RV Dealers NAICS 441210

May 13, 2025 - Modest Growth in RV Shipments Projected for 2025

• A new forecast projects that RV wholesale shipments will reach a median total of 350,100 in 2025, which would be a 5% increase over 2024's year-end total, according to the RV Industry Association’s Spring 2025 issue of RV RoadSigns. The forecast range is 333,400 to 366,800 wholesale units. In 2024, the industry’s wholesale shipments increased 7% from 2023. According to RV Industry President & CEO Craig Kirby, “Interest rates continue to be a challenge, but there are green shoots for the market including continued consumer interest in RVing, creating a positive overall retail environment.” The forecast was generated for the RV Industry Association by ITR Economics.
• According to a report in CFO Dive, consumer sentiment, an indicator of discretionary spending, fell in large part due to tariff uncertainty and an expectation of higher prices. The final index of consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan dropped 8% in April 2025 from the previous month. An index measuring consumers’ expectations for the future fell nearly a third since January, the steepest three-month percentage decline since the 1990 recession. According to survey director Joanne Hsu, “Consumers perceived risks to multiple aspects of the economy, in large part due to ongoing uncertainty around trade policy and the potential for a resurgence of inflation looming ahead.”

• A recent survey by RV Business found that industry executives think the developing global trade war will negatively impact the RV industry. About 55% of respondents believe the tariff activity will create a major negative impact and increase retail RV prices by at least 20%. About 15% said retail RV prices would grow between 10% to 19%, and 15% said it was too soon to tell. Nearly 60% said the trade war would increase the costs of doing business by at least 20% while 11% said costs would rise between 10% and 19%, and the same percentage said costs would decrease by 20%.
• The US RV dealer industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.19% between 2025 and 2029, according to a forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. The expected growth rate is slower than the overall economy's projected growth. The retail and wholesale sectors are driven by consumer spending, along with expenditure by businesses and government. A factor that may limit consumer spending is higher tariffs on consumer goods. On a positive note, lower inflation supports a moderate increase of real disposable income by about 2% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. Real income could suffer to an extent if average prices rise due to tariff implementation. The forecast said retail spending could soften with the growth of spending on consumer services, but noted that consumers so far have maintained spending on goods even as spending on travel and live entertainment has risen.