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 The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association reports that
deliveries to retailers of total RVs were reported at 26,200 units in May, up 12% from
this same month last year. Year-to-date totals have now reached 130,800 units through the
first five months of this year, up 13.3% over this same period last year. This is the best
start to any year since 1978. Seasonally adjusted, shipments in May were slightly less than the previous month but represented well over 280,000 units on an annual basis. Conventional trailers, folding camping trailers, and type C motorhomes did quite well while other vehicle categories were at or slightly below their level for this month last year. The Index of Consumer Senti-ment slipped to 106.5 during the May survey of consumers which is conducted monthly by the Univer-sity of Michigan's Survey Research Center. This small decline from all-time high levels does not indicate any widespread decline in consumer optimism nor signal any downward adjustment is about to begin. "The small May decline reflected the downward revision of the pace of improvement consumers expect in their personal finances as well as in the overall rate of growth in the national economy," said Dr. Richard Curtin, director of the survey. "Overall, the May survey data indicate a resilient consumer, confident that their economic situation will remain quite favorable." Towable RVs Deliveries to retailers of all towable RVs were 21,100 units in May, ahead of last year by 12.2% and the best May total in more than 20 years. Year-to-date totals for all towable RVs are now at 104,300 units, up 13.5% from this same period last year. Slideouts continue to grow in popularity of new large conventional and fifth-wheel trailers (see next page) Folding camping trailers did very well this month, rising 24.5% over May last year and, year to date, stand at 30,600, up nearly 12% over this same period one year ago. Truck campers fell slightly behind a-year-ago totals and are just 100 units behind last year on a year-to-date basis. Motorhomes All motorhome shipments climb-ed 10.9% in May on deliveries of 5,100 units as both type A and type C motorhomes improved. The five-month period this year is the best for type A motorhomes since 1988. Type C products have done surprisingly well this year too growing 23% ahead of this point last year on deliveries of 7,500 units. Conversion Vehicles Deliveries to retailers of all conversion vehicles continued to drop in May, falling 24.6% this month on shipments of 13,200 units. |
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