RVing expected to boom as lockdowns are eased

[Retired Expat]

Not into RVing but we are blocked from traveling to our New England country home so it is listed for rental. Getting un believable amount of rental requests for 2 and 3 months. Last year we thought a 10 day rental was a good booking! airBnB and VRBO will probably do great this summer provided they lift the bans on short term rental.

 

[CaptTom]

Not into RVing but we are blocked from traveling to our New England country home so it is listed for rental. Getting un believable amount of rental requests for 2 and 3 months.

Lots of states have prohibited short-term rentals, AND implemented a 14-day quarantine period for anyone entering the state. Thus longer-term rentals become the only option. Also, folks from the city are trying to escape both the virus and the crowding by coming to rural areas.

Locals aren't pleased with folks showing up from virus-ridden areas, then buying up all the toilet paper and other scarce supplies from their local stores. It's not pretty in some places.

But I think as time goes on we'll all come to terms with what is, and is not, going to work best for everyone.

 

[38Chevy454]

38Chevy,
Just curious. Do you own a snowbird home, a home up north, and a RV?

I recently bought a place down south, and I'm starting to question keeping a full time home in Minnesota.



I could possibly just live in an RV June-Sept. I keep thinking I would miss having a garage.



Thanks, JP

I just have my permanent home in Ohio, the snowbirding was in the motorhome for about 2.5 months this past winter. We traveled around the gulf coast and central Florida, not staying just at one location the whole time.

 

[kingkarmann]

RVing is something the DW and I have looked forward to in our retirement.
That retirement is coming up very soon, June 1st!
For us it seems the planets are aligning. I got an unexpected enhanced retirement offer and it looks like the prices for the type of RV we are looking at are coming down. As far as a boom, I'm not so sure that's true for the short term. We are very close to buying but were hoping to visit a few RV trade shows before settling. Those won't be happening in the foreseeable future.
Right now I'd settle for a more comfortable "dog house" I seem to spend too much time there!

 

[WyomingLife]

The national parks are still closed here, but a plan to reopen them in phases is expected shortly.

The state parks are open. But to camp overnight, you have to be a resident of the state.

They are just now starting to allow out-of-state residents to acquire hunting and fishing licenses again; I think I have that right.

 

[REWahoo]

Looks like the guy quoted in the OP predicting a boom in RVing was right. Gonna be tough to find a campsite when we get ready to hit the road.

Floor traffic at Mike Regan's two RV dealerships outside Austin, Texas, is up 30% compared with last May. And the reason is fear.

Cooped-up Americans desperate to get out after months of lockdowns are dreaming of doing something-anything-that resembles a vacation. But a majority of them worry a second wave of the coronavirus is coming, and think politicians have pushed too fast to reopen. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to getting out of Dodge, the close-quarters of an airline cabin are a no-go.

That's where the "covid camper" comes in.

After a six-week hiatus, Regan said business has been so brisk that he may not have enough trailers and motor homes to meet demand.

Americans desperate to travel are buying up 'covid campers'

 

[Walt34]

And in about two-three years there'l be a glut of slightly-used RVs on the market...

That's where the "covid camper" comes in.

After a six-week hiatus, Regan said business has been so brisk that he may not have enough trailers and motor homes to meet demand.

 

[harllee]

Where are all theses campers going to camp? I had a motorhome about 10 years ago and I had a hard time finding decent campgrounds to stay in even then.

 

[REWahoo]

Where are all theses campers going to camp? I had a motorhome about 10 years ago and I had a hard time finding decent campgrounds to stay in even then.

Pretty common these days to make camping reservations months in advance.

 

[Markola]

Nothing against RVs as part of a retirement PLAN but there’s a Retirement Answerman episode in which he describes how fatal RV purchases can be to retirement portfolio survival. He advocates renting one first. These are expensive impulse buys a lot of these people are making.

 

[harllee]

Pretty common these days to make camping reservations months in advance.

Yes, back 10 years ago when I had my motorhome reservations went online for my favorite campground 1 year in advance and they were all gone for most dates within 15 minutes so I never could get a reservation for when and where I wanted.

 

[ls99]

Where are all theses campers going to camp? I had a motorhome about 10 years ago and I had a hard time finding decent campgrounds to stay in even then.

Ditto. Except mine was an Argosy camper. The fellow who bought it towed it to Florida to park on his son's lot as his winter residence.
Then it was already a$$hole to belly button camping with dozens of your closest strangers. Besides, I missed the line when they were handing out herding instincts.