RV sales surge during COVID-19 pandemic

RV sales surge during COVID-19 pandemic

FAMILIES ALL OVERARE LOOKING FORNEW VACATIONEXPERIENCES DURINGTHESE UNUSUALTIMES... AND THAT'SDRIVING UP SALESFOR R-VS.DELIVERIES TORETAILERS IN JUNEWERE 11 PERCENTHIGHER THANCOMPARED TO THESAME TIME LAST YEAR.40-THOUSAND UNITSSHIPPED MARKS THHIGHEST MONTHLYTOTAL SINCE 2018.AS 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTERJENNA CALLARISHOWS US -- MANYFAMILIES ARE FINDINGR-VS TO BE A SAFE,AND INEXPENSIVEVACATION.JEFF: "IT'S LIKE YOUCAN SET EVERYTHINGASIDE, GO, AND ENJOYYOURSELF."PATTI AND JEFF ENJOYTHE R-V LIFE AND PLANON GOING EITHERWEST OR SOUTH FORTHE WINTER.

THEY SAYVACATIONING IN AN RVIS NOT ONLY ANAFFORDABLE OPTION,IT'S A SAFE ONE.PATTI: "A HOTEL -YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE INAND OUT BEFORE YOU.THIS IS YOUR OWNSPACE."AND AT A TIME WHENAIR TRAVEL IS DOWNDRASTICALLY ANDCRUISES ARE NOT ANOPTION, LOCALRETAILERS LIKECOLTON RV INORCHARD PARK ARESEEING MORE PEOPLEWALKING THROUGHTHE DOORS.CASEY: "PEOPLE WHOHAVEN'T BEEN RV-INGBEFORE WHO ARE NEWTO THE INDUSTRY, NEWTO THE ACTIVITY,THEY'RE COMING IN TOLOOK AT RVS."JENNA STAND-UP:"COLTON R-V SAYS ALOT OF THEPURCHASES TEND TOHAPPEN IN THE SPRINGMONTHS WHEN PEOPLEGET READY FOR THATSUMMER VACATION..BUT THIS YEAR HASBEEN A DIFFERENTTREND WITH MORE ANDMORE PEOPLE BUYINGIN THE MONTHS OFJUNE AND JULY."CASEY: "LOOKING ATWHERE WE WERE BACKIN MARCH AND APRILWITH COVID AND NOTKNOWING WHAT THESUMMER WOULD LOOKLIKE.

NOW THAT IT ISHERE, IT MAKES A LOTOF SENSE THAT IT ISTHE PREFERRED WAYFOR PEOPLE TO GOOUT TRAVELING ANDVACATION."YOU CAN BUY A NEWR-V FOR AS LOW ASABOUT $20,000 TO ASHIGH AS $400 GRAND -DEPENDING ON THEMODEL, SIZE, ANDFEATURES.

FORBUYERS LIKE PATTI, IT'SWORTH IT.PATTI: "THIS IS AMAJOR PURCHASE BUTONCE YOU HAVE IT,YOU CAN TAKE IT SOMANY PLACES."RENTING MAY MAKEMORE SENSE FORYOUR BUDGET.

WNY RVRENTAL HAS WEEKLYRATES RANGING FROM17-HUNDRED TO TWO-THOUSAND... THEY SAYTHEY'VE BEENSLAMMED.KEVIN MARGESONPHONER: "FROMBEGINNING OF APRILTHROUGH OCTOBERNOW - WE'RE BOOKEDSOLID."MARGESON SAYSTHEY'RE GETTING 5-10CALLS A DAYREGARDING THEIRTHREE DIFFERENTRENTALS.

IT'S SAFE TOSAY THE NEED IS AT ANALL-TIME HIGH.KEVIN PHONER: "IF IHAD TEN I COULD RENTTHEM AND I DON'TKNOW IF I'D HAVEENOUGH BASED ONTHE DEMAND."IT'S A TREND SEEN ALLOVER THE COUNTRY...FAMILIES CHOOSING TOCAMP OR ROAD-TRIPWITH MINIMALCONTACT..

BUT EVENWHEN THIS PANDEMICIS OVER, RETAILERSBELIEVE THE R-V WAYIS HERE TO STAY.CASEY: "I THINK IT'SSOMETHING THATPEOPLE WILL SEE AS ALIFESTYLE THEY CANBE A PART OF AND NOTJUST A ONE TIMEVACATION.IN ORCHARD PARK,JENNA CALLARI, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.