There have been record numbers of RV's sold during the past year. Many are first time buyers who hope to enjoy the freedoms of camping during the pandemic. Many of these buyers have paid top dollar for trailers because of supply and demand. They have financed entry level rigs for 10 to 12 years. More expensive trailers can be financed up to 20 years. Many will take 3 or 4 trips and find camping is not for them, or the pandemic will end and they will go back to their previous ways of vacationing. They will find how difficult it is to get into campgrounds without reservations months in advance.Will we see many of these buyers decide to sell their new RV's within the next couple of years? What will the used market look like for sellers who have over-paid and financed a rapidly depreciating asset for long periods?It may well be a good market for buyers, but sellers who are "under water" in their financing may not be able to afford such a "beating".

You are speculating big time with multiple assumptions.

Who knows. There is some of that even in “normal” years. But likely more so in the next 2-3 years. Or after the virus is finally corralled.

Assuming the vaccines are successful, we are probably looking at 2022 before we see a big dumping of RVs (if that happens at all). A lot of people will still be nervous about air travel for a year or two. Others having dumped so much money into a camper will keep at it for at least a few years.So probably by 2022, you may see deals on used RVs but I wouldn't count on reduced numbers at campgrounds for at least a few years.Plus keep in mind, it's not unusual for a family of 4 to dump $10k into a 2 week vacation...so I don't think people are going to panic over a $20k RV sitting in the back yard.

pulpwood007 wrote:There have been record numbers of RV's sold during the past year. Many are first time buyers who hope to enjoy the freedoms of camping during the pandemic. Many of these buyers have paid top dollar for trailers because of supply and demand. They have financed entry level rigs for 10 to 12 years. More expensive trailers can be financed up to 20 years. Many will take 3 or 4 trips and find camping is not for them, or the pandemic will end and they will go back to their previous ways of vacationing. They will find how difficult it is to get into campgrounds without reservations months in advance.Will we see many of these buyers decide to sell their new RV's within the next couple of years? What will the used market look like for sellers who have over-paid and financed a rapidly depreciating asset for long periods?It may well be a good market for buyers, but sellers who are "under water" in their financing may not be able to afford such a "beating".Nothing has or will have changed, USE RV market WILL be the same as in the past.What you are saying is the SAME thing that a lot of folks like myself who had to "prepare" for the "Y2K" computer debacle that the "professionals" said the world would go dark and everything computerized would cease to function due to the fact that since the advent of computers no one made "allowances" for the date going to 00..Folks in a panic (not unlike what we are seeing with the Toilet paper hoarders of 2020) went out and bought every single generator out of stores..Y2K came in and NOTHING happened, lights stayed on a most computer software still ran (although with wrong date)..Should have been a stampede of used generators on the used market.. NOTHING of that sort happened.RVs lose money anyways, anyone taking a loan on a RV acknowledges this by agreeing to P&I payments which not only double but TRIPLE the final cost to buy their RV..Anyone who thinks they are going to make money on a used once RV outside the manufacturer and dealer is a real dreamer..RVs wear out, go out of style, rust, break, rot and yes, depreciate in value.. There always will be some need for used RVs and there always will be folks looking at used because someone else took the financial hit before them.. Not everyone has bought new during this time, those are the ones that will win at getting most of their money out of a used RV..

It’s no different with real estate in “vacation” destinations. Prices snd sales volume is going crazy. Not sure why, but eventually it will all settle down and there will be winners and losers. Dave

Future Used RV Market | Good Sam Community

pulpwood007
Explorer
Nov 29, 2020
Please...my OP had no intentions of politics or statements regarding the pandemic. It only concerned the future of the RV market in relation to current buying habits.

Thanks,
2oldman
Explorer II
Nov 29, 2020
pulpwood007 wrote:
Please...my OP had no intentions of politics or statements regarding the pandemic
We know.
MitchF150
Explorer III
Nov 29, 2020
And that's what my post stated (no politics involved)... I got so much more for my used rig than I thought I would get, yet I bought the NEW rig for a lot LESS than I thought I'd have to pay, it was WIN, WIN for me... :)

Mitch
thomasmnile
Explorer
Nov 29, 2020
Found RVIA wholesale delivery figures through October. Year over year sales are actually down slightly vs 2019, but primarily due to idled factories in the spring. Towables lead sales, motorhomes are down around 5% from 2019.
pulpwood007
Explorer
Nov 29, 2020
thomasmnile wrote:
Found RVIA wholesale delivery figures through October. Year over year sales are actually down slightly vs 2019, but primarily due to idled factories in the spring. Towables lead sales, motorhomes are down around 5% from 2019.

You are correct. By record sales, I was referring more to the reported rush by first time buyers to get into camping. I don't know if the trailer market can be accurately compared to the automobile market. There is no doubt a car or truck depreciates rapidly, but it may be that a trailer depreciates even more rapidly, and the market is not as liquid.

Another issue to include is how well these currently built trailers are. What will many of them look like in a couple of years.
BarabooBob
Explorer III
Nov 30, 2020
We have been traveling through this year. Many new owners have been very willing to listen when I have tried to help them at campgrounds if they looked like they needed help. Most of them said that they had been thinking about getting some form of RV but took the dive with covid making hotels less attractive. Most of them seemed to be in it for the long haul. Most of the people that I talked to were in TT's less than 24 ft. I did not talk to the people in the larger units because most of them were sitting inside enjoying their larger units.
NJRVer
Explorer
Nov 30, 2020
Seems a lot of people on here are thinking that all the people who paid a small fortune for their RV are going to throw their arms up and put them up for sale for pennies on the dollar.

Don't count on it.
philh
Explorer II
Nov 30, 2020
I have a fairly large RV dealer near me... their lot used to be RV's parked side by side by side... now they can barely cover the outside perimeter end to end. People are still buying.

We're considering selling our travel trailer late spring, as we're likely going to get a 5th wheel late next year.
TomG2
Explorer
Nov 30, 2020
A large dealer here in Texas told me that all ordered stock is sold before it arrives this fall.

What might bail out today's buyers is inflation. Prices are going up and seldom go down. Inflation is inevitable, A fellow in this park purchased a five year old Casita in June and has already turned down a thirty percent profit.
ORbiker
Explorer
Nov 30, 2020
Here in Western Oregon (Coburg, Oregon) there is many fairly large RV dealer. All their lot used to be RV's parked side by side by side... now they can barely cover the outside perimeter end to end.
I work at many RV Parks on their laundry equipment and they have been full since June.