Annual shipments of RVs down for first time since 2001

Truth Staff

RESTON, Va. -- Totals for 2007 show shipments of recreational vehicles declined from the previous year for the first time since 2001, when shipment totals were down almost 50,000 units from 2000 totals, according to figures from Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.

For 2007, the RV industry shipped 353,400 towables and motorhomes, a decrease of 9.5 percent from the 390,500 units shipped in 2006. Towables slipped 10.9 percent to 298,000 units from 334,600 while motorhomes performed significantly better, falling only 0.9 percent to 55,400 units from 55,900 the year before.

December shipments were off 3.4 percent, the best month of the entire year next to October, which outpaced October 2006 by 1.8 percent.