Need a little break from politics? The cartoon above is from our continuing series of gag cartoons for the Buster McNutt humor column in AutoGraphic's Automotive Report publications. We figured that if an RV is a little "home away from home," why not bring a little of the yard too?
For no extra charge, here are some travel and recreational vehicle facts from an Indianapolis Star article.
A record number of recreational vehicles are on the road in the U.S. today. Get ready for more, predicts Ken Sommer.Posted by Forkum at March 8, 2006 09:42 PM"Baby boomers are entering the prime age for RVs," said Sommer, director of media relations for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.
"A lot of Baby boomers will redefine their retirements. They will want to continue to learn and to contribute in their post-retirement years."
A recent study by the University of Michigan found that nearly one in 12 U.S. households that own a vehicle own an RV.
"There has been a dramatic increase in RV ownership in the last four years," Sommer said. "It went up 15 percent. Since 1980, there's been a 58 percent increase in the U.S.
"By 2020 we project RV ownership will rise another 8 percent," she added. "There will be 8 1?2 million households in the U.S. with an RV."
Sommer said the RV industry believes that to many newly retired couples, an RV will represent freedom and independence. "We expect a lot of baby boomers to say, 'Let's see America, the landmarks, the national parks. And let's visit the grandkids along the way,' " Sommer said.
Asked to predict what RVs in 2020 might feature, he said, "Baby boomers and Gen-Xers will want high-tech RVs with wireless capabilities, computers, the Web and whatever a plasma TV has become in 2020."
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