The RV Trends To Look Forward To in 2021

We saw lots of changes this year in the RV community, some for the better and some for worse.

Moving forward into the next year, it looks like many of them are here to stay. And, some may play an even bigger role in our future.

When 2020 is in our rear view mirror, what will we remember as its lasting effects? We don’t have a crystal ball to help us with predictions, but we do have a pretty good feeling about some positive RV trends that we think will endure.

2021 RV Trends

It’s an understatement to say that because of the COVID-pandemic, the year 2020 was unlike any other year we’ve ever experienced. When the lockdowns subsided and the shutdowns began, more people than ever took the roads. Once they were out there, many of them decided to stay even longer.

RV sales boomed like never before in 2020, and campgrounds became overcrowded to the point that they seemed like they were busting at the seams. Not surprisingly, such challenges have inspired a lot of people to think outside the box and come up with some cool new approaches to RV camping.

Share Economy

The same “peer-to-peer” online rental concept that gave rise to nontraditional companies like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft and Rover has a growing presence in the RV community.

Besides booking alternatives to hotels, taxis and kennels, this RV trend means we can rent someone else’s RV or pay to camp on private properties around the country.

RV P2P Rentals

Through services like RVshare and Outdoorsy, RV owners can make their rigs available to others when they’re not using them.

It’s kind of a win-win situation. RV owners generate income from an RV that would otherwise be idle. And, it gives more people a chance to experience the RV lifestyle.

For the renters, it’s a way of dipping their toe into the water to find out if it’s something without having to make a big investment of their own. These RV rental companies have been around a few years but their popularity really took off in 2020.

Pro Tip: Here’s how much RV rentals cost.

HIPCAMP

Private landowners are getting into the game in a big way, too. And, that means there are more places for travelers to find privacy and a change of scenery.

Hosts invite visitors to their properties by listing them on Hipcamp. These destinations can range from backyard cabins to treehouses, but many of them are more like mini-RV parks with one to three sites per location.

The challenge of being able to find a campsite that’s not too crowded isn’t likely to disappear in 2021. So, Hipcamp has already proven itself as a smart and solid alternative.

The Extended RV Trip Trend

Once more people hit the roads this year, they found out they really liked it. So they stayed longer!

Traditionally, the most common duration for an RV excursion was a long weekend. In the past, the travels would have to come to an abrupt end because the office was calling us back.

2020 was a game changer for the way people work and travel. With more people working remotely, people are camping longer than they used to. Now, we’re seeing trips that extend into a full week, 10 days, or even longer!

We may never return to that 40-hour cycle. Many companies and businesses have found that it’s more economical and productive for employees to work remotely.

One big reason is that they figured out they could earn a living out there. As working remotely became “the new normal,” people realized that could stretch the definition of “working from home.”

Connectivity

In most cases, of course, to work remotely means you have to have reliable phone service and internet connection. And let’s face it; we rely on it for entertainment, too.

It can be spotty out there, but maybe not for long. Improvements in technology mean we can expect better connectivity in the coming year.

RVers with Boosters

More and more RVers are turning to WiFi boosters and cell signal boosters as a way of improving their connectivity. These portable devices are easy to hook up and do a pretty good job of strengthening an existing wifi or cell signal, giving a faster, uninterrupted connection.

Better RV Park Internet

RV park owners are improving their own internet capabilities, too, because they know it’s sometimes a deal breaker.

Details on connectivity are one of the first things that prospective campers look for in campground reviews – right up there with whether sites are level or a facility has sewer or electricity.By having great internet service, it’s one more valuable marketing tool to bring in more revenue.

5G Access

In a lot of cities and towns, the rollout of 5G internet service will greatly improve internet use. There are a lot of variables that can affect a specific timetable, but this “fifth generation” cellular service is expected to escalate in the coming months. One day it could be so commonplace that we’ll wonder how we ever lived without it.

Small RVs

We saw a lot more small RVs out there this year, and that’s another sign of RV trends to come.

Many of the newcomers to the RV community are young adults and small families who have a “less is more” attitude toward camping. They may find the big 40-foot coaches and fifth wheels a bit intimidating, so they are choosing vans, Class B motorhomes and smaller travel trailers instead.

These smaller options provide a lot of the comforts of home and cost a lot less. Another benefit with the smaller travel trailers is you don’t need a big and powerful (and expensive) truck to tow it.

They offer more mobility, too, so you have the freedom to easily camp off the grid. We can expect to see a lot more small RVs on the roads as new RVers.

Pro Tip: Here are the 5 best small RVs on the market.

Good Tidings for the Future

As the calendar turns to a new year, don’t expect to turn the clock back to the way things were before this historic year. Many of the changes that 2020 brought are with us for the long haul, and, in many cases we think that’s a good thing.

With more Americans embracing the outdoors than ever before, it’s an exciting time to be a part of the thriving RV community with the 2021 RV trends and beyond.

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