As per a recent survey done by RVIA and Cvent, millions of Americans are taking to the road in their RV’s this summer. According to the survey results, 66% of RV owners said that they will be spending more time using their RV’s this summer as they did last summer, 28% will use their RV just about the same amount as they did last year, and 4% of those surveyed said that they will use their RV less. According to the survey, and rvnews.com, “the top reasons for using their RVs more include taking more minivacations (76%), enjoying outdoor activities (72%) and escaping pressure of the daily routine (52%). While fuel prices continue to fluctuate, just 30% (down from 58% two years ago) said fuel prices will affect their RV travel plans. Those who say their plans will be affected still plan to travel with their RVs, but will adjust their plans by traveling to destinations closer to home (71%), driving fewer miles in their RV (51%) and staying longer at one location (52%)”. New research shows that recreational vehicle trips remain the least costly, even during this time of economic turmoil and fluctuating fuel prices. The study, prepared for Recreation Vehicle Industry Association by PKF Consulting USA, a member of an international travel and tourism consulting group, found that RV travel is 23 – 59% less expensive than other types of vacations, for a family of four that owns an RV. For an “empty-nester” couple traveling by RV, savings were 11 – 46% percent.
“The study puts numbers to what RV owners have known for years – if you want to save money on travel, go RVing,” said RVIA president Richard Coon. “With the opportunity for frequent getaways to spend quality time outdoors with family and friends, RV ownership is a great value.”
PKF analyzed vacation costs for two sets of traveling parties – a family of four, including two adults and two children; and a party of two adults. PKF calculated the costs for these hypothetical travelers taking nine different types of vacations to nine popular vacation destinations, including: Branson, MO; Cape Cod, MA; the Grand Canyon; Corpus Christi, TX; Orlando, FL; Lancaster, PA; Napa, CA; Traverse City, MI; and Yellowstone National Park.
The study analyzed popular RV types, including folding camping trailers, lightweight travel trailers, compact motorhomes, Type C motorhomes, and Type A motorhomes. Vacation durations were 3, 7 and 14 days, and were directly related to the round-trip distances in highway miles between city-pairs. PKF also analyzed how theoretical increases in fuel prices could affect vacation travel costs.
“RV vacations were more economical than the other vacations analyzed, regardless of trip duration, trip distance, or region of the country where the vacation takes place,” said PKF vice president Kannan Sankaran. “As the data indicate, while fuel costs are a component of the overall vacation cost, they are not significant enough to materially affect the outcome of our analysis.”
Trips in type A motorhomes – typically the largest and most luxurious of RVs – were compared to other upscale vacation travel options. The study found that Type A motorhome vacations were 45 percent less expensive than upscale air/hotel vacations. According to the study, for a family of four, fuel prices would have to more than quadruple for RV vacations to lose the economic advantage over other forms of travel. For an adult couple, fuel prices would have to more than double before RV vacations would become more costly.
For more information on this study, including a vacation cost comparison table check out RVIA.org
