It’s been a long slide down for the RV industry since their boom during Covid. Year to Date 2023, shipments are down 57.7%, and that’s a lot…but not a surprise. It was pretty apparent things were heading in this direction last year, although at the time RVIA projected a much better 2022 than they experienced.

The latest February numbers show that 5th wheel shipments were down 63.2%, followed by Travel Trailers at 63.1%. Overall the entire towables line is down 62.4%.

Looking at Motor Homes, the overall category is down 57.7%.

The latest statement by RVIA’s CEO Craig Kirby is “With record high RV production through the first half of 2022, the industry has expected the year over year decreases we are seeing in our early reports for 2023. Looking ahead to this year’s camping season, we’ve seen tremendous crowds at RV shows throughout the winter and early Spring, and the future is very bright considering the hundreds of thousands of younger and more diverse RVers who joined the lifestyle over the past few years.”

As always, the RVIA tends to put a rosy outlook on bad news. Even USA today reported on how the slump in the RV industry was a good indicator of a pending recession. A slump in RV sales has long been considered to be a red economic flag due to those sales being large discretionary purchases which reflect consumer confidence or lack of it.

Couple all of that with the higher interest rates, and gas prices…it’s not a great environment in which to sell new or used RV’s. I know, speaking only for myself, this is not a period where I would be shopping for a new travel trailer.

Tammy and I live within ten miles from several different RV dealerships. Their lots are full, which is a drastic change from just two years ago. However, that is also a reminder of how well (or poorly) the industry is doing.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this year unfolds. In the meantime, don’t let any of this detract from your enjoyment of owning and using your travel trailer. You can’t put a price tag on memories.