RV retail sales drop 31% April year over year.

I’m just waiting for a late model Mobile Suites to buy for penny’s on the dollar. ??

dapperdan wrote:
I would LOVE to hear what the assembly people building RVs here have to say about production levels and demand. We're in Elkhart IN right now and from the little driving around we've done so far there are just TONS of completed RVs sitting on mfg's grounds and in open fields here! It sure looks to me like they're close to capacity as far as inventory goes and I haven't noticed a lot of transporters out and about.

I wonder at what point are these various manufactures going to begin slowing down, laying off assemblers??

Just my two cents......

Dan

Over on the Grand Design forum those in the know said GD is down to 4 days a week and planning a 2 week shutdown in July for a retool.

I'm sure other brands will follow suit eventually if they haven't already.

I would LOVE to hear what the assembly people building RVs here have to say about production levels and demand. We're in Elkhart IN right now and from the little driving around we've done so far there are just TONS of completed RVs sitting on mfg's grounds and in open fields here! It sure looks to me like they're close to capacity as far as inventory goes and I haven't noticed a lot of transporters out and about.

I wonder at what point are these various manufactures going to begin slowing down, laying off assemblers??

Just my two cents......

Dan

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:
Remember this from recent days: "A major RV maker now has more than $18 billion in backlogged orders and says its dealers may not be fully restocked until 2023"

Of course, the article was referring to Thor. Odd, however, that when I do a nationwide search on RVTrader, I find OVER 5,500 brand new, unsold, Thor products sitting on the ground on dealer's lots, or imminently inbound -- and that's just the Thor brand, not factoring-in any of the other companies owned by Thor.

I just find it interesting.

Thor was obviously talking about channel stuffing (forcing dealerships to buy additional inventory to get good pricing or maintain status). They had access to this data well before RVIA released it, they knew where the trend line was headed and were just trying to keep the stock price up long enough for options to vest and for scheduled trades to happen. That announcement was all about making a few executives a bit more money at the expense of shareholders without technically lying enough to get sued.

ERVs to combat fuel prices?
Lol roflmao!
For anyone who can’t or won’t take a trip due to the gas prices, they sure as heck ain’t buying/can’t afford a brand new RV much less an EV one if it existed.

I suppose my hesitation in regards to this Fuel crisis is for the first time, I don't see relief in sight. While I may have the ability to pay the higher prices, we're retired on a fixed income and paying consistently higher fuel prices is not in the long term plan. I fear these new prices may be the long term prices.

Certainly these new prices will have consequences in the RV industry and beyond and while I may not be ready to pull the RV plug(pun intented), our RV'ing will be curtailed for now!:-(

I recently saw on a Josh the nerd video that dealers place orders based on sales speculation. Thor was simply stating what dealers had ordered. Josh said that dealers are now retracting their orders so Thor can no longer stand behind that 2023 statement.

Lantley wrote:

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:
Remember this from recent days: "A major RV maker now has more than $18 billion in backlogged orders and says its dealers may not be fully restocked until 2023"

Of course, the article was referring to Thor. Odd, however, that when I do a nationwide search on RVTrader, I find OVER 5,500 brand new, unsold, Thor products sitting on the ground on dealer's lots, or imminently inbound -- and that's just the Thor brand, not factoring-in any of the other companies owned by Thor.

I just find it interesting.

While I get your point 5500 RV's nationwaide is not a huge number

That's 5500 advertised on RVTrader --- and not every dealer advertises on RVTrader, and of those that do they don't necessarily advertise every unit on RVTrader.

Camper445 wrote:

solman wrote:

Interesting to see where the numbers end up if fuel prices remain high.

I predict here.

I'm betting down closer to the 2008 number. Maybe lower as anyone who was on the fence probably bought one in the last 2 yrs, so not only will the economy be in the dumpster and gas prices through the roof but the supply of interested buyers will smaller.

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:
Of course, the article was referring to Thor. Odd, however, that when I do a nationwide search on RVTrader, I find OVER 5,500 brand new, unsold, Thor products sitting on the ground on dealer's lots, or imminently inbound -- and that's just the Thor brand, not factoring-in any of the other companies owned by Thor.

I just find it interesting.

Are you sure those are really unsold and available? When I was RV shopping a few months back, a lot of times I'd see an add for an RV on the lot or "arriving soon" only to be told by the dealer, oh that one's already reserved. We can add you to the wait list for it in case the deal falls through."