Axios' The rise of RV living covers the surge in recreation vehicle sales since the pandemic. Key quote:
As of March 2021, 11.2 million U.S. households owned RVs, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. That's up 26% since 2011 ... What's even more striking is that 9.6 million additional households say they are considering buying an RV in the next five years, says Monika Geraci, communications director at RVIA.
According to the RVIA, recreational vehicle sales in 2021 are expected to be around 600,000, up 40% over 2020. And 2022 is expected to be another banner year for RV sales.
A driver of this growth is the pandemic-induced shift to remote work and more flexible work schedules. And driving around in a van or RV has several clear advantages during a pandemic.
You don’t have to get on airplanes, and you don’t have to stay in hotels or other places where you risk exposure to the virus. Vans and RVs can also access national parks and other outdoor or remote areas where infection risk is low.
But even before the pandemic, the number VanLifers - digital nomads who travel, live and work in RVs, vans and other vehicles converted into roaming residences - was increasing.
And, of course, the pandemic accelerated the trend.
The chart below is from MBO Partners 2021 Digital Nomad research brief. It shows that the number of American VanLifers increased 36% in 2021, reaching 2.6 million.
While we expect the growth rate in the number of Vanlifers to decline in 2022 relative to 2021, we're still forecasting VanLife numbers to increase in the 24% range in 2022.
