Comment on RV sales soar ahead of pandemic’s second summer

On an unseasonably warm Saturday morning for mid-March, Emily Michener sat down at a table inside a 21.5-foot Springdale comfort travel trailer that sleeps five.Outside, her husband, Nick, received a walk-through tutorial from delivery coordinator Rich Matzen inside the showroom at US Adventure RV in Davenport.The North Liberty couple’s 3-year-old daughter, Lenyn, checked out the couple’s newly purchased home away from home — bouncing on the queen bed, inspecting the two bunk beds, refrigerator, small stove, microwave, sink and dining table that converts to a foldout Murphy bed.After spending most of last summer inside because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first-time buyers pulled the trigger on investing in a $15,000 camper.The couple has been skittish about staying in hotels and taking their daughter to kids’ museums, playgrounds, water parks and other indoor amenities due to pandemic concerns.“So we were just really kind of thinking the best thing to do was camping, and tent camping is really hard to do with a 3-year-old,” Emily Michener said.