Recreational vehicle sales have drifted into the fast lane (without signaling their turn). Purchases of RVs are up 30% year-over-year. Rentals are up even more. Families are rarin’ to take to the road after pandemic confinement. Many see an RV vacation as freer and safer than flying, cruises or VRBOs.
Does your family want a beach vacation? A theme park destination? A music venue? A historic site? Or a national park? If you can drive there, you can probably make an RV-friendly vacation out of it.
Almost any top RV destination list includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Next up? Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to learn a little Civil War lore. Beach getaways like Jalama Beach County Park in California, Padre Island in Texas and Camp Gulf RV Park in Florida score high for their great RV amenities. The Midwest gets high marks for RVing the Great Lakes. If you want big fun around the big lakes, check out Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, Michigan.
One last tip: Try Route 66! Spend the minimal cost to purchase an RV phone app to guide the way. Apps like Togo RV or Trover show camping spots and discounts, highway routings without low overpasses or detours to must-see sites.
Gone are the cramped, stuffy, shag-carpeted motorhomes of old. Whether you rent or own, your rig can offer a spacious living area, climate-controlled fresh air with a cozy gas fireplace, his-and-hers bathrooms and a rooftop sundeck with a shuffleboard court. Add a little built-in technology: Bluetooth-controlled LED lighting, USB ports, your own Wi-Fi and solar panels if you want to roll around off the grid (at least for a little while).
Picky about the inside trim? You can pick between a Manhattan condo or a London flat look, or even space-age decor. Heated floors are available for those with tender pinkies.
Camp kitchens
Want a break from your luxury indoor RV kitchen? Rigs now come with outdoor “camp kitchens.” These open from outside panels to reveal microwaves, grills, griddles, sinks and sound speakers, all under the stars.
Wow factors
If that rooftop lounge sounds boring, your RV can be fitted with a hot tub.
Off-roading
RVs now come with options for off-road tires, raised axles and water holding tanks, opening up remote areas and “boondocking.”
Flat-screen TVs
Why forgo your favorite sit-com or sports telecast while on the road?
There’s an app for that
With luxury RVs, you can download an app that lets you adjust and monitor inside temps, lighting, blinds, fireplace flames, alarms, gas tank levels, tire pressure and water storage.
Pet-friendly
Your rig can be customized with a dedicated doggie bed, kennel space and leash hooks on the outside.
Frankly, RVs are not meant to be good investments. RVs are a depreciating asset, purchased to live in and experience the RV lifestyle. Their advantage is a convenient and sometimes cheaper vacation than loading the kids on an airplane, with hotels and rental vehicles waiting on the other end.
That said, most RVs depreciate quickly. After three years of ownership, your RV is likely to be worth approximately 30% less than when you purchased it. After 10 years of ownership, a Class A RV will depreciate to less than half of what you paid for it.
RVs are made to be used and enjoyed!
