Interest in RV travel is exploding. Retirees hit the road to check destinations off their bucket lists. Young families are eager to share a camping experience with a new generation. Millennials are pulling up roots to become digital nomads. Everyone is eager to go RVing, but not everybody is ready to buy an RV. Enter the RV rental market which has undergone phenomenal growth in the last few years
According to surveys conducted by the Recreation Vehicle Rental Association (RVRA), rentals of RVs are on the rise, with fleets of rental vehicles up for the fifth straight year, and average contract length getting longer. Revenues are expanding right along with them, up in some cases by 50%.
You might expect RV dealers to be unhappy about the new surge of interest in renting RVs as opposed to RV sales. But that’s not the case.
MobileRVing.com spoke with several businesses that both rent and sell RVs. Linda Stephens, vice President and General Manager at Lazydays RV Lazydays, one of the biggest players on the dealership side, says her organization is thrilled by increased interest in RV rentals.
“We think it’s fantastic,” she said. “It fuels future purchases. Industry statistics show that around 25% of people who purchase RVs have rented in the past.”
Stephens wears many hats in the Lazydays organization, overseeing the national rental program and aftermarket accessory sales at the company’s five locations, heading the communications team as well as overseeing the award-winning 300-site RV park next to the Tampa, Fla., headquarters.
August 6, 2018 by RVBusiness