Campers and RVs sit at Gas City campground (Photo Courtesy Gates Guarin/CHATNewsToday)

By Gates Guarin

Campers changing habits amid rising inflation, higher gas prices

Jun 1, 2022 | 3:39 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Bernice Swanson has been spending time at the Gas City Campground with her family. The Red Deer resident usually ventures out to Ontario or the United States, but this year Swanson is sticking a little closer to home.

“Well with everything going up, it kind of made us decide what we were going to do for a little bit of a holiday,” Swanson says. “First of all, we’re not going to go too far, we’re just going to Saskatchewan, visiting a bit because pulling the camper with the cost of gas, number one, is more expensive than it used to be.”

The price of groceries has also increased significantly, and Swanson says that has changed the food they buy on their trips.

“Years back, we used to have nice, big, juicy steaks for camping, now we’re looking at hot dogs. Just, everything has gone up so you have to be a little bit more careful,” Swanson says.

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As campers struggle with higher costs, RV dealers are also being impacted. Mark Semrau, owner of Sterling Trailers says his sales have gone down quite a bit.

“Last time I checked we were down 72 per cent from last year. So it’s a substantial number,” Semrau says.

Semrau believes more people have been staying home and doing less travelling, but anticipates sales will pick back up as the weather improves.

But while smaller dealerships like Sterling have been trying to get sale levels back to what they were last year, larger dealerships have been able to weather the storm. Doug Bischke, sales manager at Arrkann RV, says while sales have seen a slight decrease, people have continued to purchase RVs in spite of gas prices and inflation.

“You know, they might not go to all the destinations they used to go to, but they still want to get the family out, gather around the campfire, make the s’mores, do all those things that the RV lifestyle is all about,” Bischke says.

For Swanson, even though expenses have been higher than normal, the benefits still outweigh the costs.

“We wouldn’t have it any other way. We love our independence, even at the extra cost.”