Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Industry Trends

Wholesale RV Prices Increase Modestly

Because of fairly small increases in demand in the past decade, wholesale prices for RV increased only modestly. During the past 10 years, the average industry price increased just 20 percent - well below the level of inflation.

Decline of Van Conversions

Converted vans compete with lower-end RVs; both are used for traveling or short camping trips. Converted van ownership has declined in the past decade, improving RV sales. According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, shipments of converted vans dropped from more than 200,000 in 1994 to fewer than 50,000 in 2004.

Expanded RV Park Services

New services at RV parks encourage RV ownership. Many parks now allow customers to make reservations over the Internet. Hook-ups at many RV parks include cable TV, phone, and Internet access service. Both RV and some state parks have installed wireless Internet networks.