?” A couple trips to wherever, paying for full hookups or Just paying for a site in a state park, and the thrill is gone. The “Go RV’ing” pictures of serenity by the creek side are hard to duplicate in real life, especially east of the Rockies. Then the shiny new rig begins its new life as a remotely parked monetary burden.
So, this is why I think RV’ing will decline in the future. And of course, if fuel prices skyrocket, that will add to the decline. Just my opinion.
Without much higher fuel prices people will continue to buy. A huge increase in interest rates could slow buyers down. No place to go will be the biggest factor. Actually, we really like the 2017 43′ 5er but think I should have kept the 35′. We no longer go during June – August and may quit altogether sooner than planned.
Agree
Just wondering but won’t today’s cell phone addicted generation travel virtually and not need an RV?
With record sales, limited campground space, stagnated wages, continued inflation, over-priced rigs, higher financing rates forthcoming, consolidation of manufacturers driving up prices, continued poor quality, government regulation of where you can park one, storage rental rates going up, Home Owners Association rules and regulations, yuppies that will find they don’t enjoy camping because of barking dogs, unruly kids, tight spaces, and high insurance rates, the future looks bleak. Add to this the record drop in used RV’s when the millennial’s get their belly full and start selling of those record new sales with record used sales.
On the other hand, as home prices continue their out of control spiral upward, home taxes continue to climb and insurance rates out of reach, what choice will persons have?
With the way the current administration is working to destroy public lands and make it easier for “big business” (as though rv-ing and outdoor sports is not big business) to destroy what is left of clean air and clean water, etc., it is hard to imagine that there will be much to attract people to the RV lifestyle–unless that is the only way they will have any home at all.
Get a grip. Making generalizations like that with no fact based references is not nice. Let’s look at the facts. First, the over reaching land grab has been reversed. Second, the people of the state of Utah as an example , applauded the reversal, it’s their state, not the federal government’s. Third, let’s assume you drive, pull or whatever an RV, it’s why your here I assume. That being the case, you are going to need cheap energy, well, guess what, you got it now. Instead of being an oil importer, we are now a net exporter, that’s a good thing, right.
There are so many baby boomer RV’s around now, the trouble will be when they all start to die off. All those RV’s (and other boomer “toys”) will be flooding the market as the heirs dump all this stuff. The future generations are ending up worse off than their parents and will sell at pennies on the dollar just to get something from them.
I doubt Sharon lives in the West because there’s all kinds of room here to RV and either be alone or in a crowded park. The current administration is not creating new monuments out in the middle of nowhere like a few past presidents did. Big business doesn’t want to be in the boonies, they want to be where commerce is and freeways can get their products to market. I believe RVing will grow out of necessity. There is more and more stress and people are going to need to get away for periods of time. As cell towers and technology improve they will be able to be connected wherever they go.
Hi, Jim. Thanks for your comments. I’m not trying to be facetious, but, unfortunately, your two last sentences seem to be contradictory while being very true. “… more and more stress and people need to get away” but ” … they will be able to be connected wherever they go.” In other words, they’ll probably take their stress with them, if they are unable to disconnect for a few days. Sad but true. —Diane at RVtravel.com
You made your politics quite clear
Take it to Facebook and stop inciting division here