RV Education 101’s Mark Polk is Feeling the Heat in NC – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Mark Polk
EDITOR’S NOTE: RV Education 101, the longtime education resource for RV consumers founded and operated by Mark and Dawn Polk, recently published its August 2023 newsletter. Below is Mark Polk’s introduction to the August 2022 issue.
The heat is on! I heard that July was the hottest July on record, and I believe it. When you factor the heat index (HI) in, we were experiencing what felt like day after day of 100-plus degree weather here in North Carolina. To make matters worse, the AC unit on our destination camper at the beach finally succumbed to old age and the damaging effects of salt air corrosion.
But I shouldn’t complain, the old Newmar fifth-wheel and quite possibly the AC unit are over 25 years old. I call it the tank, because back in the day it was built like a tank! I digress. So, I get to look forward to replacing the AC unit in August, so we can enjoy some time at the beach this summer.
A week or so ago I received a camping-related report by insurance comparison website Insuranks. I found the content it to be interesting so I contacted them to ask about sharing in our newsletter. With their permission, here are some of the stats:
- 2 in 3 Americans are going camping in 2023, but as more people are drawn to this affordable type of vacation, it’s getting harder to find quiet places to go!
- In a survey of more than 1,000 people, nearly 1 in 5 (19%) shared they’re going on more camping trips in 2023 to save money.
- However, these budget-friendly trips don’t appear to be immune to inflation. 70% feel camping is getting more expensive in 2023.
- Some of the most beloved and popular camping sites to enjoy nature are national and state parks.
- Unsurprisingly, Yellowstone National Park is the favorite park of both Idaho and Wyoming. Although a small part of the park resides in Montana, Glacier National Park is the favorite there! (click on the link below to see what the favorite NP is in your state, and to view the report in its entirety).
- Across the entire U.S., state parks didn’t stand a chance against national parks. The most popular parks in the nation are all national parks or trails, many of them out West. Yellowstone ranked first followed by the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Once again, Joshua Tree beat out Yosemite as the 5th most popular place.
- In the top 10, only two parks were on the East Coast: Acadia National Park and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. It’s no wonder the Appalachian Trail is popular… the trail spans across 14 states and is more than 2,100 miles long!
- But, 1 in 3 Americans prefer to camp in private campgrounds instead.
- Nearly 2 in 3 (65%) say camping spots have gotten busier since 2020. In fact, 37% had to camp elsewhere after finding first come, first serve campsites full while on a trip.
- For campsites requiring reservations, more than 1 in 4 (29%) are having trouble getting a spot. On average, people say they’re having to make reservations six months in advance!
- While 27% find reviews to be most important when choosing a campground, some people may purposefully not review their favorite spots. More than 1 in 4 (26%) admitted they try to keep their favorite camping spot a secret so it doesn’t get too busy.
- When it comes to glamping vs camping, on average, Americans are spending more to glamp. Campers will shell out an average of $258, but while glamping, people spend nearly double that: $487.
- Glamping is often promoted by influencers online, and social media seems to draw some out of their homes and into the wilderness. Nearly 1 in 6 (14%) camp in places based on how ‘Instagrammable’ it is, meaning they choose their vacations based on which will provide the best images for social media. It’s especially important for younger generations: 22% of Gen Z admit to doing this!
Enjoy the newsletter, and as always if you have family or friends who like RVs and the RV lifestyle please share with them too.
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/rv-education-101s-mark-polk-is-feeling-the-heat-in-nc/
