2016 Best Year for RV Industry in More Than 40 Years
According to the latest data from the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), 2016 was the best year for the RV industry in more than four decades.
The RVIA reports that 2016 closed on a particularly strong note, with the best December on record for RV Shipments. December 2016 saw total shipments of 32,970 units – a 17.6% increase over December 2015.
Total RV shipments in 2016 climbed to 430,691 units, which is a 15.1% increase over 2015 – a difference of more than 56,000 units.
And it’s not like 2015 was a down year. The RVIA reports that 2016 marked the seventh consecutive annual increase in RV shipments. This s the best the industry has looked in a very long time.
Travel trailers continue to be the driving force for the industry, accounting for 239,255 units shipped in 2016 – an 18% increase over 2015. Fifth wheels were the second leading category with 80,435 units shipped (+7%), followed by Class C motorhomes at 27,981 units (+26.8%), Class A motorhomes at 22,673 units shipped (+3.3%), folding trailers at 10,208 units (+10.9%) and Class C motorhomes at 4,087 units (+24.1%). The only category that saw a decrease in units shipped in 2016 was truck campers, which saw shipments of 3,057 units – down 8.1%.
Looking back at 2016 on a monthly basis, every month of the year saw gains of at least 9.5% over the same month in 2015.
