Pandemic brings surge of interest in RVs
B.C.’s tourism sector has been thrown a much-needed lifeline as people looking to travel while self-isolating have sparked a surge in renting and buying RVs
Going on an RV trip in B.C. this summer epitomizes the provincial health officer’s Phase 2 mantra of fewer faces, bigger spaces.
Think about it. A motorhome is a self-contained, mobile living space that keeps a family self-isolated yet allows that same stir-crazy family the ability to hit the road and visit so much of what British Columbia’s outdoors has to offer.
It was a no-brainer for the Augustin family of White Rock. Dad Griffin, mom Heather and their three kids just returned from a 14-day road trip exploring parts of the province in a 30-foot RV rented from Fraserway RV in Delta.
“We were definitely on the front end of this,” Griffin said of the early season trip, noting that the idea for the adventure came to him following a work trip he did a couple of months ago that took the him north to Prince George, east to Edmonton then back to Vancouver. “I’d typically fly up to see those clients and stay in hotels, but given the current self-isolating circumstances, I travelled, lived and worked out of a rented RV for a week.”
The Augustins’ family trip covered quite a number of kilometres, travelling north to Prince George, then over to Prince Rupert for an overnight ferry ride to Port Hardy, then down Vancouver Island before catching another boat home to the Lower Mainland. They stayed in a number of private and provincial campgrounds, and limited their time in towns out of respect for the citizens of those small communities with only quick visits to grocery stores and gas stations.
“That was a concern for us for sure,” Griffin admitted. “We were received very well, whether it be at the RV sites, campgrounds, any of the grocery stores we went in. … You just need to do the right thing and people are receptive.”
So, what was it like to spend two weeks on the road in an RV with their three kids, 14-year-old Brady, 12-year-old Cloey and 10-year-old Lily?
“We spent most of our time outside,” he said. “We drove to a location and did our walks, hikes, mountain bikes, fishing. … One thing positive about the COVID is it’s bringing everyone together.”
David Frolik is seeing the trend first hand. The Delta-based national rentals manager for Fraserway RV says his office has experienced a big increase in inquiries from locals about renting a motorhome this summer — particularly once the provincial campgrounds opened up.
“Since that announcement, we’ve had to increase the staff in our reservations team, so that’s a good thing,” Frolik said.
In a typical year, more than 80 per cent of his business comes from international travellers. So the interest from residents in Greater Vancouver has turned what could have been a dismal year for the rental business into a fairly positive one.
“Just like any business, we are going to see the impact, but that’s something we made our peace with a few weeks ago,” he said. “But the key right now is to focus on what we can control, and that’s getting the locals to travel and encouraging travel. We have to be flexible and adjust the pricing.”
Frolik noted there is a silver lining to having no international tourists coming to the province this summer.
“Tourism in the province has been increasing tremendously the last few years, to the point that the hot spots are always very crowded. But this summer locals have the chance to visit these places without the big crowds,” he said. “This year is a great opportunity for people to do things they might not have done in previous years.”
And with that comes opportunities the province’s travel sector can take advantage of, said Jarrett Vaughan, an adjunct professor at UBC Sauder school of business.
“Catering to locals. That’s the name of the game for tourism right now,” he said, though adding to the challenge for tourism operators is that the rates they typically charge will need to be lower. “You’re not going to get the premium prices you’d get if you had the typical European, American and Asian visitors.”
Many of those foreign tourists, he explained, saved for years for a bucket-list trip to the Rockies or to Vancouver Island. But this summer season, those visitors will be locals, some of whom might be unemployed, and others who haven’t been saving for a special trip but still want to get away for a holiday.
“So they’ll be looking to do it on a budget, which is why RVs are an opportunity because it can be potentially more affordable than staying in a bunch of hotels around the province.”
There will be a challenge to find sites at some of the more popular provincial campgrounds as there was a rush on bookings when the online system opened last month. But many private RV parks and campgrounds should have vacancies given there will be no U.S visitors and very few from the other western Canadian provinces.
Fraserway RV’s Frolik said daily rental rates for their units range from $80 to $385 depending on the size and number of people they can accommodate. With fuel prices relatively low, gassing up the rigs isn’t as expensive as last year. He’s not expecting many locals to embark on the kind of thousand-kilometre trips international renters do.
“I think most will try and stay local. Over to the Island and up to the Interior. That kind of thing.”
Fraserway also sells RVs, and Frolik said that side of the business, which has been so strong in recent years that the company sells every unit it can get its hands on, is also coming back from a dip when the pandemic first hit.
Prices for RVs can start at $10,000 for a pop-up tent trailer, according to Frolik, and go all the way up to a half-million dollars for the palatial and luxurious Class A diesel rigs. Typically, though, he sees sales between the $15,000 and $100,000 range.
“We’re not quite where we would have been in a regular season, but we have to keep in mind that RV sales in most provinces have been going through the roof in recent years,” he said. “So even with a slight drop we can still do a good business this year.”
UBC’s Vaughan knows firsthand how strong the RV sales marketplace is in B.C. right now.
“I do have a bit of a personal experience about this as I’m currently trying to purchase a used RV, and I have a number of friends who are trying to purchase RVs,” he said. “It’s very difficult to get hold of a used RV right now. It seems like the ideal time to purchase, which seems to be on the minds of lots of consumers right now.”
Current RV owners, some of whom haven’t had their rigs out for some time, are also getting back on the road, Frolik noted, saying he’s seeing a number of RVs come in for service to get them roadworthy for a summer trip in B.C.
He also expects to see some of this season’s first-time renters turn into buyers. “That’s always an opportunity for us. A local rental is always an opportunity for a sale somewhere down the road.”
One thing that makes some people reluctant to rent an RV is the intimidation factor of operating one, from simply driving it to figuring out how all the systems work. Frolik said that Fraserway has a detailed orientation for RV renters — things like how to turn on the water pump and how to connect hoses — though during these times they have switched that from in-person to videos.
“Years ago they were fairly complicated, but these new units, everything can pretty much be done with a push of a button,” he added.
For the Augustin family, the COVID-19 crisis will be remembered for many things, but one of the most lasting memories will be their B.C. road trip.
“To get out of the house after a couple of months, it was a great change of scenery,” said dad Griffin. “We saw five bears, a red fox, a moose and a number of other animals. We’ve fished at a bunch of different lakes.
“Just getting outside and seeing B.C. is always nice.”
A recent national Abacus Data survey of 2,000 Canadian adults conducted for RVezy.com found that more Canadians are considering going RVing this summer as concerns about COVID -19 change the kind of vacation people are looking for.
The survey asked respondents to assess how risky, or not, they viewed different types of activities as a summer vacation this year, given the pandemic.
Some 81 per cent felt flying on an airplane for summer vacation is somewhat risky or too risky; 68 per cent felt staying at a resort as part of a summer vacation is risky; 61 per cent felt staying in a hotel or motel as part of a summer vacation is risky. In contrast, just 35 per cent felt going camping in a tent or RV/trailer was risky; 63 per cent felt there was little to no risk involved in renting an RV, motorhome, or trailer.
As well, 85 per cent believe RVing is family-friendly; 82 per cent believe RVing allows them to get away and explore different parts of the country; 78 per cent believe RVing “allows me to distance from other people safely” and 83 per cent say they are more likely to rent an RV this summer if they could choose different types of RVs in terms of size, sleeping arrangement, and whether it is a trailer or motorhome.
This summer, locals have the chance to visit these places without the big crowds. This year is a great opportunity.”