RVs: Size Does Matter

Above, at Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The pandemic caused the RV industry to have a great year in sales since people are tending to shun air and cruise ship vacations. RV travel is seen as a safer mode to vacation.

With sales so good, one has to wonder if national park campgrounds can accommodate them, especially bigger rigs.

One of the reasons I bought a 23 foot motorhome is being able to camp in national parks. It has plenty of interior room for myself and my cat. It is big enough to be comfortable and small enough to serve as a second vehicle (if need be) and able to fit in national park campsites.

National Parks Traveler takes a look at this issue in a new article.

Some snippets:

Nationwide, approximately 11 million households own a recreational vehicle, according to the RV Industry Association. Last year, RV shipments reached 430,412 wholesale units, a 6 percent increase over 2019, and the third best year on record despite a two-month industry shutdown due to the pandemic, according to a report prepared by ITR Economics for the RV Industry Association.

“This past year with the pandemic even more people decided to get an RV,” said Phil Ingrassia, president of the National RV Dealers Association. “With Covid, you can be in your own bubble in your RV.”

RVs In Many Sizes And Styles

New RVs range in price and style. The least expensive trailer towed behind a vehicle costs about $6,000. In contrast, a Class A motorhome equipped with washer, dryer, king-sized bed, full size refrigerator, fireplace, and entertainment center goes for about $500,000.

But those traveling in Class A motorhomes do not stay in national parks.

“If you have a rig over 30 feet, national parks and some state parks cannot accommodate you," said Barbi Taylor. She and her husband, Larry, own a 25-foot-long Winnebago Navion. “We purposely got something smaller to get into the national parks,” she said.

Many national parks allow RVs and trailers, but some impose certain length restrictions based on road, traffic, and weather condition variables, said Cynthia Hernandez, a National Park Service public affairs specialist.

To read more, go here.