With summer here camping is on the list for family outings

Summer vacation time can mean an expensive trip to a Disney in Orlando, or more economically, to a scenic campground to rough it a bit and to enjoy the great outdoors. 

The topic of camping usually evokes images of campfires and tents, but new data shows that most campers are partial to keys and a set of wheels. The Dyrt app (www.thedvrt.com) that serves the online camping community that includes state and national park campgrounds, RV parks, glamping and free campsites, has found that three out of four campers have camped in or next to their vehicle at some point in their camping journey, proving that vehicles are central to camping. 

According to a 2025 Dyrt Camping Report presented by Toyota Trucks, it shows that 53.4 percent of campers say their preferred type of camping involves a vehicle such as an RV, trailer or camper van. Half of all campers have owned a trailer (49.6 percent) at some point in their lives, 32.2 percent have owned an RV and 20.3 percent have owned a camper van. Slightly more than half of survey respondents (50.6 percent) say they bought a camper van, RV or trailer within the last five years. Additionally, when respondents were asked how much they were willing to spend on a new rig, the average dollar amount was $58,331. 

“Look around any campground and you’ll see a wide price range and variety of sizes of camping vehicles,” says Dyrt founder Sarah Smith. She reported that camper vans are increasingly decked out with amenities that provide an RV-like experience that can fit in a traditional parking spot.

Vehicle campers have a specific list of priorities for what they look for in a campsite. Electric hookups are easily at the top, with 52.3 percent indicating that it is the most important amenity. Next up is a water station (13.2 percent), sewer hookup (10.3 percent) and knowing the pull-thru length (8.9 percent). 
For RVers, it’s important to know that roughly one in five camping properties (18.7 percent) has an age limitation on the RVs allowed on properties. Of those with restrictions, the average age limit for an RV is 12 years old. 

When it comes to passenger vehicles primarily tasked with the function of transportation to and from the campground, 53.3 percent of campers say a truck is the ideal vehicle for camping. That was followed by a SUV at 38.6 percent. More than half of campers surveyed said they planned to buy a vehicle in the next five years and 10.3 percent are planning to buy one by the end of 2025. 
Farm campers are the group that is most likely to identify vehicle camping as their main camping type: 51.4 percent of people who camp at farms prefer RVs and trailers compared to 45.1 percent of campers overall; that ratio is 13.6 percent to 8.3 percent for camper vans. 
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And with gasoline prices coming down, camping can be the more economical way to a summer camping vacation. 

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