RV industry COVID boom may be over, but insiders say they're better prepared for slowdown

And with two years since the last dealer-only event, mega-manufacturers such as Thor Industries, Forest River and Winnebago Industries will likely be pulling out all of the stops with top-shelf food and entertainment aimed at increasing orders for their products. 

After all, a successful show is measured in billions of dollars in future orders. 

But this year, dealers and manufacturers are facing headwinds in the form of higher fuel prices, inflation, rising interest rates, volatility in the stock market and the possibility of a recession, all of which are expected to at least slow growth in the coming year. 

Business news:Massive RV dealer show returning to Elkhart after two-year break caused by COVID pandemic

Headwinds 

Some of those economic factors already have had at least some impact on the industry, as the RV Dealers Association has been reporting declining year-over-year sales since spring and manufacturers have been cutting back on production in recent months.