Recreational vehicles’ popularity is soaring on the Delmarva Peninsula and across the nation — and not just due to COVID-19.
“We’ve surveyed since the onset of the pandemic, and people are buying RVs for the same reasons they’ve always bought,” said RV Industry Association spokesperson Monika Geraci. “The number one reason is the love of road trips.”
Recreational vehicles are a good-looking option for people who want to travel amid pandemic restrictions, but according to Geraci, the reason more people are RVing is a shift in behaviors and values.
“Even pre-pandemic, for whatever reason, people have been rediscovering the great outdoors,” she said.
The association keeps statistics on the number of RVs shipped from factories to dealers monthly. The years 2018 and 2019 were down years for the industry, but since then, numbers have been going up. Last year was a record year.
In 2019, 1,056 RVs were shipped to Delaware dealers. In 2020, that number was 1,420, and in 2021 it was 1,801, representing an increase of about 35% and 27%, respectively. Maryland and Virginia saw similar shipment percentage increases.
Local RV dealers
Amy Horsey-West, vice president of Parkview RV Center in Smyrna, said her company’s sales have been up since the pandemic began.
“We have noticed a very large increase in popularity with families, actually,” she said. “I think home-schooling has helped, kids being virtual, people being able to work from home.”
Horsey-West said Parkview RV has also seen an uptick in RV buyers who are looking to go “off grid,” purchasing units with lithium batteries, solar panels and bigger tires.
Parkview’s highest-selling type of RV is truck campers, which attach to the back of a truck like a cap. You can drive your truck on the beach to surf-fish, and in some states, you can spend the night there, too, Horsey-West said.
“Truck campers are really big with the hunting and fishing population here,” she said.
There’s other evidence of the RV industry surge on Delmarva.
Recreational vehicle dealer Camping World, an Illinois-based company with more than 170 locations across the country, announced last year that it plans to open a dealership in Georgetown, Delaware. Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick said the group has purchased a property on Route 113 southbound, just north of town.
The Ocean City, Maryland-based Blue Water Development has expanded its footprint on Delmarva, as well. It owns and/or manages eight RV resorts on the peninsula.
Last year, Blue Water bought Delaware Beaches Jellystone Park in Lincoln and its hospitality division took over management at Cherrystone Family Camping Resort in Virginia. They’re investing in improvements and upgrades in many of their parks, as well.
Blue Water CEO Todd Burbage said Delmarva is ideal for RVing because of its unique mixture of beaches and small-town charm. He’s expecting the RV industry to continue to grow.
“People go on vacation looking for the freedom and adventure of the outdoors, and nothing is more freeing than having an RV that you can take to any destination you choose. There’s no packing and unpacking once you arrive at your destination, you pull up, hook up, and you’re there,” Burbage said. “That kind of freedom and simplicity is what a lot of people are seeking more than ever before.”
