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RVs of Tomorrow
Historically, and presently, we’re seeing more RVs on the road every year. More of our friends and neighbors are becoming RV owners, or at least renting an RV to take on vacation. We keep hearing about how more units are being fabricated and sold each year, more than the last.
The generation with the most buying power – and interest – right now? The millennials (age range 30-45). This
group represents around 41 percent of the market share, which is only expected to increase. By 2025, that equates to roughly 72 million people. If you’re of the millennial generation, you should know that you are changing how RV manufacturers design and equip RVs going forward. If you’re the generation before or after, you should know how millennials are impacting the RV industry... and the RVs you’ll be able to purchase in the years to come thanks to their input and preferences.
Here are some of the top trends RV manufacturers are focusing on so that you, regardless of which generation you represent, have a great ownership and camping experience.
Interior decorating to
feel more like home
We’ve featured DIY articles on our website (visit our website and use the search function) in the past, but RV manufacturers are coming up with interior design schemes that are homier and more comfortable. They are breaking with the “traditional” neutral décor. An article by one popular RV manufacturer discussed how the company will begin offering “modern farmhouse” as an interior option, copying the home interior decorating trends that are so trendy in sticks and bricks homes in recent years.
Enhanced functionality
and footprint
RV designers are whizzes at creating dual-purpose spaces, but they can also be prone to adding too much (e.g. multiple
slide-outs to enhance space yet they
can require maintenance). Millennials
are all about “less is more.” They are looking for well-built and functional interior footprints that are simple and refined yet also make the best use of the available space. This will require designers to think more creatively.
Lightweight
This generation isn’t as interested in
large motorized RVs. They’re all about portability and flexibility. Lightweight campers and camper vans are of high interest for millennials and subsequent generations, so RV manufacturers are turning their sights to these particular types of recreation vehicles. Lightweight RVs have the advantage of (usually) being able to be towed by a standard vehicle, so no new tow vehicle is required. Camper vans are compact and require little setup.
Access to technology
It’s changed our world and now we
can’t seem to live without it, even
while camping. Connectivity has grown essential, and RV manufacturers and campgrounds are working to ensure
that campers have access to high speed, reliable internet and satellite service. The smart technology that is now practically commonplace in modern homes will logically come to be expected for RVs. That means apps as well.
The RVs of tomorrow will look similar and yet have drastic dif- ferences to the RVs of yesterday, thanks to the millennial genera- tion, home decorating trends, and the comforts of modern-day living that have made their way into our homes on the road.
6 • 2021 MICHIGAN RV & CAMPGROUNDS
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