Recreational vehicle industry thrives, attracts younger demographics

Nick Smarto bought his second recreational vehicle last year because he has always loved the open road.

“I'm really a huge fan of music festivals and camping, and I love that idea of having everything with you,” the 29-year-old Pittsburgh man said. “You don't really have to over-plan a trip; you can just kind of pick a direction and go.”

He's one of a growing number of Western Pennsylvanians — many of them millennials like Smarto — buying RVs and pumping new life into an industry that was struggling a few years ago.

National RV sales have been climbing steadily for the last six years, making a recovery after the nation's economic crash sent them plummeting from 2007 to 2009, according to data from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.

In 2015, the industry sold more than 374,000 RVs nationwide, almost matching the market's pre-crash high of 391,000 in 2006. Analysts expect records to be set this year, only to be smashed again in 2017, industry association spokesman Kevin Broom said.

RV buyers of today don't look much like the ones from a decade or two ago, said C.J. Valero, who owns Valero RV Mega Center in Delmont.

Once a business dominated by retirees with wanderlust, Valero said, these days he's more likely to see parents shopping for vacation options for their families.

While the national average age of an RV buyer is 48, that has been slowly trending down as more millennials such as Smarto enter the market, experts say.

Keith Conrad, who owns Cooper's RV Center in Murrysville and Apollo, started to see the trend of younger customers, ages 25-35, a couple of years ago. They're still a relatively small part of the market, but they're an important one because they are often buying the newest models with the latest features, such as RVs with smartphone controls.

“The millennials are definitely starting to come out. And they're the ones who want the little bit more expensive camper that's got a little bit higher-end technology,” he said.

Conrad — who recently opened his second store in Armstrong County — and other area dealers said business is booming in Western Pennsylvania.

“RV sales are on an uptick, there's no doubt about it, and we've definitely benefited from that,” Valero said.

Sales of trailers and campers have remained steady, but motor home sales are skyrocketing, he said. He focuses mostly on selling used RVs to cater to the cost-conscious locals.

“Western Pennsylvania is a little different than other parts of the country,” he said. “A lot of folks are a little more cautious about how they're spending their money.”

Smarto, who bucked the millennial trend of worrying about flash over cash, is a prime example. He brought all his experience as a Google employee to bear, creating a computer model to analyze prices while scouring Craigslist and eBay for used models in his quest for the best deal.

“This is a blue-collar area, and people watch their pennies and their dollars,” Conrad said.

Whether buying new, top-of-the-line models, or used RVs for an inexpensive vacation, the growing number of people who want to combine a road trip with the comforts of home are lifting the industry to new heights, Broom said.

“They want to get out, they want to see these great sites, they want to get outdoors and enjoy themselves, but when they go to bed at night they want to sleep on a real bed, and not the ground,” he said.

That includes people like Bill Pekarcik, 63.

Pekarcik used to live in Herminie when he worked as an electrician for U.S. Steel. Now he sees himself as kind of a nomad, living in his motor home and traveling across the country. He and his wife spend their winters in Florida or Arizona, with additional trips all over the country.

“I can do this all winter. I can ride,” he said at Fox Den Acres Campground in New Stanton, where he stays on the rare occasion he comes “home.”

He bought his RV about 10 years ago, before the market tanked. He said he's aware of the struggles the industry has had, but said the camaraderie with his fellow RV owners has remained a constant for the last decade.

“People want to travel to Europe. They want to travel to China. There's so much to see in this country; I don't need to go to Europe,” he said.

Conrad said he's confident the popularity of RVs will continue to grow locally.

“The future of the industry is good. The manufacturers do a lot on their end to keep the pricing down. And that's what the big thing is: You really have to keep this business affordable,” he said.

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.