December 2002

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association reports that shipments in December 2002 of all RVs were every bit as good as the previous six months, finishing the calendar year very strongly with shipments of 19,900 units, up 20.6% above this same month last year. The annual totals for 2002 were 311,000 units, up 21.1% over the prior year and second only to 1999 over the past two dozen years.

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Total RV shipments improved in every month in 2002 compared to the prior year with every vehicle category reporting growth. Shipments of motor-homes were slightly ahead of towables in terms of overall growth (22.8% compared to 20.7%. Still, towable RVs represented 8 in 10 vehicles shipped in 2002.

Results of manufacturer surveys confirm that retail sales of RVs finished 2002 higher than the previous year for all but folding camping trailers. Retail sales for travel trailers and fifth-wheel trailers were 29% and 20.7% ahead of the previous 12 months in December respectively. Type A motorhomes’ total retail for the year was 5.7% ahead of last year while type C motorhome sales were 14.7% ahead.

The Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to 86.7 in the December Monthly Wholesale December survey according to the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, finishing slightly below the reading of one year ago. Consumers expressed more optimism about the general economy and were less concerned about their own current financial situation in the December results.

“Consumers judged their personal financial situation more favorably in the December survey,” reported Dr. Richard Curtin, director of the survey. “Consumers will remain the mainstay of the economy in spite of what most expect will be a ‘jobless recovery’ in 2003”.

Towable RVs

Shipments of all towable RVs were reported at 15,500 units in the final month of 2002, up 24% over this same month last year. Conventional travel trailers and fifth-wheel trailers were substantially ahead while folding camping trailers and truck campers were about even with December 2001.

For the year as a whole, totals reached 250,600 units, up 20.7% and outpacing even 1999 to make it the largest towable year since 1978. While conventional travel trailers and hybrid trailers led all categories with 129,700 units, it was fifth-wheel trailers that set an all-time record high with unit totals of 66,100 units.

Motorhomes

All motorhome shipments of 4,400 units in December were 10% ahead of this same month last year. Year to date, motorhome shipments made the greatest percentage improvement with an overall gain of 22.8%, although on smaller volumes than towables.

Type A motorhomes finished the year at 39,600 units, near the recent 5 year average for these products. Importantly, conventional type A motorhomes on a diesel chassis were 20% ahead of their totals from 2001 with gasoline chassis motorhomes gaining about 18%.

The largest gainer this year was the category of type C motorhomes which improved 36.4% compared to 2001 totals. Shipments of 18,000 units of all type C motorhomes were 14% above the recent 5 year average and only slightly less than the peak in 1999. RVIAs

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Total RV Shipments 1990-2002
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