Business Highlight: Why Travel Trailers are the Largest Sector of RVs

Did you know that travel trailers sales continue to outpace every other RV category by overwhelming numbers? For instance, if we take a very good shipment month where a total of 45,930 RVs were shipped, just 4,516 were motorhomes and camper vans. Overall, vans and motorhomes saw a decline of -24.3% in 2020 over 2019 despite the pandemic trend of camping and this trend continues. So why are travel trailers so popular?

We often have people switch from motorhomes and vans to a Bowlus. We thought we’d share their experiences with you on why they made the switch. One person harbored very specific dreams of their travel mate preparing them fancy sandwiches as they motor down the highway. They soon realized that after their mate told them to make the sandwiches (while they took the wheel), it was more than a little dangerous (not to mention illegal in most states). Other longtime motorhome fans (all in their 60’s) said it was much like owning a small plane and that you age out of the experience over time. They found driving their regular vehicle much less fatiguing than driving a van or motorhome.

Everyone pointed to the expense of maintenance (oil changes, tune-ups, engine rebuilds, etc.) of motorhomes and vans and the fact that if you had an emergency repair, you were also without a vehicle, more often than not, in the middle of nowhere. Others were bothered by the low fuel mileage they got with their motorized RV and liked the idea they could pull their Bowlus with an electric vehicle and have a 175-200 mile range. Most mentioned they started with a motorhome or van because they were concerned about backing up a travel trailer; however that was not a concern with a Bowlus since it not only handled well, it was also a breeze to back up with just a little practice. Although travel trailers require service from time to time and require you to move from your vehicle to the RV, they are undoubtedly the overwhelming favorite.

We look forward to any questions you may have.