High gas prices won’t put a damper on travel and watersports

Water sports enthusiasts, motorcyclists and RV roadsters aren’t going to let high gas prices ruin their summer fun. They are willing to “pay to play” to keep their sporting lifestyles, according to a survey conducted by an Ohio-based national insurer.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance of Columbus says its Second Annual Fueling Powersports Index shows that owners of RVs, travel trailers, boats and motorcycles, or powersporters, plan to enjoy their passions this summer despite rising fuel prices.

Nationwide polled 2,518 motorcycle, power boat, bass boat, RV and travel trailer owners on how fuel prices would impact their summer fun. Nearly 70 percent indicated they wouldn’t change their vacation plans because of high prices.

“Our second annual survey demonstrates that powersport owners are adapting to a range of fuel prices. In fact, enthusiasts say gas would have to cost nearly twice as much before they would stop using their vehicles,” stated Mitch Roggemann, national sales director for Nationwide’s Property & Casualty Specialty Products. “This is reflective of the fact that close to 70 percent of all powersporters use time spent on their vehicles as an escape from everyday life.”

The survey’s key findings include:

• Enthusiasts would pay from $2.88 (travel trailer owners) up to $3.38 (motorcyclists) per gallon before considering using their vehicles less frequently. That’s 28 cents more per gallon than motorcyclists said they were willing to pay last year.
• For power boaters and bass boaters, gas prices would have to reach $3.26 and $3.17, respectively, before they would use their boats less often, or 50 cents more per gallon than last year.
• Fuel prices would have to go through the roof before enthusiasts would stop using their vehicles, with prices ranging from $4.14 per gallon (travel trailer owners) up to $6.27 per gallon (motorcyclists).
• Most powersporters plan on traveling long distances. RV owners say they expect to drive 819 miles round trip each time they use their vehicle this year. Travel trailer owners expect to drive 459 miles per round trip.
• While powersporters don’t expect to use their vehicles fewer times this year, high fuel prices do have some effect on how long they run their vehicles per trip. Motorcyclists will ride about two hours and 54 minutes per trip, about 18 minutes shorter than last year. Power boaters will run their boats about 16 minutes less per outing.