RVs were front and center in the national and local media this summer as reporters chronicled the travels of RV vacationers and the economic impact the RV industry has in the U.S. Here’s a quick review of just some of the “good news” about RVs that Americans are reading or watching this summer.

Hitting the Road in an RV
From a California history teacher, to an NBC reality show, to PGA touring pros, reporters followed the extended travels of all types of RVers.    

The Santa Clarita Valley Signal told the story of history teacher Robert Tilles, who packed his three young children and wife into the family RV and headed across country for a hands-on history lesson. "My family and I decided to travel across the USA in our RV to discover America," Tilles told the paper.  

NBC’s reality show, the "Great American Road Trip," featuring families in RVs, received heavy media coverage in the Boston Herald and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Quad City Times in Iowa, gave its readers a taste of PGA tour player Tim Petrovic’s motorhome travels as part of its coverage of the John Deere Classic.

Green RVs Grab Attention
Winnebago’s concept hybrid RV and RVIA spokesman Brad Herzog got attention from the Washington Times and other media outlets, as did Brian Brawdy, an adventurer who travels the country in his “green” truck camper, which he developed as a showcase for how RVers protect the outdoors.  

Economic Impact Stories
RVDA member dealers across the country told reporters that their business was good, despite the economic downturn. Topper’s Camping Center in Houston, TX, La Mesa RV in Yuma, AZ, and Dandy RV Supercenter in Anniston, AL, were just some of the dealerships that garnered local media coverage.

In July, the Wall Street Journal reviewed how RVs were helping residents rebuild the tourism base areas of the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas.

KCBS-TV in San Francisco and the Reno-Gazette Journal also covered RVRA members in those markets, documenting the ongoing popularity of RV rentals.

Stories about RV manufacturers re-hiring workers and the RVIA summer forecast, calling for a 24 percent increase in shipments for 2010 received national and local coverage in the business press.

This is just a quick overview of positive news on RVs and RV travel stories from the past several months. RVDA members can keep tabs on “good news” coverage of the RV industry through the weekly RVDA NewsBrief. You can subscribe for free at www.rvda.org.