RVS ARE ROCKIN' IN THE U.S.A. COMFORT LURES SUMMER TRAVELERS.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Restless Americans - still wary of post-Sept. 11 air travel and lured by lower gas prices - have dealers and suppliers preparing for a record summer of recreational vehicle rentals and sales, observers say.

Local dealers report as much as triple-digit increases in rental bookings - already a $9 billion industry nationwide - and have watched their high season expand by two months as drivers swing behind the wheels of the Winnebagos. The prime push, sources agree, is a renewed sense of American patriotism, as vacationers hit the road to see what their country is all about.

``You can travel to Yosemite, camp out and enjoy nature all day, then flip on your satellite dish and see how the Dodgers are doing,'' said Ron Epstein, publisher of the Ventura-based Highways, magazine for the Good Sam enthusiast club. ``You can't do that anywhere else.''

Much of the newfound enthusiasm stems from a fascination with creature comforts at all times, said Joe Laing, director of marketing for El Monte RV, California's largest rental firm. In a plush Class A motor home, with price tags running as high as $1 million, campers don't have to go without their DVD players, GameCubes or hot tubs - along with other ancillary benefits, Laing pointed out. In other words, no more cramming into a stuffy station wagon, a la ``National Lampoon's Vacation.''

``Here, everyone has the shared experience of the Great American Family Road Trip - like the Chevy Chase movie, but not that bad,'' he said. ``You get some separation. No 'he's touching me; she's looking at me funny; are we there yet?' You've got some space to move around and be apart.''

Americans' love of the holiday road has pushed business up at Brent Arnell's Expedition Motor Homes in Calabasas by 300 percent. He figures it's a combination of fear of air travel and cheaper domestic travel rates.

``Gasoline prices have been a real boon,'' he said. ``Since we're not up in the $1.90 range like last year, that's helped a lot. These get about 10 miles to the gallon, so you that's a pretty big concern. If you've got the money to spend, the luxury class is the way to go.''

Heightened consumer interest in RV travel led the Automobile Club of Southern California to begin following the industry, spokeswoman Carol Thorp said, and it's looking to be a hot category for summer.

``In general during the summer, people travel by car,'' she said. ``If you're taking your family, it can be more convenient to take an RV because then you don't have to pay for a hotel.''

The coaches should be rumbling their way to Las Vegas, San Diego and San Francisco, the most popular driving destinations by the Auto Club's research. Good Sam also expects more than 4,000 rigs to turn out for the Great North American RV Rally in Pomona on June 28. This spells nothing but good news for those with trailers for sale or rent.

``The high season's longer now,'' Laing said. ``Typically, July through August is the peak season. Now we're already getting booked out times in June, and we'll get them through September.''

And though they're technically camping, Epstein said, most enthusiasts aren't exactly roughing it. After cruising in air-conditioned leisure all day, drivers pull over, fire up their generators, kick back on their leather couches and relax while listening to top-of-the-line stereos.

``RV-ing is for people who want to enjoy the outdoors,'' Epstein said. ``But they don't really want to walk three blocks to go to the bathroom.''

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(color) Recreational vehicle customers confer with owner Brent Arnell at Expedition Motor Homes in Calabasas, where business is up 300 percent.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer