RV wholesale prices drop, but there’s more to the story

“After two consecutive months of increases, the average values for both motorhomes and towables sold at wholesale auctions reversed course and declined slightly last month,” says Black Book market watcher Eric Lawrence. This information is for auctions that took place in May, the most recent month available for review. RV wholesale prices dropped—or did they?

We talked with Lawrence late this week for more depth of his summary. It’s a case of “things aren’t always the way they seem.” First, let’s take a look at the specifics.

Motorhomes putt-putt along

In the motorized auction ring, the average selling price for motorhomes was $58,411. That price was down $820, or 1.4%, from the April. Going back a year, the May 2023 average motorhome sale price came in at $73,393. That’s a big difference, a decline of 20.4%.

Interestingly, last month’s April sales report showed motorhomes down only 9% year-over-year. We aren’t sure what conclusion to draw from this “over the cliff” dive, but it’s certainly worth watching. The average age of a motorhome crossing the block was nine years old.

Towables— RV wholesale prices dropped last month, meh!

RV wholesale prices likewise slightly dropped for towables. Trailers and fifth wheels came in at $19,389, down $217 or 1.1% from April. One year ago the average towable unit brought $21,362. On a year-over-year basis, that shows a 9.2% drop. In the April report we saw year-over-year prices down 7.7%. Not nearly as significant as the drop in motorhome prices. Again, it’s a matter of looking at the trends. The average age of auctioned towables was six years old.

Don’t draw a whole lot of conclusions

We asked Eric Lawrence to dig deeper for us and to see what sense we could make of it all. “I wouldn’t draw a whole lot of conclusions,” said Lawrence of the April to May numbers comparison. While both are down, it’s a close race, and in the limited sample size, Lawrence summed it up as “essentially unchanged.”

Adding to the statistical insignificance in actual sale prices, he noted the selling age of the RVs at auction was a bit older than those auctioned in April. A little older, a little cheaper. The number of sales were also down. Nearly 8% fewer sold in May than in April for motorhomes, with towables lagging by 15% for the same time.

And the marketplace sluggishness?

What accounts for the seeming sluggishness? Lawrence chalks it up to anticipation for the 2025 RV model year. Dealers may be putting their minds—and dollars—toward stocking up with new rigs, rather than focusing on used inventory.

All in all, if RV wholesale prices dropped in this last reporting month, it’s really nothing to write home about. Keep your eye on the trend lines, and we’ll see where it all leads in the future.

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