According to a research report by the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center, over 8 million US households own at least one RV.
The Harris Interactive research by Go RVing shows that majority of non-RV owners (67%) agree that recreational vehicles allows families to spend quality time together, and to spend more time outdoors enjoying the beauty of nature.
74% of the RV owners stated that they saved at least 27-to-61 percent on a typical family vacation.
73% of the potential future RV buyers considered buying RVs in the future because of vacation cost savings.
The research results show that the recreational vehicle industry has huge potential for growth.
Buying an Recreational vehicle When you are planning to buy an RV for the very first time, it can be an overwhelming task.
You need to first decide a few things before buying an RV: whether you want to be a weekend traveler or spend your entire life on wheels, the places where you would take your RV, the length of the stay and the number of people traveling with you.
Types of Recreational vehicle RVs fall in two broad categories: Towable RVs and Motorhomes.
Towable RVs are those that have to be towed by family cars, vans or pickup trucks.
They can be detached and left at the campsite while you can explore the areas in your vehicle.
Towable RVs include Folding Camping Trailers, Truck Campers, Conventional Travel Trailers, Fifth-Wheel Travel Trailers, Sport Utility RVs and Travel Trailers with Expandable Ends.
On the other hand, motorhomes have accommodation that can be combined with a vehicle engine in one convenient unit.
Motorhomes come in 3 categories: Class A, Class B and Class C, of which Class A is the most expensive and luxurious.
Where to Look It can be very confusing deciding on which RV to buy, you will have to visit good RV dealers.
The best RVs usually are with the best RV dealers.
You can surf the internet for local RV dealers and go through their online showroom.
You can also look into recreational vehicle travel trends, vehicles types and RV show listings.
You can also drop by to visit the local recreational vehicle dealer.
You can attend local RV trade shows where a variety of RVs of all shapes, sizes and costs are displayed.
In this way you can compare the layouts and features side by side and talk to dealers, other owners and buyers.
You can go through RV buyer guides, subscribe to recreation vehicle magazines and newsletters, search various recreational vehicle forums and join local RV clubs.
The best option is to rent an RV you are interested in and get some hands-on experience to determine which vehicle types best suits their needs.