Using famous and trusted faces in marketing campaigns is a common tactic to help sell or promote products. Companies are willing to pay celebrities and other recognizable faces to move products from store shelves into customers’ hands. While these positions were once for sports stars and other celebrities, social media has enabled everyday individuals to create content that gathers a following and influences the crowd.
Whether you love or hate them, RV influencers leave their marks on the RV industry. Let’s take a closer look!
What Is an RV Influencer?
An RV influencer is a trusted face or brand in the RV community. Many popular RV influencers established themselves and grew their audience through YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
They offer valuable content to their viewers, subscribers, and followers and can keep attention on their channel. Many brands recognize how these channels influence their respective community.
As a result, prominent industry brands will enter paid partnerships with influencers. Their partnerships can help advertise their products to the audience following the influencer. It’s a delicate game of scratching each other’s backs and hoping that the two parties see mutual benefit from the partnership.
HOT TAKE
Sweet or Swindled: Did RV YouTubers Changing Lanes get the short end of the stick during their partnership with Grand Design?
How Are RV Influencers Changing the RV Industry?
RV influencers interact with the RV community much more personally than RV manufacturers. Those following these influencers see them differently than the multi-million or billion-dollar companies making RVs and RV equipment.
This allows companies to hear the true desires and concerns of RVers. Influencers can sit across the table from some of the most prominent names in the industry and present the feedback they’re hearing.
Manufacturers can then consider that feedback when designing, manufacturing, and shipping out RVs and other equipment. We’ve even seen some RV influencers work directly with manufacturers to develop an RV (see the video above). When they collaborate correctly, the results are better quality and more user-friendly products.
Who Are Some of the Most Well-Known RV Influencers
There are many RV influencers, but some have been around for years and have risen to the top. These are some of the most trusted names in the RV community.
These influencers can fill Amazon shopping carts by suggesting a few products they love. Let’s learn more!
Less Junk, More Journey
About: Nathan and Marissa hit the road in 2015 with their daughter Hensley. A few years after traveling the country, the family expanded with their son, Judah (JJ). They’re originally from central Tennessee, which you can hear in Marissa’s southern accent.
They wanted to replace the junk in their lives with things that mattered, so they created their brand Less Junk, More Journey. They’ve traveled to all 50 states in multiple RVs. Their knowledge and southern charm have helped them to grow their popularity and position as RV influencers.
Where You Can Find Them: If you want to connect with Less Junk, More Journey, subscribe to their YouTube channel, follow them on Facebook and Instagram, or consider supporting them on Patreon.
The Mom Trotter
About: Karen is a world traveler who enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge with the world. You’ll find her sharing “budget travel tips, homeschooling life, parenting” and using her channel to connect with others who enjoy a similar life. She travels in an enormous fifth wheel with her husband and son, Aiden.
Karen wants to encourage families to travel and make memories. She and her son started a broad community of families of color who enjoy traveling and adventuring.
Where You Can Find Them: Connect with The Mom Trotter and her family by subscribing to their YouTube channel and giving them a like or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
You, Me & the RV
About: Phil and Stacy of You, Me & the RV launched their channel and hit the road in 2017. They’re a relatable couple living a rare dream. They invite viewers into their journey through humor and sarcasm as they travel the country and enjoy their lives as empty nesters.
If you’re preparing to embrace an empty-nest lifestyle, you’ll connect with them and enjoy their content.
Where You Can Find Them: You can follow Phil and Stacy on their adventures by subscribing to their newsletter and YouTube channel and following them on Facebook and Instagram.
Changing Lanes
About: Chad and Tara of Changing Lanes are another couple traveling the country in their RV. Chad’s a Ford-loving, motorcycle-riding, jack-of-all-trades. He uses his mechanical skills to help educate their viewers on making the most of their RVs and how to take care of them.
The couple shares their adventures and experiences without all the drama. They travel with their adorable dog Daisy and post “almost” weekly content for their viewers.
Where You Can Find Them: Chad and Tara post their “almost” weekly videos on their YouTube channel and update their followers on Instagram and Facebook regularly. Visit their website if you want to learn more about them or shop at their store.
Keep Your Daydream
About: Very few create a community better than Mark and Tricia from Keep Your Daydream. They launched into RV life with a six-month trip across the country in 2016.
Mark and Tricia didn’t expect to turn their passion for traveling and RVing into one of the most prominent RV influencer brands in the industry. They have three children, Caleb, Carson, and Victoria, who have all traveled with them at varying times throughout the past six years.
They’ve taken adventures in almost every type of RV and documented their experiences. Their Summer to Remember draws the RV community together to make the most of every summer.
Where You Can Find Them: If you’ve watched any RV content on YouTube, you’ve come across their channel. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you should do so immediately. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with their adventures and travels.
Getaway Couple
About: Jason and Rae Miller hit the road as Getaway Couple in 2017 with their adorable pup Carmen. While they hit the road in a giant off-grid beast of a fifth wheel, they sold their rig in 2022 and began renovating a truck camper for future adventures.
They share lessons they’ve learned, the best places to visit, and some tips and tricks to make RV life more manageable. We love that they’re not afraid to be authentic and even share their big mistakes while traveling.
Where You Can Find Them: Getaway Couple regularly posts helpful content on their website and connects with their Getaway Gang through Facebook and Instagram.
Mortons on the Move
About: Tom and Cait Morton, Mortons on the Move, gave up stationary life in 2015 to embrace a life on the go. They hit the road and were digital nomads before being a digital nomad was common. They’ve co-hosted shows on Discovery Channel, PBS, FunRoads TV, and other online streaming platforms.
When it comes to technical knowledge about off-grid electrical systems and various components, it’s hard to find a better source of information. They’re one of the most innovative RV influencers in the game, and they’re a wealth of knowledge.
Luckily, they’re generous enough to share their knowledge and expertise with followers on their social media platforms.
Where You Can Find Them: If you want to improve your technical knowledge to make RVing easier, follow Mortons on the Move’s YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and click your way through the massive database of articles they’ve created on their website.
What Is the Future of RVs?
The future of RVs will likely see manufacturers embracing technology. Several big players in the game have high-tech features that make the entire RV experience much more accessible.
Opening slides, extending and retracting awnings, and even activating leveling systems from a smartphone are features available on select RVs now. However, they will likely be more widely available in the future.
As more families and individuals can do school and work remotely, RVs manufacturers will likely continue to innovate RVs to feel more residential. Look for lighter color schemes and floorplans that help people feel like they’re living in a home, not an RV.
Don’t be surprised to see RVs with much more technology, especially when allowing RVers to use them off-grid and remote locations.
Are RV Influencers Here to Stay?
Influencers likely aren’t going anywhere soon. They’re highly effective ways for brands to get their products in front of their target audiences.
Whether selling sewer hoses, lithium batteries, or even RVs, RV influencers can help brands establish loyal customers. It may be easier to embrace the fact that RV influencers are here to stay.
Do you follow any of the influencers on our list?
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