Meet some happy campers.

Sales professional Bennett Prescott, 36, and his family usually spend summer adventures away from their home in Wallingford, Conn. His work kept him traveling for more than half a year, while his wife, 38-year-old science teacher, Selena Gell, had a break. Last year, the couple, with toddler Jacob, stopped at Fire Island, NY; Oregon; Italy and Norway.

But because the risk of the corona virus loomed for the third month and protests arose across the country, cellular retreats in rural America seemed like the ideal escape. So in May, Prescott and Gell booked a 32-foot RV through the rental-from-landlord website RVShare. On Saturday, they packed their camping gear, cooking gear, bicycles and Edison puppies into their new home – class A 2015 Thor Motor Coach Ace 30.2 – and headed west.

“I am much happier on this trip, where we have a lot of distractions and goals to look forward to and beautiful places to stay,” said Prescott, who avoided stops in big cities when riots broke out through them in response to George Floyd’s death last week was in the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. Families, wearing masks and staying away from others to prevent transmission of the virus, have flexible travel plans. “We will plan what we will do. Very thrilling.”

In line with protected bubbles, RVs allow easy movement while maintaining social conditions and distances such as quarantine. Their appeal during the pandemic and civil unrest is undeniable: RV rentals have increased 1,000 percent since April, while RV sales have jumped 600 percent in the same time period, according to the RV and Kampgrounds of America (KOA) Industry Association. More than 25 million Americans will RVing this summer, estimates the association, which also found that 80 percent of recent buyers are first time owners.

Indeed, Prescott and Gell’s six-week trip – on a route that will take them to the Gell family in Rockaway Beach, Ore., And back through California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia with stops at the Grand Canyon and Arches National Park Utah – marked their first trip to this type of trip. One of those who stayed overnight at Greene Eagle Winery in Cortland, Ohio, was completely silent. “There is no one here that covers 60 hectares,” Prescott said.

While Prescott and Gell have backpacking and car camping experiences, they are still accustomed to handling rather “awkward” RV rentals, which have been proven to be “rocking and hard” for five hours stretching on the highway. “Much better when parked,” Prescott joked. “Morning is great. You wake up in your little house at a winery, let the dog out, make coffee. Really beautiful. “

“We hope that RV will continue to gain traction as the preferred travel method while consumers look for flexible options and unique ways to experience the outdoors,” said Jon Gray, RVShare CEO. The rental price – comparable to other popular companies like American Cruise and Outside the room – generally ranges from $ 50 to $ 100 per night for pop-up trailers up to $ 175 to $ 275 per night for Class A vehicles like Prescott.

Meanwhile, Janine Pettit, 60, grew up camping with her family and had high hopes for instilling the same passion in her husband, Rick, 66. “That’s not what happened,” joked nester empty based in Princeton, NJ, even though Rick occasionally met. he is on his way. So, in 2007, Pettit began arranging trips for solo women, setting up Web sites GirlCamper.com and blogging for advice-oriented Go RVing.

Pettit pulls the 2019 19-Off Off Road Max teardrop trailer by Xtreme Outdoors for a weekend trip to the Poconos, Jersey Shore or Camp Taylor in Columbia, NJ. And he was looking forward to driving to Kennebunkport, Maine, in August – all while wearing his mask in public and often cleaning his hands. The campsite was placed a safe distance apart, Pettit noted, and his “little house on wheels” was completely equipped with a bed, kitchen, toilet and shower.

At Yellowstone, standing in front of a waterfall, he has an epiphany about national parks: “That’s for everyone, whether you’re in Class A or a van.” The equal strength of the wild can provide comfort during times of turmoil, he added.

“RVing and camping will be very important routes for people until our country finds its way. People are stressed and need to be out in nature. It heals, “said Pettit, adding that the RV community is known to welcome all migrants, including their inter-racial families.” When you are outside, you can decompress and heal. Nature takes you out of a state of trauma. “

Desire to travel, beware: With many campsites closed or operating at limited capacity in response to coronavirus, reservations are getting faster. The increasing demand for RVs also makes them more difficult to secure. Pettit suggests planning ahead or staying ready to pounce if last minute cancellations arise.

You don’t need to worry about renting, if you buy your own house on wheels. Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler, 51, and his wife Sara Blakely, 49, founder and CEO of Spanx, caught the RV bug last year. Together with their four children, all under the age of 10, they camped in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, visiting state parks along the way. “I like being outside,” Itzler said. “You can pull over and jump into the watering hole at any time. This is a great way to keep your family calm and look at the country with the freedom to create your own timeline. “

So in April, Itzler took a risk and bought Class 35 Thor 2020 Magnitude Super 35 for a summer trip from their home in Atlanta. That month, they drove to Florida by stopping at Clearwater Beach, St. Augustine and Savannah, Ga. With their children still in distance school, Itzler described their stopover as “a one-part home school, one part ‘Bill & Ted’s Extraordinary Adventures’ and a one-part summer camp. “Then this summer, the family plans to drive East Coast to Connecticut and then west to Michigan and Montana.

Itzler, who grew up in New York without much driving experience, also had to face the underside of the vehicle’s less glamorous: power, septic system and water tank. “I’m not very useful,” he admitted, “but the learning curve is the fun part.”

“We have contacted friends and encouraged them to rent an RV and meet us this summer,” Itzler said. “There are benefits to flying. I love that privilege. But RVing is really like having a vacation home on wheels. Home wherever you park. The party is wherever you park. “