What You Need to Know About Current RV Sales in the US

Published
12/07/2022

When you're working in recreational vehicle sales, it's crucial that you know your customer's needs. Remember that your customers don't care about features, they're interested in benefits. This is why you should sell to the wants of your customer, instead of selling the features. One effective way to accomplish this is by using the "trial close."

Used RVs for sale are down

Although the demand for new RVs remains high, the supply of used recreational vehicles for sale is falling. With gas prices rising and fewer people with disposable income, the market has experienced a major shortage of recreational vehicles. This has resulted in a shortage of inventory and a high price.

The association points to increased wages and household wealth as the main causes. It is important to remember that the number of used RVs for sale is a fraction of the overall recreational vehicle market. If you're looking for an inexpensive recreational vehicle, you may want to consider buying a towable one. This way, you won't need to pay for gas or servicing. In addition, you can get a better deal when buying from a dealership.

Make sure you negotiate with the salesman to get the best deal. Dealerships usually add twenty to thirty percent of the retail price of an RV. If you're in the market to sell your used RV, now is the time to take advantage of the current market conditions. Prices may soon settle down, so take advantage of them while they're still cheap.


Demand is down

While demand for recreational vehicles is still relatively high, the future outlook is not as bright. While 2020 was a record-breaking year for the recreational vehicle industry, the following two years are expected to see a significant decline. This is due to inflation, which is eating away at a family's budget and making it harder to purchase new recreational vehicles.

Statistical data from the RVIA shows that manufacturers are shipping 47,000 units per month while dealers are selling 50,000 units per month (https://www.rvia.org/events/rvx-rv-experience). The gap between sales and shipments is large enough to deplete a dealer's inventory. This can also affect the supply chain. This is bad news for manufacturers and dealers alike.

Despite the weak demand for RVs, Winnebago Industries has been optimistic about the future of the recreational vehicle industry. CEO Bob Martin is keeping a cool head despite the turmoil. In the past four decades, the company has reported net profits every year. He also pointed to rising interest rates and inflation as contributing factors to the downturn.

The market for towable recreational vehicles has suffered more than other recreational vehicle types. The industry's decline has hit the middle and lower classes, where RV prices are most expensive. As a result, consumers for products available at TechnoRV have had to wait for up to two years to get their desired model. The only type of RV that didn't experience a decline was the Class B motorhome. Class B motorhomes often get the best mileage and are cheaper to fill than other models.

Interviewing customers

Interviewing customers is an essential part of selling a recreational vehicle. It's essential to get to know the customer's needs and wants and to find out what he or she is looking for. It's also important to have a write-up of the customer's experience with your RV.

A common mistake made by recreational vehicle salespeople is showing too many RVs to a customer. Instead of showing them many options at once, you should interview them first and then choose two or three models that fit their needs. When showing more than three different RVs to a customer, you're only making the customer confused and likely to walk away without buying an RV.

Ask customers about their past payments and their monthly payments. This way, you can understand what they want and need from the trade. This way, you can explain the process to them and help them feel more comfortable. Once they understand the steps, they'll be more likely to make the purchase. And, if the customer has any reservations about the RV, you'll have an easier time making them comfortable.

Always write up every customer and every lead that walks into your recreational vehicle dealership. If you don't, you'll never close the sale. Some salespeople show customers recreational vehicle after recreational vehicle without ever getting them on paper. However, if you use a written-up process for each customer, you can prepare them for the numbers.

Inventory levels up

The recreational vehicle industry is seeing a restocking of dealer inventories, a trend that is affecting OEM production as well. Manufacturers project full-year 2022 wholesale recreational vehicle unit shipments to be in the range of 500,000 to 520,000 units. Of that total, 60 to 65 percent are expected to come in the first half of the year. However, retail shipments are expected to be down 19 to 22%.

In June, recreational vehicle manufacturer Patrick Industries reported that its second-quarter financial performance was strong, with net sales up 45% to $1.5 billion. The recreational vehicle industry is facing a tough challenge, with inflation and backlogged orders. While the economy is recovering, the industry has faced issues with production and distribution.

These issues are hampering sales, and manufacturers are being forced to increase their prices in order to keep up with demand. Some companies are focusing on inventory management in order to ensure that they can meet the demands of their customers. Many RV suppliers are having difficulty keeping up with the demand for parts and accessories.

While a shortage of parts won't prevent people from using their recreational vehicles, the shortage of accessories may hamper their use. Manufacturers are shipping 47,000 units a month. Meanwhile, retailers are selling about 50,000 units a month. This gap can lead to depleted dealer inventories and lots of unhappy folks awaiting a saturated market in order to take advantage of it on the resale values.