Years after the pandemic initially drove young and diverse crowds to RVing, RV owners continue to be younger and more diverse than ever.
Go RVing’s RV Owner Demographic Profile Study was released Thursday, an update to the 2021 study. The latest results found Gen X and Gen Y consumers continue to flood the industry.
The study found the median age of RV owners to be 49, down from 53 just four years ago. RVers ages 35 to 54 increased to 46% of all owners, driving down the overall median age.
Concurrently, more non-Caucasian consumers bought RVs. Caucasians comprised 85% of RV owners in the initial study but are just 73% of RV owners four years later.
Go RVing Chief Marketing Officer Karen Redfern said the report showed RVers span many demographics. She said RV owners shared a common thread of valuing quality time outdoors with loved ones.
“As the RV industry continues to evolve, it is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing interest in outdoor recreation, flexible work arrangements and experiential travel,” she said. “By embracing innovation, targeting new audiences and providing exceptional customer experiences, the RV industry can drive sustained growth and solidify its place as a cornerstone of the American lifestyle.”
The number of American households owning an RV fell sharply from the 2021 study. The new total is 8.1 million households, down from 11.2 million households reported in 2021 and from 8.9 million households in 2011. Go RVing said the new study significantly changed survey methodology to count RV-owning households more accurately. Go RVing said the 8.1 million figure better aligns with industry data, including wholesale RV shipments and retail registrations.
In addition, 16.9 million households expressed a strong interest in buying an RV in the next five years.
RVIA conducted an in-person, members-only event in Elkhart, Indiana, to discuss the report’s findings this morning. RVIA Director of PR and Communication Monika Geraci, RVIA Senior Director of Events and Marketing Jeremy Greene and Ipsos CX Vice President Tim Reimer spoke at the event.
The Next Wave
The Go RVing study added to its owner profiles by building an Intender profile. Intenders are consumers among the 16.9 million households saying they are likely to buy an RV in the next five years, including current RV owners.
The median age of Intenders is 42, with 19% of Intenders ages 18-34 and 53% ages 35-54. A third of Intenders are young families, defined as consumers under 45 with children under 18.
Among Growth Audiences—defined as consumers identifying as African American, Hispanic, Asian American and/or LGBTQIA+—Intenders are even younger. Only 15% of Growth Audience Intenders are over 55, compared with 39% of current RV owners and 27% of all Intenders.
Growth Audience Intenders also have lower household incomes and are likelier to live in multi-generational households. A total of 12% said they lived with parents, compared with 8% of all Intenders and 4% of current RV owners.
In the Weeds
Consumers continue to spend more time researching their next RV purchase before visiting the dealership. The study found dealership and manufacturer websites remained the most popular online research sources.
Over half of current RV owners (51%) said visiting the dealership was their best experiential resource, followed by conversations with friends and family (42%) and RV/outdoor consumer shows (33%).
RV owners today use their vehicles more than four years ago. RVers reported using their RVs at least 30 days a year, up 50% from the 20 days reported in the initial study’s findings. On average, owners make nine annual RV trips, traveling an average of 250 miles.
RV rental use continued to increase in the past four years. The new study found one-fifth of RV owners said they rented an RV, while an additional 32% said they considered renting but had not yet rented.
The report sought insight into the motivations for choosing RV ownership. Most RVers said they wanted to spend time in nature (54%) or unwind and relax (52%). Nearly half (49%) said they enjoyed the ability to bring pets on their RVing trips.
As younger consumers own RVs, the vehicles have become a means to accommodate remote work and alternative lifestyles. Nearly a quarter of RVers (22%) said someone in their home works remotely. Among remote workers, 54% said their work has been done from an RV.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos, polled 5,500 consumers.
