Pit Stop
Marketing Moment: Balancing Crowds & Solitude
Go RVing’s latest trend report spotlighted soccer match congestion as the FIFA World Cup wrapped this July. Host cities saw an influx of visitors during U.S.-based matches, including crammed transportation systems and heavier traffic on popular routes.
Go RVing’s marketing tactics for events like the World Cup:
- Create social media content showing how RVs are the tailgate, lodging, dining, transportation and pet boarding all wrapped into one mobile unit.
- Develop event-focused road trip itineraries highlighting campgrounds, alternative routes, nearby attractions and extended travel opportunities around host cities.
- Have ambassadors and customers share how RV travel allows them to turn major sporting events into longer, more immersive adventures rather than quick, stressful trips.
The ongoing search for solitude: When it comes to outdoor rec, “as participation rises, solitude shrinks. Remote trailheads look more like music festival parking ... For purists, it’s a wake-up call to venture farther, plan deeper and redefine solitude as an experience rather than a location.” Source: RockRunner
Image courtesy of Go RVing
Marketing tactics:
- Create social, blog and email content that highlights lesser-known destinations, shoulder-season travel, weekday adventures and off-the-beaten-path camping opportunities and promote creating space for what matters.
- Tap into brand ambassadors to share stories about finding quiet moments, meaningful connections and restorative experiences during RV trips — even visiting popular or busy destinations.
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable announced two new grant opportunities designed to help rural communities build, improve and activate outdoor recreation assets to strengthen local economies, improve community health and expand access to the outdoors:
RERC Communities
- Implementation grants for communities that have participated in the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) planning process in prior and current cohorts.
- ORR will provide up to $15,000 in grant funding and up to $1,000 in in-kind assistance to selected RERC communities. In-kind support may include technical assistance, marketing and branding support, strategic planning, outdoor rec infrastructure expertise or other assistance.
Mountain West Rural Outdoor Health & Rec Grants
- A new opportunity for rural communities in Mountain West states to support locally led projects that directly address community health, quality of life and access to the outdoors.
- Designed for rural communities seeking to build or improve outdoor recreation assets and programs that support healthier lifestyles, preventative care, mental and physical well-being, social connection, active aging, youth development and local economic vitality.
These grants are supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation and The VF Foundation.
The New Algorithm
Looking to help the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts find their way? Outdoorithm — a tech-based platform making it easier for RVers to find public campgrounds — is seeking industry-adjacent partnerships to help the outdoor-curious take the leap.
Outdoorithm offers campers a nationwide map with RV filters, “Best of RV camping” lists by state and a conversational AI (CampSage) that finds RV-friendly sites matching any need.
Behind the organization is Sally Steele (CEO) and Justin Steele (CTO), a husband-and-wife team and avid campers raising four daughters. Sally brings experience launching and leading organizations; Justin pairs an engineering background with a decade at Google. Together they also founded a sister nonprofit, Outdoorithm Collective, leading group trips that bring families new to camping into the outdoors.
To read more about Outdoorithm and how to collaborate:
Photo courtesy of Outdoorithm
22,900
(units) total RV shipments
18.7% decrease
compared to May 2025 (28,150 units)
For the year, shipments are off
14.4% with 138,160
units shipped through the first 5 months compared to last year to date
Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, ended the month down 21.3% from last May with 19,679 shipments. Motorhomes finished the month up 2.2% compared to the same month last year, with 3,221 units.
Park model RVs finished May up 8.5% compared to the same month last year, with 383 wholesale shipments.
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