Copyright Parade
If sleeping beneath star-swathed skies and waking up with the sun in some sequestered oasis sounds appealing to you, you’re not alone (even if you’re, quite literally, alone in nature). In fact, you’d be among 28 million Americans who are also planning RV roadtrips this winter—a 33 percent increase from last year. According to new data from the RV Industry Association’s Holiday Travel Intention Survey, Americans are forgoing flights—the pandemonium of packing for pricy baggage allowances and navigating nightmarish airports crawling with clamorous crowds and chaotic cancelations and delays due to winter-weather warnings—for four wheels instead. They’re choosing their winter gear—skis, snowboards, and bikes with those good-grip tires—and they’re even packing their pets in lieu of the one pair of boots they can cram into their carry-ons. RVs provide that coveted space Americans are seeking—space for stuff and space in the schedule to explore flexibly and freely. “In a season when travel can feel unpredictable and overwhelming, RVing puts travelers back in the driver’s seat,” Monika Geraci, an RV Industry Association spokesperson, said in a statement. “Whether you’re parked at the base of a ski slope in Colorado, visiting family along the coast, or chasing sunshine with your pets in tow, RVing delivers the comfort of home and the freedom to roam without the cancellations, delays, or stress that often come with other forms of travel.” While most Americans are planning on driving just around four to seven hours from home (unless their home is already on wheels) this winter, ever more are planning ahead for a future full of short- and long-distance roadtrips. Seventy percent of RVers will plan at least three trips in the next year, spending about $1,500 per trip and potentially pumping millions into local economies across the country. And for those who don’t already have RVs or converted campervans of some sort, they’re spending their time searching. More than a quarter of leisure travelers (26 percent)—40 percent of whom are planning a trip in 2026—are interested in purchasing an RV. Amongst the planners perusing purchasing platforms even more than last year, Millennials (32 percent) and Gen Z (35 percent) express the highest interest in buying a backroad (baseless) base. While 40 percent of RV roadtrippers will reportedly leverage AI to help plan their itineraries and find campgrounds, apps like iOverlander, The Dyrt, and Park4Night can also aid travelers in locating convenient and comfortable campgrounds (both paid parking areas and free scenic spots). From the snow-dusted slopes of Aspen and the rugged routes of Moab to the artistic allure of Santa Fe and the craggy cliffs of San Diego, RV adventurers can cruise from one captivating corner of the country to the next this winter… and the next… and the next.
