According to the RV Industry Association, RV wholesale shipments finished the year on a high note with a total of 252,300 units shipped in 2011, the highest annual total for RV shipments in four years and a 4.8% increase over the 242,300 units shipped in 2010.
Towable units ended the year at 227,500 units, also a 4.8% gain on the 217,100 towables shipped in 2010. Motorhomes shipments slipped slightly from 25,200 units in 2011 to 24,800 units this year, a 1.6% decrease.
The 252,300 units shipped in 2011 was also slightly ahead of the the year-end projection of 247,100 units provided by Dr. Richard Curtin in the Winter 2011 issue of RV Roadsigns, RVIA’s quarterly forecasting newsletter.
“RV shipments were able to gain a little ground in 2011, which is encouraging for our industry considering the volatile, uncertain economic environment that confronted our members and their customers,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “I think it also underscores that strong appeal of RV ownership that consumers have and points to a promising future as conditions improve.”