Gabi Routson does finishing work on a Grand Design RV in Middlebury in this file photo. A recent study found Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, with Elkhart at the epicenter, received the lion's share of the economic benefit generated by the RV industry. Tribune Photo/SANTIAGO FLORES
By the numbers
The study "RVs Move America" found the following about the industry in 2015:
• RVs made in Indiana: 296,383
• Retail value of RVs made in Indiana: $388 million
• Indiana jobs directly tied to industry: 22,469
• U.S. jobs tied to RV manufacturers: 31,000
• U.S. jobs tied to RV dealerships: 29,785
It's well-known that the country's recreational vehicle industry is centered in northern Indiana, but its economic impact can be difficult to wrap one's head around.
Measuring that impact was the goal of a national economic study commissioned by the Reston, Va.-based Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, which found the industry had an overall contribution of $49.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015 and accounted for 289,852 American jobs.
And of that economic impact, $4.6 billion occurred in northcentral Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, with the epicenter in Elkhart.
The study released this week, titled "RVs Move America," shows that Indiana is reaping much of the economic benefit from the industry, followed by California, Texas, Florida and Iowa. That should come as no surprise, as more than 80 percent of the nation's RVs are made in northern Indiana.
Indiana is home to 111 of the nation's 228 RV manufacturing plants. Statewide, the industry had a direct economic output of about $6.8 billion in 2015. A total of 22,469 jobs directly were tied to the industry, with 19,600 of those coming from manufacturers and suppliers. The rest were attributed to sales, service, campgrounds and travel.
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