While many businesses have struggled in the year since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S., recreational vehicle dealerships have seen booming business as people are likely looking to get out of the house for a safe vacation.

According to research conducted by LendingTree, RV purchase interest jumped 162 percent across the U.S. in 2020, and interest in buying an RV among Alabama residents rose by 216 percent.

The increased interest in RVs has been exhibited at the local level as well, said Johnston RV Center General Manager Nick Johnston.

“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. 

RV sales across the nation were already going up before the pandemic’s effects were first felt, but the unique circumstances around the virus have led the industry to see rapid growth, Johnston said. 

“It was kind of a perfect storm for this industry with what’s happened in the past year,” he said. 

Johnston said the Johnston RV Center’s sales were more than 20 percent higher in 2020 than in 2019, and that number is even more impressive considering that Johnston RV was shut down for around six weeks at the outset of the pandemic — right in the middle of what is usually the busiest time of the year.

He said the dealership typically sees the most customers in March and April as people begin to look to go camping in the spring, but Johnston RV was closed from the end of March to the beginning of May because of the uncertainties around the virus. 

When the dealer reopened, Johnston said he set a goal of selling 50 units because he wasn’t sure how everyone would still be reacting to the virus, but sales took off much faster than he predicted. 

“We tripled that goal in May, and it’s been a dead run ever since,” he said. 

While business may be up among all RV dealers, Cullman County has seen some of the most interest, Johnston said.

He said Johnston RV finished 2020 ranked as the number two RV dealer in the state in total sales and is currently the number one dealer for the beginning of 2021 after this January’s sales were higher than the previous three Januaries combined. 

“December and January are usually the time for us to catch our breath and it slows down, but it never checked up for us,” he said.

Johnston said he has heard from some of those who are buying an RV that they are looking for a way to go on vacations without being in crowds or without going too far away from home.

“Maybe folks don’t want to be in hotels and condos, they want their own thing,” he said. “You can go to one of the many great state parks within a short distance of here and feel like you went off somewhere.”

Right now, the biggest challenge for RV dealers and manufacturers is keeping up with the increased demand, Johnston said. 

Most RVs are built in northern Indiana but are made with parts shipped from all around the U.S., so when one of those suppliers has a shutdown due to COVID-19, it throws a wrench into the entire chain as the manufacturer has to wait for those factories to start back up, he said.

Right now, Johnston RV has around 40 RVs that are already sold to customers but are still waiting to be delivered from the manufacturer, he said. 

“We’re just waiting to get them from the factory,” he said. 

While some people may have to wait right now to go on their camping trips, Johnston said he expects to see sales continue to grow as the weather gets nicer and everyone is looking to get out of the house and stretch their legs. 

“I don’t see a slowdown any time soon, that’s for sure,” he said.