CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout underway, more Americans are getting the itch to travel again. This year, some of the most popular locations don’t require a plane ticket.
61 million Americans are planning to take a road trip in an R.V. in the next 12 months, according to the R.V. Industry Association.
The Campbell family is one of the families joining the crowd of those wanting socially distanced vacations.
“Our kids are seeking outdoor adventure right now because it’s one of the only safe things they can do,” said Mollie Campbell.
Homebound in Arkansas since March, their family of five decided they needed a change of scenery.
“We literally loaded them up and headed East,” said Campbell.
The Arkansas couple said the pandemic turned their once bucket list trip into a reality. Like a growing number of Americans, the Campbells rented an R.V.
“We always wanted to do it, but didn’t really know how to rent it, much less how to drive it,” she said. “We went online and put in our dates and boom, like the whole thing was taken care of.”
They reserved their rig through peer-to-peer rental site RV Share, which Campbell compared to like an Airbnb for cars.
“Our very nice RV owner named Elmer delivered it to our driveway,” explains Campbell.
Travel expert Peter Greenburg says it’s younger Americans, in particular, who are booking R.V.’s more than ever before.
“The age demographic for recreational vehicle sales is, you know, 55 plus. But recreational vehicle rentals is 35 plus. So you’re seeing a lot of GenXers and millennials actually renting these self-contained quarantine mobiles, if you will,” said Greenberg.
“We never went anywhere inside anywhere. And it was so safe. We ate all of our meals in the RV, ” explains Campbell.
“Because think about this, you’re not stopping for restaurants or hotels. You’re only stopping for gas and groceries,” said Greenberg.
The Campbells trekked up the great Smoky Mountains, all while taking in breathtaking views.
“It was like Christmas, you know, every day, even driving around in the RV, seeing their faces like glued to the window, you know, playing Barbies and superheroes while we’re driving,” said Campbell.
The set up was simple according to these beginners.
“It’s like plugging in your iPhone charger or something at the RV park. I mean, it was so easy,” said Campbell.
Going off the grid doesn’t mean you’re camping without the conveniences of home.
“You go amenities are set up for you. You can order firewood dropped off fighter by your R.V. Then of course the whole campus has Wi-Fi. So our kids are watching Netflix at night. So we let them do 21st century at night, but during the day we would stop along kind of milestones along the way. And we would just park it in a national park and go get in the river. and go do walking trails and hiking. We had a little bit of the best of both worlds,” said John Campbell.
The Campbells have three small children.
“Not one time did they say, are we there yet? Or how much longer or whatever. I mean, they were so enthralled with the adventure of what we were doing.”
Vacationing the COVID-era also means families are learning and working remotely.
“I was constantly kind of blocked off from them. And I was talking on the phone while I was driving the whole time. Our kids were doing virtual school on the road.”
This comes as the travel industry is coming off one of its most challenging years.
“We’re seeing a lot of people changing their approach,” said Greenberg.
Greenberg believes the pandemic has caused travelers to shift their priorities.
“In the old days, it was, where’s my favorite vacation destination that I want to go to no longer the case. Now it’s, where’s my favorite lifestyle location where I can actually get a work-life balance for the long-term,” said Greenberg.
The Campbells give their first family R.V. trip a thumbs-up and agree it will not be their last.
“Hopefully next summer, we’ll run it again and go West and do all the national parks out West because our kids are already asking when we get to do it again.”
