VIDEO: RV Sales Are On The Rise

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Camping is a big business and brings billions of dollars to the economy every year.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association reports July was the best month in 40 years for RV wholesale shipments.

Camping is mostly used as a time to get away and travel.

Labor Day weekend is a big time to be outdoors and people tell WCBI, there’s no other place they’d rather be.

As temperatures shot up in July, so did RV sales.

They rose by 13% compared to last July.

Their popularity is easy to see at DeWayne Hayes Campground in Lowndes County, where 100 camp spots were nearly filled this holiday weekend.

“You actually have to get out here early, if you want a spot because if you don’t, you wont get one,” says camper Valerie Riley.

The Riley family is using their camper, as a stay-cation spot for Labor Day Weekend.

“We’ve been here a week now, and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. We have lots of people out here and I love being with people, so this has made it a really good holiday weekend for us and an end of the holiday for the season.”

The RV market has a $49 billion dollar impact on the U.S. economy each year.

Some people prefer to drive their RV, while others use the towing option.

Each saw an increase in shipments last year, meaning more people are buying to camp.

This Lowndes County family says Mother Nature helped them make a decision about purchasing a camper.

“We came out here Memorial Weekend in a tent and the wind picked up and we packed up and we went home. So, we came out here with a camper this time. We went and purchased one and we thought, you know, we’re getting too old for this, to pack up and move in the middle of the night and so we are in a camper now and if the winds come, we’re good,” says Riley.

Jacky Richardson has been towing his camper for eight years.

It’s an affordable getaway, that allows him time to relax.

“I’ve always liked outside. I am an outside person, getting away from the house and the hassle of everything around.”

He also brings his grand-kids for a fun, outdoor experience.

If you wonder how so many people can sleep inside one, this little guy breaks it all down.

“Me and Audrey sleep right there and when Debo is here, they sleep up there and I mean, me and Audrey sleep in the back and then, Mamaw and Papaw sleep right there,” says Briceson Richardson.

Many RV campers we spoke with on Monday, say although it’s the last big camping weekend for the summer, they plan to use their RV’s throughout the year.