CEO of Airstream maker says new people are seeing benefits of traveling by RV during pandemic

• Thor Industries CEO Bob Martin told CNBC the coronavirus pandemic has helped highlight the benefits of using recreational vehicles to travel. 
• "They look at this lifestyle as a way to self-isolate, a way to spend time with your family," Martin said in an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer on "Mad Money."
• Touting the convenience of traveling in an RV, Martin said, "You really only have to stop to get gas." 

Thor Industries CEO Bob Martin told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday that the coronavirus pandemic has helped highlight the benefits of using recreational vehicles to travel. 

"You've got people that may not want to cruise for a while, they may not want to fly for a while, and they look at this lifestyle as a way to self-isolate, a way to spend time with your family," Martin said in a "Mad Money" interview, while also noting that international travel is less of an option.

"A lot of people, we can't leave the country ... and it's a way for us to really just enjoy the United States," added Martin, whose company makes the iconic Airstream trailers, among other brands. "In Europe it's the same thing. They're enjoying more of their homeland, and we seem to fit the need right now." 

Martin said Thor has heard from dealers and customers alike that people who may have never considered buying an RV before are doing so now. Martin touted the safety and convenience benefits of using an RV to get from point A to point B, "with your own bed, your own bathroom, your own kitchen." 

"You really only have to stop to get gas," Martin said. 

Shares of Thor surged by more than 11% on Thursday, ending the session at $111.14 each after the company reported earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2020 before the bell. 

The Elkhart, Indiana-based recreational vehicle maker posted a profit of 43 cents per share, when analysts had been expecting a loss. It recorded net sales of $1.68 billion, while also indicating that the Covid-19 pandemic hurt its business. 

Thor's stock hit a new 52-week high Monday and has risen nearly 250% since its coronavirus-driven low of $32.30 on March 23. 

Last week, Cramer noted that Thor Industries was among a handful of RV and camping stocks that could be particularly attractive as the U.S. recovers from the worst of the Covid-19 crisis. 

"Camping ... is the perfect Covid vacation" and "you can still practice social distancing, especially if you've got an RV," Cramer said then. 

People may not be using RVs just for vacations, either, according to Martin. He said a rather new development is people buying them for work. 

"People that don't want to stay in hotels but still have to travel, they might buy a little unit like this that is very comfortable, has a good work space, and their companies are encouraging it," Martin said. 

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