LOUIS HARRIS STUDY REVEALS YOUNG FAMILIES MOST LIKELY TO BUY RVs
RESTON, Va. -- A study of recreation vehicle (RV) perceptions and attitudes conducted by Louis Harris and Associates for Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has found that RVs are growing in appeal to younger buyers, and their image is changing in the eyes of mainstream America.
The research revealed that over half of likely RV buyers, those whose travel and leisure preferences correlate most strongly to those of RV owners, are age 30 to 49 years old. Others most likely to buy are people who have two or more children and like to drive while on vacation.
"These people like to travel with their children and escape the pressure of everyday life. They are people who like adventure, enjoy the outdoors and want to avoid high travel costs and hassles," said Humphrey Taylor, president and CEO of Louis Harris. "The ability to do their own thing with much greater freedom than they can with other forms of travel makes RVs particularly attractive to them."
Contrary to widely held stereotypes, the study found that both RV owners and those most likely to buy tend to be more affluent and better educated than the general population of the United States. Slightly more than half reported incomes greater than $35,000 per year, versus 35 percent of all American adults. Forty-two percent of prospective buyers and 30 percent of owners have graduated from college, compared to only 20 percent of the general public. Both are also more likely to live in metro areas and suburbs.
Harris also compared the travel and leisure preferences of RV owners and nonowners. Results indicate they are looking for many of the same qualities and experiences in their vacations.
From the findings, Harris believes the adventure, excitement and freedom of RV travel especially appeal to those 30 to 49 years old, who said they want to be outdoors with their families and avoid stress while on vacation. Additionally, RVs offer a flexible way to visit all favored destinations -- the seashore, mountains, cultural and historical sites -- and are a means to continually experience new travel opportunities and surroundings.
RV travel also is also an effective way to combat travel hassles and costs. Sixty percent of nonowners said it is very important to know travel costs in advance and one in four said their trips usually cost too much. They also expressed the desire to avoid travel foul-ups, with problems pertaining to reservations, lost luggage, car rentals and restaurants most frequently cited. Eighty-seven percent of owners surveyed said that "for low cost vacations, there's little to beat an RV."
"Traveling in an RV allows people to plan costs and stay within their budget more easily while avoiding many of the mishaps associated with other forms of travel," Taylor said.
In terms of RV costs and expenses, a great majority of owners found RV prices to be about what they expected with 14 percent finding prices actually lower than expected. Owners also found operational costs, such as maintenance, repairs and insurance, to about what they anticipated.
Overall, nonowners have a favorable view of RV enthusiasts. When presented with a number of statements about RV owners, large majorities agreed that "RV parks are like a second neighborhood to RV users," and "there's a real camaraderie among RV owners and users." A significant number of those surveyed, 39 percent, disagreed with the statement that "RV owners tend to be elderly."
"The Harris study indicates that the recent growth of RV sales among baby boomer families is only the beginning of a long-term trend," said Gary LaBella, RVIA vice president of public relations. "The image of RVing is changing from a low-budget retirement option to a high-value family activity which offers greater flexibility, less stress and more fun than other ways of travel."
For the study, Louis Harris and Associates conducted interviews with a cross-section of 1,001 prospects and 201 owners eighteen years of age or older. Prospects eligible for the survey were adults age 21-70 who owned a home, owned or leased a car and had taken at least one trip in the United States, Canada or Mexico in the past year. The research on prospects has a confidence level of 95 percent with three percent margin of error.