The Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association (PRVCA) is a nonprofit corporation representing more than 350 RV dealers, manufacturers, campgrounds, component part suppliers, lenders, insurance and service companies. PRVCA’s members are interested in expanding and improving the camping industry in PA. The organization is spearheaded by Chairman Patrick McClure and Executive Vice President Rebecca A. Lenington.

PRVCA sponsors the #1 trade/retail show in the nation, held annually at the HERSHEYPARK® Entertainment Complex – GIANT CenterSM in Hershey, PA. More than 560 businesses attend trade days. This annual event ranks #8 out of the 200 largest tradeshows in the U.S. and Canada. Over 90 of the nation’s leading manufacturers and 135 supplier vendors are represented by approximately 4,500 exhibitor personnel. Public attendance is over 35,000.

In conjunction with the show, PRVCA sponsors the University of Idaho’s Life on Wheels study program for those considering full-timing in their RV.

PA is #4 in recreation vehicle production (cited in the RVIA Market Report) with annual production figures exceeding 771 million dollars.

PA is home to approximately 450 private campgrounds, 200 public camping parks, 39 manufacturers, 237 supplier firms, 111 service operations, 6 distributors and 526 dealerships.

PA camping and park activities generate more than 75 million dollars annually.

PA ranks fourth nationally for the number of RV parks and campsites it hosts around the state.

More than 38,907 motor homes are registered in the state of PA. This number does not include travel trailer registrations, with 273,709 trailers registered in the 3,000 to 10,000 lbs. category.

PA RV and Camping Month and National RV Open House are May education events to show consumers how RV ownership and camping can enhance their lifestyle. In a statewide media campaign, PRVCA invites listeners to visit their local RV dealer or campground to “explore the possibilities” of RVing and camping in PA. Travel to PA increased by 6 percent in 1997 – double the national average. PA ranks fourth in the nation in domestic leisure travel. According to DCNR survey conducted by D.K. Shifflet & Associates of McLean, VA., outdoor travel in PA has grown 19 percent between 1995 and 1997, outpacing PA’s overall leisure travel volume increase of 4 percent during the same period. Nature sightseeing is the top choice for outdoor recreation travelers, follwed by camping, hiking, boating and fishing, respectively.

Direct expenditures were 4.03 billion, or 33 percent of PA’s leisure travel spending. Outdoor recreation travelers spend almost 35 percent more per trip than the average leisure traveler because they stay overnight more often and spend more days on vacation than the typical leisure traveler.

U.S. ownership of recreation vehicles (RVs) has reached record levels, reveals a study by the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center.

Today nearly 8 million U.S. households own at least one RV – a 15 percent increase over the past four years and a stunning 58 percent rise since 1980, according to the study. One in 12 U.S. vehicle-owning households now own at least one RV.

RV ownership rates now extend across a 40-year span from age 35 – 75. Those under age 35 posted the largest gains in RV ownership rates over the past four years.

By 2010, RVs will be owned by 8.5 million households – an 8 percent increase, outpacing the overall U.S. household growth of 6 percent.

Two-thirds of current owners plan to purchase another RV. Among households that have never owned an RV, more than one in six expressed interest in buying one in the future. Among all U.S. households, nearly one quarter intend to purchase an RV in the future.

When asked what key reason they had for using an RV more this season, respondents to the latest “Campfire Canvass” biannual survey concluded that 64 percent enjoy getting away more often, 47 percent like spending more quality time with family, 44 percent RV to escape stress, 42 percent enjoy traveling more inexpensively and 38 percent enjoy getting away without advance planning.

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Even when fuel prices rise, RV trips remain the least expensive type of vacation, according to a new study comparing vacation costs.

PKF Consulting, an internationally recognized consulting firm with expertise in travel and tourism, found that “typical RV family vacations are on average 26 to 74 percent less expensive than other types of vacations studied.”

Even factoring in RV ownership and fuel costs, the study reveals that RV vacations are more economical than those taken by personal car, commercial airline or cruise ship.

PKF analyzed major costs that would be incurred by families taking nine different types of vacation to such popular travel destinations as the Grand Canyon; Orlando, Fla.; Cape Cod; Napa, Calif.; and Alaska. PKF selected three types of RVs typically used by families for vacation purposes – a folding camping trailer, conventional travel trailer and Type C motorhome.

“In all cases, RV trips were more economical than other vacations analyzed, regardless of trip duration, distance or region of the country,” says Kannan Sankaran, PKF’s lead researcher for the study.

“Even when fuels prices rise, our data show that each RV vacation would still be significantly less expensive,” Sankaran explained. “While fuel costs are a component of the overall vacation cost, fluctuations in fuel prices aren’t significant enough to affect a family’s decision of whether or not to take RV trips over other types of vacations.” According to the study, fuel prices would need to triple to make RVing more expensive for a family of four than other forms of travel.

Vacations using a personal car, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants – the least expensive of the non-RV travel options – were found to be 36 percent more costly on average than going by RV.

The study showed, for example, that a family of four traveling from Washington, D.C. to Dennis Port, Mass. for 10 days with their folding camping trailer in tow, staying in campgrounds for the local average of $25 per night, would save 54 percent, or $1,696, over the same trip taken by car, staying in hotels, averaging $120 per night and eating in restaurants. Taking the same vacation by motorhome would save $974, or 34 percent, over going by car.

On a trip from Atlanta to Orlando for a week, a family of four would save $1,658, or 53 percent, by traveling in their motorhome and staying in campgrounds averaging $27 per night, rather than flying, renting a car, staying in hotels averaging $125 per night and eating in restaurants.

Shorter getaways were also found to be more economical by RV. For example, a family taking a three-day vacation from Pittsburgh, Pa. to Lancaster, Pa. would save $271 - or 31 percent – by towing a conventional travel trailer, rather than going by car, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. The savings would be even greater - $1,049 - or 62.2 percent – for families taking the same trip by motorhome rather than flying.

According to PKF, renting an RV is the most affordable way to tour Alaska. The study shows that 14-day RV rentals were less than half the cost of Alaskan all-inclusive cruises, including roundtrip air fare and 69 percent less expensive than trips involving air fares, car rentals, hotels and restaurants.

Vacation Type Trip Duration: 7 Days

Car towing a Folding Camping/Trailer/Campgrounds $1,125

Light Duty Truck or SUV towing a Travel Trailer/Campgrounds $1,376

Motorhome/Campgrounds $1,491

Personal Car/Hotel or Motel $2,182

Personal Car or Airplane/Rental Property $2,725

Airplane or Rental Car/Hotel or Motel $3,044

Cruise Ship Vacation $9,399

All-Inclusive Package Vacation $5,156

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Financing an RV is easier than ever with attractive interest rates and financial institutions across the country offering flexible payment plans to meet buyers’ needs.

Loan terms are being extended making monthly payments more affordable, reveals to a survey of RV lenders by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). Loan terms for both new and used large RVs now extend up to 15 to 18 years. Whether the purchase is financed through a bank, credit union or RV dealer, the average minimum down payment is 10 percent for both new and used RVs. For budget-conscious families, these attractive terms make RV ownership even more economical.

Lenders also consider RVers to be reliable buyers – another advantage for consumers. The reason: less than one percent of all RV loans are delinquent, according to RVIA figures.

Financing saves money. Not only are interest rates more affordable today, but financing an RV purchase can be smarter than tapping into savings or cashing in assets to pay cash, experts advise. This option offers more economic flexibility, allowing you to further invest your money and obtain returns greater than the cost of financing. And because RV loans are generally offered for longer periods, yielding lower monthly payments, financing might allow you to buy a larger RV than you might have otherwise purchased.

Tax Advantages. For the vast majority of RV buyers, the interest on their loan is deductible as second home mortgage interest. To qualify, interest expense deductions on the RV must exceed the taxpayer’s standard deduction. In addition, the RV must:

• Be used as security for the loan

• Be rented out less than 15 days per year.

• Have basic sleeping, toilet and cooking facilities.

Virtually all RV types qualify under these conditions. The IRS publishes two booklets with helpful information regarding the tax deductibility of RV loan interest. “Publication 936-Home Interest Deduction” and “Publication 523 – Selling Your Home” are available by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-3676.

Insurance considerations. RVs are specialized vehicles with unique insurance needs. RV insurance can be arranged through the same carrier that you use to insure your automobile or home. In addition, there are companies that offer specialized RV insurance – which can be arranged through your RV dealer or lender. Specialized RV insurers are familiar with how the RVs are built and used, and therefore can provide the best coverage and service with the lowest premiums, experts say. Coverage on furnishings, fixtures, appliances and personal items are among the many differences between regular automobile and RV insurance.

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Campfires...a time to rediscover your family...as the talk just naturally flows, from boyfriends, to rock groups, or entertainment by the youngest family members as they provide their impressions of the latest starwars characters...it just doesn't get any better. RVs can provide learning opportunities as family members learn to function as a team(setting up camp, cooking meals together, mapping out the road ahead, hiking w/ the older family members helping the younger ones along... talk about life lessons. RV give families recreational access to our natural and historical heritage, encouraging a sense of well being. A recent campfire canvass asked for the benefits of taking kids camping, RV owners ranked (1)Brings the family closer together, (2)Exposes them to new experiences (3) Teaches them respect for nature.

98% said they practice at least one method of Green RVing to help preserve nature for future generation. (1)the importance of picking up litter (2)conservation (3) recycling in campgrounds that provide the means. (4) Storing of waste water.

Affordable: (1)Young families can purchase an RV for as little as a couple of thousand dollars (folding camping trailer) (2) a RV vacation for a family of four cost ½ to three quarters less than by car , bus train or plane that involve hotel stays & eating in restaurants every night(Pannell Kerr Forster.) RV traveler and author of "At Your Own Pace: Traveling Your Way in Your Motorhome," Bernice Beard, says part of the appeal of RV travel is the ability to visit friends and family and not be a bother. Traveling in an RV also can increase intimacy for a couple.

A new generation of active older Americans is embracing recreation vehicles (RVs) as the ideal way to travel conveniently and affordably.

A study by the University of Michigan confirms the growing popularity of RVs among people in midlife and beyond. Nearly nine percent of U.S. households headed by those over the age of 55, now own an RV.

As more baby boomers reach retirement age, the number of RV-owning households is expected to soar. The Michigan study forecasts 8.5 million RV-owning households by 2010 – an eight percent increase – outpacing overall U.S. household growth.

Seniors find today’s RVs make travel and camping comfortable and extremely accommodating, even for those with physical restrictions. RV travelers enjoy home comforts like queen-sized beds and central air and heat. Many of these “condos-on-wheels” have slideout rooms that expand the interior space by about one-third at the push of a button. On-board closets and storage space eliminate the need to pack, unpack and carry bulky suitcases. Fully-equipped kitchens help older RVers follow special diets and vacation more economically by avoiding fast-food eateries and high-priced restaurants.

Especially popular among seniors are camping clubs, which provide an active social network on the road. Camping clubs hold annual conventions, regional rallies, campouts and other events to bring RVers together.

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