RV Vacations Cut Costs, Not Comforts

With the economy slowing, Americans are becoming more conscious of costs, including
vacation travel. Many are using recreation vehicles (RVs), which reduce travel expenses
significantly without compromising on family fun or comforts. A recent vacation
cost-comparison study demonstrated that, even after factoring in RV ownership costs, a
family of four can save up to 70 percent on average when traveling by RV. Nine different
kinds of vacations to such popular family travel destinations as the Grand Canyon, Orlando,
Cape Cod, Napa (California), and Alaska were analyzed by PKF Consulting. Among the variety
of vacation travel modes studied for each of these destinations, RV trips were the least
expensive in all cases, including prorated vehicle ownership costs for the period. For a
typical weeklong vacation, the study showed that, depending on the type of RV owned, the
trip cost an average of 65 to 80 percent less than a cruise; 57 to 72 percent less than an
all-inclusive air/hotel/meal package; 50 to 66 percent less than a trip involving air
travel, rental cars, restaurants and hotels; and 34 to 56 percent less than travel to a
condo or rental property by personal car or airline. The cost of going by RV was 13 to 42
percent lower than traveling in a personal car, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants
– the least expensive of the non-RV travel options analyzed. “Affordability is just one of
the reasons more and more families are choosing RVs over other forms of vacation travel,”
said Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) President David J. Humphreys. “But
there are other important reasons to go by RV, too. Many people tell us their RV trips are
the ultimate family bonding experience. Travel is far more comfortable, convenient and
flexible with an RV, as there are no worries about flight delays, crowds and heavy baggage
to lug.”