The year end numbers are in from the RVIA for shipments through December of 2024. Overall, the shipments were up for the year by 6.6% over the ending numbers for 2023.

That might sound great with 333,733 total RV shipments in 2024. However, as I have previously mentioned, 2023 was a horrible year with shipments of 313,174. – so, 6% over 2023 really isn’t saying anything at all.

The Coachmen Captiva 288FKS – Real Quality

To get an overall perspective of what those numbers mean, let’s make a comparison. We will compare the 2024 Year End Numbers to 2019 (pre covid). I don’t want to use covid numbers because they are so inflated and not indicative of the real market.

In 2019 the year end numbers for towables were 359,441. Year end for towables in 2024 are 298,842. The RV industry is operating at a 20% reduction in shipments in 2024 compared to pre-covid numbers. The numbers are almost the same for the motorhomes with a loss of 25% when compared to 2019 numbers.

I want to mention that 2019 had suffered a 16% loss when compared to the year end numbers for 2018. So, I think using 2019 numbers certainly isn’t inflating their loss. In fact, 2017 total shipments were 504,599 and 2016 numbers were 430,691. So, this means that the 2024 numbers are certainly nothing to write home about.

For the fun of it, I took the last nine years of shipments (including covid numbers) and the average number of shipments per year is 443,984. Only four of the last nine years were sales larger than that number. You would think that number is only high due to the covid sales boom where 2021 and 2022 shipments were 600,240 and 493,268 respectively. However, believe it or not, if I just take the five years before covid, the average number of yearly shipments actually goes up to 451,088. Thats how bleak the last two years have been!

So that tells me there is more going on here than meets the eye!

So, what does this tell us about the state of the RV industry right now? I think it says that they are in trouble. But, let’s hear what the RVIA had to say:

“Despite challenges, the RV industry showed resilience and an upward trajectory in 2024, AND continued to demonstrate its BROAD appeal to consumers,” said RV Industry Association President and CEO Craig Kirby. “These modest gains provide a solid foundation to build upon, and we are confident that with continued innovation and dedication to customer satisfaction, the RV industry will see even greater success in 2025.” 

Saying that they have had modest gains is really gaslighting folks that won’t look back beyond 2023.

It’s interesting that the lobbying group for the RV industry speaks about innovation and dedication to customer satisfaction. My opinion is that they have enabled the RV industry to achieve these low numbers through keeping standards low. But what do I know.

If you want customer satisfaction in the RV industry start building them to residential standards. The plumbing and wiring that exists in RV’s in for the most part a joke. Now, couple that with all the press on frame flex or whatever the new buzz word for it is, plus a NHTSA investigation, and you can see why anyone would be afraid to buy an RV. I think that’s why the industry is down over 100,000 units per year over the last two years.

I will say this, things were better for the consumers when the RV industry had competition. Look at all the RV manufacturers that got gobbled up into the “Big 3” since 2008. I would gladly put my old Jayco Jaywren, Mallard Sprint, Fleetwood Prowler, Coachmen Captiva, or RVision Trail Cruiser, up against anything being produced today from a quality perspective.

Anyway, that’s my update just looking at the numbers. I’m positive that other folks have different interpretations about the industry, where it’s headed, and why.

Anyway, this is just food for thought – and by the way, I’m still optimistic that change could be coming.