Recent conversations with RV manufacturers and dealers have confirmed a trend that we are seeing ourselves here at RVReviews.net. The RV market is starting to boom. Some of this is seasonal, as we’ve touched on in the past, but a healthy stock market, stable oil prices and record low interest rates are enabling consumers to take advantage of a near perfect buyers’ market. By all accounts 2014 is shaping up to be an excellent year for RV sales.
According to Thor Motorcoach, the largest manufacturer of motor homes in North America, it is running at full production with plans to increase their workforce yet again in the coming months. Jayco RV, another giant in the industry, is also adding to their work force regularly. Smaller producers are reporting backlogs of orders and, for the first time ever, the introduction of second and third shifts to keep up with demand.
Best selling author Randy Eaton (and our Senior Editor) is also seeing the same trend. “Based on our research and delivery stats for the first quarter of 2014, we are seeing the same trend here. Many RV dealers we have spoken to are very pleased with consumer traffic and feel sales will continue to rise. This is very good news and you know the economy is starting to improve when the RV industry is hiring people again and reporting increased sales across the board.”
Keystone RV, which has a number of top selling brands like Cougar and Montana, is seeing the same trend with their dealers. The company is in the process of hiring back many of their employees they laid-off a number of years ago and is expecting a record year this year by adding more products to their line-up.
The industry forecasts for 2014 indicate that this year will see an increase in shipments compared to 2013, and 2013 was a very good year.
This is all good news for RV consumers but can lead to diminished discounts and prices closer to full MSRP -if you don’t know the facts. Today, more than ever, you need to be informed. Our best-selling and easy-to-read guides (The Motorhome Comparison Guide and The Travel Trailer & Fifth Wheel Comparison Guide -now including Toy Haulers), combined with the RV Model Reports in our Ultimate Packages, will give you unbiased information about all top manufacturers, as well as valuable Depreciation Charts that will show you what you should be paying for your specific RV -with a column that shows what the Dealer paid for the unit. Valuable? You bet. We’ve helped thousands of RV buyers get the best unit for them, at a price thousands lower than advertised. In the world of RVs, knowledge truly is power.