RV shipments expected to remain steady heading into next year • Northwest Indiana Business Magazine

RV shipments expected to remain steady heading into next year

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RV AssocaitionShipments of recreational vehicles are showing no signs of slowing.

A recently released revised forecast of RV industry shipments shows that 505,900 units are expected to ship to dealers in 2018, according to the RV Industry Association. It will mark nine consecutive years of growth for the industry in what it says should be the highest annual total for the RV market.

The association, which maintains offices in Elkhart and near the nation's capital in Reston, Va., said second quarter shipments totaled 134,502, which was the third-highest quarterly shipment total in more than 40 years.

The RV market maintained historic shipment levels in 2018, the association said. A new projection for 2019 forecasts between 485,900 and 510,600 units but analysts expect the actual production to hit 497,100 units.

“RV shipments have experienced incredible gains year after year for nearly a decade, and this new industry data indicates the total number of shipments will continue to hover near or exceed the half-million-mark next year,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the RV Industry Association on the organization's website. “Despite the headwinds caused by uncertainty over the effect of tariffs, it is promising to see expectations of continued strength in future RV shipments.”

The second quarter 2018 shipment totals are third only to 2017 second quarter totals, the association said.

July shipments totaled 36,525 units, a 10.9 percent increase over the 32,936 units shipped in July 2017. Year-to-date shipments now stand at 308,113 units, a 6.5 percent gain over the 289,366 units shipped through the first seven months of last year.

RVs are big business in Indiana, according to the RV Industry Association. The industry employed more than 14,000 people in the state, including manufacturers, suppliers and dealerships, with an estimated economic impact of $4.6 billion.

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