The year 2021 was a record year for Recreational Vehicle sales. According to statistics, we saw a 33.8% increase over 2020, and 2022 could likely follow in its footsteps. The RVing lifestyle continues to surge in popularity right now. But why? What’s the big appeal?

Well first off, traveling by RV is the one escape in which you can avoid airplanes, bypass interactions with people at hotels and since most Recreational Vehicles come with a kitchen, you don’t have to worry about closed restaurants. When you have an RV, you buy the groceries and you do most of the cooking. There is little doubt that the pandemic had dramatic effects on every industry, and RVs were no exception.

With no international travel, people took to U.S. roadways to get out of the house and fuel their wanderlust. Of course, we think RVing is the perfect way to road trip, and many saw it as an opportunity to travel while maintaining their social distance. Hence, there was a significant surge in RV purchases in 2020 and 2021, that’s spilling into early 2022.

Now, manufacturers are producing and shipping RVs faster than ever. The rush not only increases prices but also puts quality from certain RV manufacturers in question. With an emphasis on restocking dealership lots with RVs, some manufacturing defects could slip through the cracks so be careful. Before you buy an RV here are 3 things to consider.

1. Determine Your Needs:
Make a list of the features you will need to comfortably spend weeks on end in a relatively confined space. Is the bed big enough? How about the shower? What do you need in a kitchen? How about additional beds? Storage? TV? Satellite dish? WiFi? Once you’ve gone through the list of creature comforts, you need to think about drivability. How big a rig will you be comfortable driving? How about your partner? What about mileage expectations? Will you be driving far? If so, RV steering and handling becomes a very big factor.

2. Do Your Research:
Google to find the most popular RV groups. Join a Facebook group where you can post questions and read about the experiences of others. Visit an RV park near you and meet some of the owners. Ask them how they like their rig, what they would change if they could and any other advice they could offer a first-time RV or motorhome buyer.

3. Take The RV On A Test Drive.
Most people looking to purchase an RV spend the majority of their time looking at the floorplan. Keep in mind that you are buying what will be your home on wheels for possibly several years to come. Remember you will spend many hours behind the wheel traveling from location to location. It is going to be vital that you do not end up with driver fatigue and travel dissatisfaction. When you do a "test drive" look out for common RV problems. Things like Steering Play, Road Wander and Porpoising or Bucking. These common RV problems create what we like to call “white knuckle syndrome.” Usually it occurs when roads are narrow, winding, or bumpy, in heavy traffic or construction zones, or facing windy, rainy or slippery conditions. So before you buy this RV make sure you know how it will handle on the road.

If you do decide to buy the RV and want to make it handle better we invite you to bring it in for a Road Performance Assessment (RPA®). The RPA is a systematic, diagnostic 15-mile road test that reveals steering and suspension problems over a variety of road surfaces.

To learn more about the RPA CLICK HERE! No matter where the road takes you in 2022 we hope you got some value from this post. Our wish for you as always is a safer and happier driving experience. Thank you for your time and God bless you!