IRVINE, Calif. -

Summer arrived, and as gas prices declined, consumers seemed to begin to turn to vehicles that catered to more “heavy-duty activities,” according to Kbb.com. And the site tipped off dealers that this trend in consumer interest should help lots “offload” some of their utility vehicle inventory.

In its July edition of M.I Quick Stats, which provide a snapshot of new- and used-car shopper perceptions and behaviors on the site, commercial or utility oriented vehicles made up the top five segments with the greatest increases in Kbb.com used-vehicle  traffic share this past month.

“Summer is officially here. Gas prices have declined a notch, and it appears that Kbb.com shoppers are looking to perform some heavy-duty activities,” the site added.

First up, the van segment,  which the site noted is typically used for commercial use, experienced the greatest change in share by increasing 13.2 percent, month-over-month.

Following closely behind was the the full-size pickup segment, which increased by 9 percent during the last month.

And which truck attracted the most shoppers this past month?

The heavy-duty 2008 Chevrolet Silverado.

But that wasn’t the only domestic brand to see a lift in used truck shopping activity, the site shared. 

“Ford and Ram also had models with substantial increases,” officials noted.

And for the influx of shoppers in the market for a recreational utility vehicle, the full-size SUV segment led the way. And for SUVs, more shoppers turned to the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, which gained 24.1 percent in KBB.com share.

The site noted the Tahoe is the sole representative of full-size SUVs in the top-10 model gainers.

“Based on the current economic and shopping trends, dealerships focusing on commercial vehicles should experience an increase in foot traffic in the upcoming weeks,” officials explained.

“Also, the dealerships currently holding a backlog of large utility vehicles should gain an opportunity to offload some of their inventory,” they concluded.