Chairman Jim Krenek Of The Recreational Vehicle Rental Association Discusses Changing Face Of The Motorhome Experience
Regardless of outdoor experience, a yearning for the RV lifestyle continues to spread through the veins of the wanderers and adventurers of the world. Whether it’s for family bonding time, a multi-day music festival, an affordable weekend getaway, or a carefully crafted cross-country road trip, renting an RV continues to climb the list of popular option for travelers’ accommodation needs. Having been a part of the RV industry for 38 years, Scott Krenek, the current Chairman of the Board of the Recreational Vehicle Rental Association (RVRA) and Owner of Krenek RV Center, has had a front row seat to witnessing the evolution of the RV rental market and the renters.
Throughout his childhood, Krenek’s family often participated in outdoor activities and always enjoyed RVing. Partially crediting those cherished experiences to his long, prosperous career in the industry, Krenek acknowledged, “I’m in the business because I did it when I was young. My dad tried every type of RV you can think of.”
Back in the 80s, Krenek started out initially selling van conversions and was almost immediately asked if he would be willing to rent them. Consumer interest quickly evolved towards renting motorhomes and Krenek wanted in on the action. “I only had mine so I decided to rent that [motorhome] out,” he said. With the following success he expanded his fleet and has been selling and renting RVs ever since.
“The opportunities for uses of RV rentals are endless,” says Krenek, who’s situated only a short drive away from Elkhart, Indiana, the epicenter of RV innovation. “It used to be that motorhomes were more popular and everyone who rented RVs were 100 percent [renting] motorhomes [to go RVing].”
Nowadays, the evolution of the RV rental industry is increasing its appeal to non-traditional demographics as well as expanding its relevancy in new categories such as festivals, concerts and multi-day events that are leading more people to rent RVs. According to a 2015 survey by the RVRA, dealers report that RVs are being rented for reasons other than camping including activities such as weekend trips and other group events. The study further backed this development by revealing that 41 percent of rental RV customers request (or require) at least four separate ‘sleeping areas’.
In the last year, Krenek expressed that the RV rental industry has seen a spike of popularity for RV rentals being used for multi-day events allowing people to stay right on-site and boondocking up to three days while still enjoying the comforts of a home such as access to a refrigerator, mattress and bathroom.
“We rent to so many different events it’s unbelievable,” Krenek expressed. “Music festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella that can seat well over 100,000 people are fantastic, and some of our bigger RVs offer 6-8 sleeping areas. So it becomes a very inexpensive product when you’re splitting it with [multiple] people.”
Krenek continued, pointing out that the request for a concierge-type recreational vehicle experience seems to be a reoccurring trend with these types of customers, “In the last year or two, everyone seemed to want [RVs] delivered to their location, set up and taken back down [for them]. No fuss. No muss.” He also made light of the fact that this approach eliminates the prerequisite for a vehicle that’s capable of pulling a travel trailer, making RVs a more accessible option for those who want to rent a towable RV but lack a proficient vehicle to do so.
All things considered, motorcoaches still seem to account for a large the bulk of the RV rental business for a variety of reasons, “I actually think motorized [RVs] are on the upswing right now because fuel prices are down. More people want the larger trailers with more sleeping areas because they’re splitting the costs,” explains Krenek. This reflects in the current activity in the RV rental market.
Although the options for RV rentals continues to expand, the freedom and scenic nature of RV travel is still a driving factor to many of those looking to rent an RV. Going forward in 2016, Krenek expects to see yet another upsurge of interest in RV rentals as this year marks the 100th anniversary of our National Parks. As part of celebrating this milestone, the National Park Service is offering 16 days of free admission to 127 parks including high tourist parks like Crater Lake, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Park to name a few. They’re also vamping up their efforts to create a stronger public awareness for the parks through initiatives with Brand USA aimed to increase park exposure.
“We have these wonderful, wonderful state and national parks that are cherished worldwide and people are looking for a much more inexpensive family experience,” said Krenek. “If you’re going to take a big tour going out west and see a lot of national parks or if you want to get out and enjoy the outdoors, experience wildlife, nature, hiking and all of the people in the outdoors, then RVing is the way [to go].”
Editor's Note: These photos in no way endorse the Recreational Vehicle Rental Association [RVRA]. They only serve to visually illustrate a possible road trip/festival scenario.
The RV rental market has gained more attention in recent years, but Krenek believes there’s still a lot of room for opportunity and increasing awareness. “I think consumers are becoming more and more aware, but I’m still amazed when people ask me, ‘Hey will you ever think about renting RVs?’” Krenek laughs at this statement, because he’s been renting RVs for 28 years now. “The bad part is that not many people know about it. The good part is there’s a ton of potential for it.”
RV travel continues to be a very American pastime. Every year as people plan their excursions and dream of exploring the country or attending their next big concert, renting an RV continues to be a viable option for those who are at least 25 years old with a valid drivers license and major credit card.