Data from the RV Industry Association’s monthly survey of manufacturers for December was recently posted. The total RV shipments of 333,733 in 2024 were 6% higher than in 2023 and exceed the forty-four year average (1981-2024) of 295,146 units shipped.
In 2024, shipments were well below the peak of 600,240 reached in 2021 and the 2024 shipments are still higher than was experienced through the 1980s and 1990s.
You can see in the chart below that most of the volatility arises from Towable RV shipments. These include four categories [travel trailers, fifth wheels, folding camping trailers, and truck campers]. Motorhome shipments have been more stable in recent years and include those from the larger Class A's and C's, as well as, the Class B vans.
While the motorhome shipments have been relatively stable overall, there is more variability month-to-month when looking at the subcategories. Class C's are the largest of the three categories. And, Class A shipments historically exceeded those of camper vans. Though this latter pattern changed in late 2021 and since then, more Class B's are shipped each month.
While relatively small when compared with other categories, Class B shipments of 8,349 units in 2024 are several times larger than the 2,123 units in 2012 or 2,177 units shipped in 2013.
Also, where Class B's represented roughly 7% of motorhome units shipped from 2012 through 2016, they peaked at 29% of motorhomes shipped in 2022. And, while a bit lower, 23.9% of motorhome shipments in 2024 were Class B's.
Comment below if you have any insights and observations or have questions and suggestions. While we are longtime campers, I do not work in the RV industry. I initially pulled together the numbers as a Covid lockdown project and maintain them now as a hobby.
