(June 25, 2019) — The RV Industry Association’s May survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 39,724 wholesale shipments, a decrease of 14.2% from the 46,322 units shipped last May.
Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, totaled 34,838 units for the month, a decrease of 15% compared to last May’s total of 40,966 units. Motorhomes finished the month with 4,886 units, down 8.8% compared to the May 2018 total of 5,356 units.
Through May, RV shipments have reached 179,943 units, down 22.1% from the 230,850 units at this point last year.
Park Model RVs finished the month up 15.5% compared to last May with 410 shipments to retailers.
I’m sorry I couldn’t read the whole article as Google covered it with an add I couldn’t move.
If deliveries are down maybe the manufacturers will now have time to pay attention to quality control. We can only hope.
Great comment!
Isn’t there such a thing as “market saturation” to some degree, as well? My generation may have upgraded a couple of times, thus keeping up sales. The current generations are not necessarily getting the jobs to pay off student loans and even pay rent or buy a house, and buying a car today is so expensive even considering inflation. Then when one buys their first RV today and finds that it is junk, that must turn some off to RVing. Some may just find that RVing is not the fun they thought it would be. Maybe everyone wants a car, but not 100% of the population even wants to RV. I think the “death spiral” is real for the “bling” manufacturers. Real RVers are willing to pay for a quality rig that may be made by smaller manufactures.
The Biggest reason in these numbers is lack of sales around the US. As I travel and I’m sure many others, you see all kinds of dealers along the highways that are CHOCKED Full of RV’s, from Motorhomes to Travel Trailers and 5th Wheels.
People are slowly backing away from the Big Ticket items and the fact that people are starting to realize that RV’s are NOT investments, but luxury ticket items. Buy an RV Today and you lose 25 percent the minute you drive it off the lot.
Dealers also are NOT moving their existing units and thus cannot order new products. Dealers usually cannot just call up the RV Manufacturer and tell them they need another RV to replace the one they sold. NO, dealers usually have to order 4 or more RV’s, before the manufacturer will ship anything. And then the dealership has to carry a bank note on those new RV’s until they sell.
And last but not least, consumers are waking up to the fact that the RV industry is NOT consumer friendly. The RV Industry is out to make money and Huge piles of it on the backs of unsuspecting buyers.
So, until the RV industry starts to change how they do business, the RV industry will Slowly Implode!
Ok, Off my soapbox again.
You all take care and be safe out there!