Time for a Road Trip! 9 2020 RV Trends for the Enthusiastic Camper
A recent study found that 68% of Americans feel safe traveling by personal vehicle. But only 18% of travelers are considering domestic air travel. Even fewer are thinking about flying abroad.
So it’s safe to say that summer 2020 will be the summer of the recreational vehicle (RV).
But today’s RVs aren’t the beige and brown clunkers from the 1970s. Made famous by National Lampoons Summer Vacation. They are equipped with cutting-edge technology, modern interiors, and environmentally conscious designs.
Here are the 2020 RV trends you need to know.
1 2020 RV Trends: No Need to Leave
Due to the need to socially isolate, travelers will look to RVs that need as little contact with the outside world as possible. This means full kitchen capabilities, sleeping space, toilets, and showers.
You’ll also see more closet space and storage. Along with larger lounge areas and full-size furniture. This is due to the desire for families to be able to fit everyone comfortably in one motor home, not excluding pets.
This need to create more space will also transform the exterior design of the RV. There are currently more boxy-style designs on the market. Some of them look more like semi-trucks than camper vans.
2 2020 RV Trends: The Great Outdoors
One study conducted in April found that a phenomenon called “quarantine fatigue” is causing more people to venture outdoors. Distant destinations immersed in nature seem to be some of the safest spaces to go amid the pandemic
This trend is causing more Americans to seek out RVs with off-road and off-grid capabilities. More RVs are being stacked with survival essentials like generators, a solar panel for your RV, and satellites for Wi-Fi and GPS anywhere. We’re also seeing lithium batteries with extended energy use, bike/gear-carry systems, and freshwater reservoirs.
This is also causing more RVs to be built more like 4x4s with improved outdoor capabilities. Some of these include features like higher clearances and improved driveability. Along with all-wheel drive, diesel engines increased horsepower and heavy-duty tow capacities.
3 2020 RV Trends: Smart Mobile Home
RVs might be an American pastime, but increased interest in 2020 has sent their technology into the future. LED TVs, home theaters, and touchscreen controllers are just some ways RVs are being modernized.
New luxury RVs are being outfitted with all the smart home features as your house. We’re seeing more add-ons like voice control, cleaning, and disinfecting systems. Along with cutting-edge security technology like video surveillance and alarm systems.
Some new models even offer self-driving options and artificial intelligence navigation capabilities.
But one of the more commonplace tech advancements is the Lithium battery. This is a major advancement from what motor homes have offered in the past. This allows for more sustainable energy like solar power that can last even longer.
4 2020 RV Trends: Sustainability
Prior to the pandemic, the “eco-retro recreational vehicle” was one of the biggest drivers of growth in the recreational vehicle industry. Last year the first-ever completely electric camper debuted in Germany. Due to the effects of climate change, every industry seems to be getting greener, and motor homes aren’t any different.
The two key sustainability themes for this year are improving energy use and self-sufficiency. Global warming is causing more weather extremes. So, there is a growing need for energy systems that can run at full power for extended periods at affordable costs.
Many makers are switching to electric, solar power, and rechargeable battery options. Some are even experimenting with water heating and wind power.
Many new features aim to improve travelers’ self-sufficiency and reduce their environmental impact. More motor home engines are being designed to reduce emissions using electric powertrain technology. Several manufacturers are removing gas-powered appliances and generators.
We’re even seeing add-ons like rainwater collection and composting toilets!
5 2020 RV Trends: Yacht Life
Customization and luxury are reaching yacht-level capabilities in RVs. In 2020 there will be more options than ever before for customization and features of all types of motor homes.
If you can dream it, you can likely own in 2020… at a price. Luxury RVs will bring glamping to the American road trip, along with modern sophistication. From never-seen-before exterior designs to interior designs and furniture that look like model homes and are designed by the likes of Ralph Lauren.
There will also be more types of RVs available to fit all lifestyles and budgets. For example, the OPUS is a new compact folding camper built on a heavy-duty, all-terrain trailer.
The ultra-luxurious RVs of 2020 will be equipped with impressive amenities. Adjustable glass tinting windows that replace window shades, full chef’s kitchens, helipads, hot hubs, sun decks, and movie projection screens are all possible.
The 2020 Road Trip
Before coronavirus changed everything, RV tourism was set to be worth $10 billion. That number is only likely to rise. But one important factor that will impact 2020 RV trends and growth is the unemployment rate of Americans. RVs are expensive to maintain, fuel, and park in the long-term.
Even though RV travel does not make a person immune to COVID-19. Since travelers still need to stop at gas stations and grocery stores. They do present the opportunity for less contact than travel by car, staying at a hotel, or using a bus, train, or airplane.
One study also found that getting fuel, going for walks, camping, and getting groceries are some of the least dangerous activities in regard to getting and spreading coronavirus.
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