RVBusiness, January/February 2021

BY CHRIS DOUGHERTY Influxof COVID Campers Fueling the Popularity of Adventure Trailers 50 RVBusiness J A N U A R Y F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ADVENTURE CAMPING Younger Buyers Seek Mobile Basecamps to Pursue Off Grid Off Road Outdoor Lifestyle B y far the single biggest group buying new campers from 2015 2019 are the Millennials and Gen Zers and almost 2 to 1 over the next group Gen X during 2019 alone according to the 2020 North American Camping Report by Kampgrounds of America What are they buying For the most part theyre driving off dealer lots in a sporty SUV pulling a single axle adventure trailer So youre now asking whats an adventure trailer Generally speaking its a single axle towable thats built to go off road and off grid Sure some of their owners may never take their new trailer beyond the nearest RV resort but the point is they could if they wanted to But for many more the call of the wild includes the comforts of home and thats what an adventure trailer offers Indeed over the last few years the RV industry has possibly more than ever before designed smaller more compact RVs that can be easily taken into remote locations that may require 4 wheel drive to reach Additionally with the advancement of technologies like lithium batteries inverters insulation water filtration and electronics these off roaders can stay out for a longer time Of course many of these younger RVers are spending a great deal of time on the road many choosing to live full time in their RVs The four season capabilities now being built into these RVs helps them accomplish that as well And the COVID 19 pandemic has only further fueled this younger sets affinity for adventure What started as a slightly off year turned into yet another record year for RV sales as consumers who wouldnt have typically considered RVing or camping as a vacation choice found no other viable options for safe socially distanced travel Many of these folks generally would choose an active style vacation so being able to engross themselves in a great outdoors adventure sounded pretty good Many builders of small adventure trailers of every size and style including scores of backyard builders have started enterprises that produce customized trailers one at a time and sell Winnebago Hike directly to consumers We simply couldnt cover every single adventure RV builder in these pages so we selected a sampling to showcase the segment Across the industry manufacturers with whom we spoke have felt a substantial increase in demand for adventure trailers especially in 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic These socalled COVID campers are consumers who came into the space to find a replacement for active lifestyle vacations that couldnt be taken because of pandemic closures Even before the pandemic it was becoming more popular But because of the pandemic its just exploded and Id say that were not only seeing Millennials and Gen Zers but were even seeing Baby Boomers too It just seems to be a diverse demographic that now wants to go off road said Jaycos John Fisher who oversees the companys Jay Feather Micro adventure trailer brand This is a new consumer says Joel Eberlein general manager of Winnebago Towables Middlebury Ind whose Hike brand very much fits within the realm of adventure trailers These new campers prefer a more active lifestyle but before Venture RV Sonic X