RV Buyers are Getting Younger and More Diverse

According to a recently-published report, RVers are getting younger and more ethnically diverse. That’s the conclusion of Integrated Dealer Systems (IDS), a company that creates software for RV, marine, and trailer dealerships. Recently, IDS released its annual industry trends report, which provides some interesting insights into where the RV business and lifestyle are headed post-pandemic.

The report cites another study from the RV Industry Association that Millennials and Gen Xers are now the most likely buyers of an RV. Those two groups comprise 38% and 31% of buyers, respectively. Baby boomers, who have driven industry sales for decades, now make up 22% of the market, while other age groups occupy the remaining slice of the sales pie.

Photo Credit: Manu Reyes

One of the side effects of these shifting demographics is that RVers are continuing to get younger. According to the IDS, industry data now shows that the average age of RV buyers has fallen to 33. This partially explains the surge in popularity of camper vans and small trailers, which are more affordable than larger models and are comfortable alternatives to sleeping in a tent.

IDS says that RVers are getting increasingly more diverse too. According to its research, 65% of dealerships now report that 25-50% of their customers are women. An additional 30% of those dealerships indicate that women currently make up 50-75% of its customer base. Another industry study further supports these claims by finding that 46% of all Class A motorhome owners are female.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Trujillo/Getty

But the change in diversity is being seen elsewhere too. IDS points to data from the 2022 North American Camping Report that says 54% of new RVers identify as non-white. On top of that, roughly a third of all camping families now include Hispanic, Black, Asian, or other non-white ethnicities. This is reflected in another linked study showing 8 million Black households went camping in 2021. That represents a 158% increase over the previous five years.

This is all good news for the RV industry, which has seen unprecedented popularity and participation during the pandemic. That enthusiasm doesn’t seem to be waning any time soon, either. IDS points to the results of a recent survey that indicated 62% of North Americans plan to take trips to nearby cities and parks in the near future. Of those, 51% say they’ll book campsites as part of their travels. That could lead to busier campgrounds in the coming months, so plan accordingly when making your travel plans.

Visit the IDS website to read the full report.

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Source: https://www.rv.com/lifestyle-travel/rv-buyers-are-getting-younger-and-more-ethnically-diverse/