Local RV dealers still see demand despite industry changes
Summer travel is well underway not just for the holidays, but for the average weekend getaway.
Roughly 37.1 million travelers hit the road this past Memorial Day weekend according to AAA, with many of them using recreational vehicles as a mode of transportation.
Jason Trettel, general manager at Butler RV Center in Butler Township, said the industry is looking “steady” after seeing high demand during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They wanted to continue to travel and were seeking a different type of travel than the past,” Trettel said. “Hotels were closed for a while so that spiked interest in people. People still wanted to have recreational fun and that’s what we sell.”
During 2020 and 2021, Trettel said demand for RVs went higher than previous years, despite the fact prices went up and the availability of parts was not ideal.
Shipments of RVs jumped 75.9% nationally from May 2020 to May 2021, according to the RV Industry Association, with the average price spent on an RV at about $75,000.
