RV sales increased as gasoline hit $5 nationwide

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- Recession, inflation and shortages are topics we regularly hear about these days. But would you believe that despite gas prices hitting $5 per gallon nationwide, industry analysts say the sales of recreational vehicles have been trending up?

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

According to CNN Business, RV production in North America hit an all-time high in 2021, with more than 600,000 vehicles produced, according to RV Industry Association spokeswoman Monika Geraci.

During the pandemic people were looking for safe ways to travel while maintaining social distancing. Using RVs to do so appeared to have made sense.

Read: Another heat wave returns for first days of summer

RV sales numbers have continued to increase despite the rise in gas prices.

As reported by CNN Business, Thor Industries, which owns popular RV brands Airstream and Jayco, said this month that its sales were up 34.6 percent in the latest three months, compared with the same period last year. Thor Industries says it still has a backlog of RV orders worth $13.88 billion.

Other factors for the rise in popularity of RVs in the report included the increased cost of airfare and hotels as alternatives for travel.

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.