With production cutbacks at OEMs across the board, fewer new shipments mean that wholesale auction prices are rising, according to Eric Lawrence at Black Book.
“The average sales prices for motor homes and towables sold at wholesale auctions rose last month, while auction volume continued to increase towards more typical levels,” Lawrence said in his monthly report. “The RVIA reported that shipments of new units have fallen below last year’s totals for the fourth consecutive month, which should indicate that dealers’ lots are approaching a more fully stocked level and a return to normal seasonal patterns.
“Taking a closer look at the markets, we see that the average selling price for motorized units was $74,069 which is up $5,066, or 7.3%, from the previous month. Towables came in at $21,217, up $685, or 3.3%, from last month. One year ago the average motorhome sold for $74,990 and the average towable unit brought $22,009.”
Auction volume was up, too: motorhomes increased 23.8% while towables rose 9.6%.