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RV News is all about getting up-to-speed on the latest RV news that may impact you. We look at various sources and try to boil the news down to a few main items to review. First up…
Traditional Travel Continues to be Hit Hard
TSA checkpoint numbers are showing air travel is not recovering compared to prior year levels. For January 2021, 23.6M people traveled by air vs 61.9M in 2020. This is only a 38.1% year-over-year rate. This rate has held steady for the past several months besides the holiday period and doesn’t bode well for the airline industry. This means likely more people will decide to travel by car or RV for vacationing going forward.
RV Sales Remain Robust
Meanwhile new and used inventories on RV Trader have increased over the past several months. Currently new RV unit volumes for sale are now greater than at any time since May 2020 as manufactures continue to recover production. The RV industry is anticipating a 18.7% increase in sales in 2021, based on the RVIA Winter 2020 RV RoadSigns report of December 1, 2020.
RVIA reported December RV shipments of over 40,000 units. This is compared to just over 27,500 units for December 2019. For all of 2020, total RV shipments were 430,000, compared to 406,000 in 2019, an increase of 6%. This made up for the almost total shut down in production in April 2020 due to the pandemic. Travel trailers and fifth wheel travel trailers both saw a nearly 9 percent increases in production year-over-year. The largest percent increase in year-over-year production was in the Class B camper van segment with a whopping 70% increase in shipments. Other segments like Class A and C motorhomes, pop-up and truck campers all saw decreases in shipments for the year.
R-Pod 179 Update
While Forest River discontinued the popular R-Pod 179 this past fall, there are still models available on dealer lots. A look at RV Trader revealed 26 new R-Pod 179s still for sale. This includes ten 2021 models, seven 2020 models, and nine 2019 models. Be aware that all of the 2019 and 2020 models (16 total) listed are at one dealership in Anchorage Alaska. There are 9 2021 models located in the western U.S., likely all Hood River Editions and are very expensive. There appears to be only one new 2021 non-Hood River model available.
For those fortunate enough to currently own an R-Pod 179, take heart that you now have a limited quantity RV that is highly popular, the value of your trailer just increased. The least expensive used R-Pod 179 recently seen on RV Trader was a hair under $14,000.
New Airstream Office Model
Airstream has recently announced the new Flying Cloud 30FB Office model that recognizes the needs of those working remotely. The new model has an office in the back campsite-side area of the trailer. The trailer offers, “dedicated office space, more connectivity and power options than ever, and the amenities travelers need for a weekend trip or a months-long jaunt…”[1] According to Airstream, “The dedicated workspace includes a comfortable office chair that slides into a recessed groove in the edge of the desk, giving owners the freedom to easily convert the space into a sleeping or relaxing area for one. Sliding drawers and storage cubbies provide organization, while a privacy divider and black-out curtains provide a measure of privacy while doing video calls on the road.”
My Take…
While Airstream is taking a lead in offering dedicated office space, I think other manufactures will follow suit shortly. There is a real shift to working remotely that has accelerated during the pandemic. Likely this trend will continue into the foreseeable future. I am bit more skeptical of RV sales projections for 2021 than the RVIA, based on the near-term economic situation and risks. If campgrounds have to shut down again, it may mean delays in RV purchases. Given the continuing and prolonged health crisis and the slow rollout of vaccines, I think purchases of larger items like RVs may be somewhat curtailed as the year goes on. However, manufactures have large backlogs of orders, so it may be that the near 19 percent sales growth may occur. What do you think of these projections? Do they feel too lofty given the current economic environment?
All the best in your camping endeavors!
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- https://media.airstream.com/press-release/airstream-introduces-2021-flying-cloud-30fb-office-travel-trailer/ ↑