Draw Of The Outdoors: More RVs Built In Boom Help Restock Dealers And Consumer Shows, And Buyers Are Trending Younger

As far as supply and demand goes, recreation vehicles went on a wild ride in the past two years.

RV sales boomed during the pandemic, clearing out some dealers’ lots in Spokane and nationwide. However, industry leaders say both a push to manufacture more units and winter’s slowdown equate to some improved inventory now despite backlogged orders.

It also means more units to display at scheduled local RV shows this month. Several regional dealers plan to bring inventory to the Jan. 20-23 Inland Northwest RV Show & Sale at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.

A week prior, the National RV Show is scheduled Thursday through Jan. 17 at the Spokane Convention Center. Nationwide, big shows are planned in Texas and Florida.

“A lot of shows were canceled last year, but consumers can expect to see RVs at their local consumer shows, maybe not as many as there were in years past, but there will be RVs at shows,” said Monika Geraci, a RV Industry Association spokeswoman.

“The manufacturers are continuing to build these record numbers of RVs, so you should see inventory at local dealerships start to build back up, as well.”

That’s also true for shows because manufacturers have sent popular, new-build models for people to see at those venues, although customers likely will have to place orders, said Dorthy Foster, RnR RV sales manager for its north Spokane location. RnR plans to be at the fair center.

“We’re not lacking inventory for the show; we’ll have plenty for everybody,” Foster said. “A lot of the inventory that people want are sold before they get here (dealership), so people don’t get to touch and feel them. We’ve set aside units specifically for people to be able to actually view them so they can place their orders off of them.”

Those RVs at the show can be sold, first-come, first served, but would remain on display until the event ends.

Foster said that although lower inventory persisted this past year, RnR worked with manufacturers to keep its supply up “as much as possible.”

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The RV Industry Association represents the manufacturers and suppliers who build homes on wheels, or Geraci said, 98% of RVs built in the U.S. are manufactured by its members. The group has more than 40 years’ worth of data that has tracked the industry.

All categories of outdoor industries boomed during the pandemic, from boats and all-terrain vehicles to bicycles. But RV builders, as with other industries, also had labor and supply-chain issues.

Despite that, U.S. wholesale shipments of RVs were projected to hit a record 602,200 units in 2021, which would be a 40% increase over 2020 and 19% higher than the past record high set in 2017, based on an analysis prepared for the association. This year, a smaller hike of 2% is expected but still set to build nearly 614,000 units.

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After initial pandemic lockdowns, people seemed to rush to dealerships to purchase RVs, Geraci said. “We thought initially, this was that pent-up demand. April and May are generally good months for RV sales as people are looking toward the summer camping season.

“It soon became clear this wasn’t just pent-up demand. This was people looking to experience the freedom and control to go where you want to go when you want – still being able to travel but also control your environment, bring your own bathroom, bedroom, food.”

While the pandemic helped fuel RV popularity to travel away from risks in public spaces, Geraci said newer consumers in surveys cited a different attraction. COVID-19 concerns ranked low. Instead, it’s the draw of the outdoors.

Read the full article from The Spokesman-Review here.