RV Sales Down; Campers Staying Close to Home

On average it costs $400 to $500 to fill up those large motor homes you see on the road.  Because of that, many campers and RV owners are staying closer to home.

The Adkins family from Huntsville, Ala., usually camps in Florida this time of year.  But due to high gas prices, they’re staying close to home at Oak Mountain State Park.

“Can’t afford to get very far out of town this year at all.  It’s pretty expensive,“ Anne Adkins said.

High prices at the pump are also affecting RV sales.

Ian McCullough, owner of Cahaba RV, said, “In the old days the 8-foot trailer had no, what you call, slide-outs.“

Cahaba RV, located in Alabaster, specializes in lite travel trailers and fifth wheelers.  Its owner tells NBC13 that sales are down 11 percent.

“People are staying close to home,“ McCullough said. “They’re not buying an RV to go the Grand Canyon anymore. And with expensive gas, it’s now called a staycation instead of a vacation. So it’s your trailers, 5th wheelers and smaller motorized homes that are hitting the road these days, but it’s these large RV’s that are seeing slow sales.“

Burton Campers Sales Manager Mickey Price said, “The motorized sales, the larger ones, has dropped some. Our primary business is the class b and class c motor home.“

Price said repeat customers have helped their bottom line.  Sales of smaller motor homes are up 27 percent over last year.

Price said Class C motor homes are built on a Ford chassis.

For many campers, this is a way of life. High gas prices won’t keep them from parks.  They’re choosing staycations instead of vacations.

That’s what the Adkins family is doing.

“Oak Mountain’s a great place,“ Anne Adkins said. “We come here several times a year anyway. So we can fish, the boys can BMX bike. We get to swim, hike. We get it all, all in one place.“

Smaller motor homes get 15 to 16 miles per gallon, while the larger ones get 8 to 10 miles per gallon.  Because of that, diehard campers are deciding to downsize their motor homes.