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Our 2024 RV Predictions

| Updated Jan 5, 2024

Our 2024 RV Predictions have some good news and bad for those who love the RV Lifestyle. That's what we talk about this week in Episode 478 of the RV Podcast.

Every year, we devote our first podcast of the year to what we think will be the trends and events that most influence the RV Lifestyle in the coming year.

You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player below.

If you prefer an audio-only podcast, you can hear us through your favorite podcast app or listen now through the player below.

Here are our Top 5 2024 RV Predictions

No-Show Campers: 8 Reasons Why They Don't Cancel

1. Campground Vacancies will be harder to find and more expensive in 2024

The demand for camping shows no signs of easing, and as it has been for the past few years. To get a spot during the height of the season, on holidays, or in popular areas, it is going to take reservations made long in advance.

And they will cost more thanks to the growing practice of dynamic pricing that is sweeping the industry. The concept is nothing new. Hotels, airlines, and even restaurants have been doing this for years. Now, campgrounds are. 

Dynamic pricing is the strategy of adjusting the nightly camping rates based on demand, preferences, and time. 

If most of the spots are booked, the campground’s booking software will increase the price because they know there is strong demand and people will pay. If it is a holiday weekend, up will go the price.

And the software can get pretty sophisticated. If most of the 50 amp sites are booked, those remaining will have a hefty price hike.

Conversely, I suppose, if the weekend weather forecast is lousy, the software could conceivably lower the prices… though we seldom hear of that happening.

But Dynamic Pricing makes campgrounds more money, just as it does in other segments of the hospitality industry.  

Campers don’t like it, of course, but for lots and lots of campgrounds, profit takes precedence over people. That’s just the reality of our consumer economy.

boondocking misconceptions

2. Boondocking spots will be harder to find in 2024

And that's a direct result of #1 above. Because boondocking becomes the best alternative when commercial and government campground openings are hard to find

We’ve sure seen this ourselves and we know from the email we get and campfire conversations we have, you are too. A boondocking spot in a national or state forest that you always had to yourselves, now may be filled when you make your way there. Or you will have neighbors close by.

Another big factor for the pressure on boondocking spots is that across the country, dispersed camping areas are being shut down because they have been trashed by inconsiderate campers or, in many places, have become homeless encampments.

We have been hearing of this happening with increased frequency.

We went to one boondocking spot we knew of in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a while back only to find access to it chained. A sign out front said the state DNR closed it early for the rest of the season because of litter and trash left behind by irresponsible campers.

Our 2024 RV Predictions 1

3. Private RV Land ownership will rapidly increase in popularity

Because of the previous two reasons, a lot of RVers are doing what we did… buy a piece of property and make it our private RV retreat.

For us, it is five acres in Middle Tennessee. We have put in hookups a driveway, gates, and a concrete pad for our fifth wheel. We know we can use it whenever we want and we can stay there as long as we want.

Another development is being sold a half hour away from ours. And we know of similar projects coming in the next year in Florida, Arizona, and Texas.

RV resorts and upscale campgrounds around the country are either expanding for-sale campsites or putting more of their campsites into seasonal, long-term use, where RVers can buy or lease them for guaranteed use.

Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn't email us asking if we know of RV land they can buy. Our sense is this is a trend that is growing fast.

Our 2024 RV Predictions 2

4. Gas Prices will be down or stable for most of the year

Here's some good news:

As inflation eases and the COVID-19 pandemic fades further into the background, the GasBuddy app is predicting that pump prices nationally to drop from an average of about $3.51 for all of 2023 to $3.38 in 2024, reducing annual household spending on gas by about 2 percent 

We think another reason prices won't go crazy high this year is because it is an election year. The administration will do everything it can to keep fuel costs as low as possible. High fuel prices are always a hot-button issue and the pressure will be on the big oil companies to do all they can not to raise prices.

There will be fluctuations.

In a normal year, gas prices follow a seasonal cycle, bottoming out in the depth of winter, when people drive less, and rising steadily through spring and summer, when temperatures are warmer, days are longer, and people drive more.

And a catastrophic event or world crisis could change all this too.

But, based on what we have been seeing so far, we predict that prices will be down or stable for most of the year.

5. EV RV’s will again be more style than substance

The Florida RV SuperShow will open in a couple of weeks and for sure, you will hear some of the big manufacturers gushing about an EV RV. 

They’ll have a fancy-looking prototype on display. They’ll get a lot of splashy coverage during the show. And then that will be pretty much it until next year, when they'll do the same thing.

Like EV automobiles, trucks, and cars, there’s not much public interest in EV RVS.

At least not by RVers.

Everyone loves the idea of an EV but the reality is the infrastructure is not there, campgrounds can barely provide adequate 30 and 50 amp RV service let alone the chargers necessary for EVs.

Besides, the proof of concept prototypes can't go far enough between charging and they can’t tow enough RVs without drastically reducing their already dismal distance between charges.

Some day, yes, there will be viable EV RVs.

Just not this year. Or probably next, either.

SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ – Wendy Bowyer

Our 2024 RV Predictions 3

Wendy Bowyer reports on the hot issues most talked about this past week on social media and our RV Lifestyle Community group.

Over on our RVLifestyle Facebook group, Rob posted a picture of an upgrade he made for his Blackstone. He said he was tired of his omelets running off the grill when the campsite wasn't level, so he put a tiny stabilizer on the grill – and added it should be mandatory.

Well, given the 370-some comments and the additional 380-some shares, I'd have to say many agreed with him.

People said things like “genius” and “brilliant” and “I just ordered some for myself” – the idea was a big hit.

Michael has been following the Facebook group for a while and noticed people were often recommending folks get off the interstates when they travel, so he asked, what is wrong with the Interstates

A handful of people said interstates are fine when you have to go somewhere quickly, but by far most of the more than 550 commenters said interstates were not their first choice.

Some pointed out there are a lot of trucks and semis on the interstate, which are not so fun to navigate when you are towing or driving your motorhome.

Others said there is so much more traffic on interstates, more speeders with people in a big hurry to get somewhere, more accidents, and just more stress.

But my favorite response was from Monty, who wrote: “If all you do is travel interstate, you'll miss most of what makes this country so interesting. The object is not just getting from point to point, but also to explore what is out there.”

I couldn't agree more.

Finally, I'd like to tell you of some of the friendly and helpful conversations going on in our new RVLifestyle Community.

We have so many people discovering us every day, posting pictures of themselves and descriptions of their camping style, and there are some great conversations happening. Under the category Boondocking, David wrote: 

“We want to get more into boondocking, especially when we are out West. We are concerned about leaving our travel trailer to go somewhere in the truck to explore.  Do you not leave your site until you are ready to move on?  Or what do you do to protect it from break-in and/or damage?”

David got some great tips. 

Teena and her husband said they like to boondock in Arizona and New Mexico. When they go exploring, they put their chairs and grill away and then put the tongue lock on their travel trailer so everything is locked and secure. They have never had a problem.

Steve said he likes to boondock in southern California, in the desert or the Sierra and Lake Tahoe forests, and he does the same thing – puts away the loose things, locks everything up, and he has never had a problem.

Johnny made my favorite comment. He pointed out that thieves tend to be lazy and opportunistic, so if you are hard to get to a spot in the middle of nowhere and everything is locked up, you really should be fine.

Lots of good tips and suggestions hopefully put David's mind at ease.

We invite you to join our new community. It's totally free. https://community.rvlifestyle,com

And if you are a member of the community, we invite you to tune in Thursday night, Jan. 4, at 7 PM EST, as we’ll be doing a livestream on the latest in RV Internet technology for 2024 with Chris and Cherie of the Mobile Internet Resource Center and Erik McCauley of Mobile Must Have.

Mike Wendland

Published on 2024-01-03

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

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