Gas pump prices may not be the determining factor for RV owners this summer despite soaring gas costs.
Emma LaRoy, store supervisor at Dickson RV Resort near Innisfail, said her resort is more curious about what will happen now that the COVID-19 pandemic has eased up.
“We’re trying to figure out when it’s going to get busier, or slower, because people aren’t working from their trailers or doing school from their trailers,” LaRoy said.
She said Dickson RV Resort only has seasonal lease camp sites so people aren’t moving their RVs and motor homes so the price of gas likely won’t affect their visitors, who mostly come from Calgary, Edmonton and central Alberta.
LaRoy said so far weekends have been fairly steady, and visits to the resort usually pick up once school is finished and families stay longer.
Kelly Christensen, one of owners of Summerland RV Park near Gull Lake, agreed that people were eager to use their RVs and motor homes. Both the park’s seasonal and temporary camp sites during the pandemic were very busy.
“It was one of the few things that people could actually do. We were turning away people,” Christensen said.
The park has also been busy so far this season since opening in early May, she said.
“We’re fairly booked for the next couple of months.”
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Mitch Vellner, operations manager at Vellner Leisure Products, said most customers coming through the door don’t talk about the price of gas, but right now people are on the hunt for smaller motor homes.
“Small motor homes are a very popular ask. I wish I could 3D print those things because people ask for them every day,” Vellner said.
He said many people want a small, pre-owned motor home that is only about six years old, but there’s only so many around.
Everyone has a line of ultra-light, smaller motor homes, but manufacturers build according to trends in the U.S. which is for more bigger products, he said.
“Early in the year lots of people wanted to buy just something big to plop on a lake lot. But that traffic has pretty much died off now.”
He said earlier in the pandemic more younger people were buying motor homes. Now it’s back to normal with most customers about 45 and older.
But whatever people are looking for, Vellner recommended they skip the for sale ads posted by owners.
“You know what you’re getting with a dealership and you’ve got someone to go back to.”
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szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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