Market Trends
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RV News
‘RV Doctor’ Gary Bunzer Passes Away, a Victim of COVID-19
Gary Bunzer, a teacher and consultant who is affectionately known as ‘The RV Doctor’ in the RV industry, has passed…
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Will 2020 be the Year of RV Travel?
Will this be a banner year for RV travel? Consider that millions of cooped-up Americans are eager to get out…
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Report: Fifth Wheel Pricing 14% Higher in Q1
Dealership closures and stay-at-home orders turned business on its head in March and will continue to do so in the…
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RV News
Trends: 5.25M Make Jobless Claims in a Week
Some 5.25 million workers who’ve lost their jobs applied for unemployment benefits last week, driving the number of coronavirus-related layoffs…
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RV News
Trends: Jobless Claims Reach 6.6 Million
The COVID-19 pandemic rages on, and the damage being done to the U.S. economy is only getting worse. This story by Heidi…
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RV News
Trends: Oil Prices Climb 10%
Crude futures surged on Thursday, after President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a damaging price war between Saudi Arabia and…
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RV News
Ocean Bio-Chem Reports Earnings, Increases Performacide Production
Ocean Bio-Chem has announced its full year and fourth quarter 2019 financial results, showing the company’s record net income was about $3.5…
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RV News
Trends: Industry Will Recover from COVID-19
An economics professor at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis thinks the COVID-19-related shutdowns in Indiana’s RV…
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RV News
Powerboat Registrations Up 10%
February boat registrations jumped 10.7 percent year-to-date in the main powerboat categories, and 9.6 year-over-year, according to preliminary data from…
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February RV Shipments Increase 1.9%
The RV Industry Association’s February 2020 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 37,113 units,…
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RV News
Trends: Gas Prices May Drop to $1.50 Per Gallon
The U.S. could see the lowest gasoline prices in history when adjusted for inflation, according to one oil analyst, as the Saudi-Russian…
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Kirby: RVIA Working with Policymakers on COVID-19 Relief
RV Industry Association President Craig Kirby recently sent out a detailed plan of how RVIA is working with policymakers amidst…
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RV Values Begin to Decline at Auctions
Black Book recently took a closer look at the used RV markets and found that the average selling price for…
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RV News
Trends: Camping Numbers Increasing
As shutdowns, cutbacks and other coronavirus-related troubles lead legions of Americans to stay away from hotels and airports, numbers are…
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RV News
Trends: RV, Boats Stocks Decline
Winnebago, Malibu Boats, MasterCraft Boat Holdings Inc., MarineMax, Brunswick Corp., Thor Industries, and Patrick Industries all posted declines last week, some of them double-digit. Harley-Davidson and Polaris…
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RV News
Trends: U.S. Adds 273,000 Jobs in February
In February, the U.S. added 273,000 new jobs for the second month in a row, but the threat to the…
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RV News
2020 RV Shipments Expected to Be 410,100
RV shipments are expected to stabilize in 2020, according to a new forecast prepared by longtime RV industry analyst, Richard…
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January’s RV Shipments Increase 29%
The RV Industry Association’s January 2020 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 33,003 units,…
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Black Book Reports Motorized RV Values Increase 21%
Black Book recently reported that the average selling price for motorized units in January was $51,616, which is up $8,983 (21.1…
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RV News
Report: Job Openings Decrease 14.9%
On the last business day of December 2019, there were 5,892,000 job openings, a decrease of 14.9 percent from 6,921,000 job openings…
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Trends: Boat Registrations Climb 4%
U.S. boat registrations ended 2019 at around 280,000 units, according to the latest data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association.…
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RV News
Report: European Glamping Revenue to Increase 11% by 2025
The glamping market in Europe by revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 11 percent…
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RV News
Report: Rollick Reveals Powersport Trends
Rollick has announced its summary of insights on 2019 U.S. new powersports vehicle lead trends. The data, based on usage of…
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Earnings for Private Payrolls Increase 3%
For the year ended January 2020, nonfarm payroll employment increased 2,052,000, or 1.4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of…
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RV News
Trends: Marine Sales Grow as Inventory Balances
Nearly every aspect of retail in the boat business improved in January as dealers became more comfortable with inventory levels,…
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RV News
Trends: Influencers Inspire Gen Z Purchases
Younger generations are more likely to buy products based on influencer recommendations, as well as consider them reliable, according to…
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RV News
MasterCraft Reports 18% Sales Decrease
MasterCraft Boat Holdings has reported an 18 percent decrease in sales for its fiscal 2020 second quarter ended Dec. 29.…
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RV News
Outdoorsy Gets a New Look
Outdoorsy celebrated the launch of a brand refresh, featuring a new logo design. It’s been five years since Outdoorsy was…
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Manufacturing, GDP Growing
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in January, and the overall economy grew for the 129th consecutive month, say…
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China Slashes Tariffs
China on Thursday announced it would reduce tariffs on thousands of American products, signaling intentions to implement an interim trade…
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RV News
NMMA Reports Increase in Outboard Sales
The National Marine Manufacturers Association has reported that outboard sales increased for the eighth consecutive year in 2019, reaching a…
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RV News
Unemployment Rates Fall Below Average in 15 States
In December 2019, 15 states had unemployment rates that were significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 3.5 percent, 12…
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Used RV Values Declined in December
Black Book recently released a report for December, showing that the average selling price for motorized units was $42,633, which is…
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RVIA: Wholesale Shipments Fell 3%
The RV Industry Association’s December survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 27,516 wholesale shipments,…
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Trends: Economists Look to RVs During Election Year
The six or seven vehicles that come off the assembly line each day at Riverside plant in Indiana’s Amish country…
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Trends: Boat Registrations Remained Flat in November
November 2019 new-boat registrations in the main powerboat categories were down 0.1 percent compared to the same month the previous…
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NADAguides: Fifth Wheels Values Rose in 2019
NADAguides has released its year-end market insights for 2019, showing that all segments of the RV market performed either on…
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RV News
Economists Say Consumer Confidence Optimistic for 2020
An important measure of consumer confidence fell slightly in December but remained at a historic high, providing cautious optimism about…
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Resorts Expanding to Accommodate Snowbirds
As RV dealers and manufacturers focus on selling the newest towable and motorized RVs, the ever-increasing numbers of RV owners…
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RV News
Trends: 2019 Buying Habits Swung Towards Trucks, SUVs
With the December reports tallied, the U.S. auto industry ended 2019 with 17.1 million vehicles sold, falling short of the…
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RV News
Kokomo, Ind., Has Largest Decrease in Unemployment
Unemployment rates were lower in November 2019 than a year earlier in 223 of the 389 metropolitan areas, higher in…
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RV Values Continue Seasonal Decline
Black Book has reported that the average selling price for motorized units was $45,384, which is down $909 (1.9 percent) from…
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RV News
Trends: Slowdown in RV Shipments to Ease in 2020
The RV industry is influenced by many strong macroeconomic factors and is extremely sensitive to overall strength of the economy,…
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Report: Compensation Averaged $34.77 in September
Employer costs for employee compensation for private industry workers averaged $34.77 per hour worked in September 2019, according to the…
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RV News
Trends: Jobless Claims Fall in December
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the second week after a big spike earlier in December.…
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RV News
Trends: Several States Had Large Job Gains
The largest job gains occurred in Texas (336,700), California (321,800), and Florida (217,400), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor…
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RV News
Report: 2019 Pickup Truck Sales Increase to 16%
New data from JATO Dynamics has shown that Americans have been buying pickup trucks at an increased rate throughout the 2010s. This…
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RV News
Trends: Powerboat Registrations Up 5%
Powerboat registrations were up 5 percent on a rolling three-month year-over-year basis in October, and down 1 percent on a…
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RVIA President Delivers Message on 2019
Editor’s note: RV Industry Association President Craig Kirby has released a letter summarizing 2019’s impact on the RV industry (below).…
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RV News
Study: State Personal Income Increases 3.8% in Q3
State personal income increased 3.8 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter of 2019, a deceleration from the…
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RV News
Trends: Manufacturer Spending to Decrease 2.1%
U.S. manufacturers plan to pull back on investing in 2020, a move that could rein in a rebound even as…
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RV News
Powerboat Registration Increases 1.4% in Q3
New boat registrations in the main powerboat categories were up 1.4 percent in the third quarter compared with the same…
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Report: Interest in RVing Grew 650% Since 2013
RVshare has analyzed third-party research and internal data to find that the interest in RV rentals has grown 650 percent since…
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RV News
Report: First-Time Boat Buyers Fall 39%
First-time boat buyers are in decline, and retention rates are shrinking, according to research presented at MRAA’s Dealer Week in…
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RV News
Trends: 252,000 Left Jobless Before Holidays
The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits in early December soared to highest level in more than two…
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RV News
Survey: Boat Dealer Sentiment Fell in November
Marine dealer sentiment on current and long-term conditions worsened in November, dropping back into negative territory after moving into the…
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RV News
Trends: Small Business Saturday Generates $19.6B
Business boomed last weekend on the 10th annual Small Business Saturday, bringing in an estimated $19.6 billion in revenue for…
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RV News
Trends: U.S. Trade Deficit Fell 7.6% in October
The nation’s trade deficit dropped almost 8 percent in October to a 16-month low, largely because of lower imports from…
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Report: RV Values Begin Seasonal Decline
Black Book has reported that the average selling price for used motorized units was $46,293, which is down $2,068 (4.2 percent)…
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Economist Links Cummins Layoffs to Trade Dispute
A professor at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business says the announced layoffs at Columbus-based Cummins are a signal…
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Trends: U.S. Consumer Spending Up Slightly in October
Americans increased their spending in October at the fastest rate in three months, even though income growth was essentially flat,…
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Trends: U.S. GDP Revised Upwards to 2.1% for 3Q
The U.S. economy grew at a 2.1 percent annual pace in the third quarter, a few ticks higher than previously…
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Trends: U.S. Jobless Claims Tumble Before Thanksgiving
The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits fell sharply in the week before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, putting…
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RV News
Trends: Trade Deficit Goods Decline 5%
The nation’s trade deficit in goods fell almost 6 percent in October to a 17-month low in what was probably…
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RV News
Trends: Consumer Confidence, Home Sales Dip
U.S. consumer confidence fell for a fourth straight month in November amid worries about current business conditions and employment prospects,…
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RV News
Trends: Tariffs Hit New High in $2.6B Increase
Outdoor businesses are running out of wiggle room for tariffs on all types of products, as duty after duty gets…
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October RV Shipments Decrease 10%
The RV Industry Association’s October survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 38,972 wholesale shipments,…
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Canadian Wholesale RV Shipments Decrease 38%
The Canadian RV Association has reported that RV wholesale shipments into Canada for the third quarter, ending Sept. 30, totaled 6,244 units,…
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Used RV Sales Key for Camping World
As Camping World Holdings pivots away from outdoor retail and as the RV market continues to sputter, the Lincolnshire, Ill.-based…
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RV News
Tesla to Unveil Truck on Nov. 21 with 300,000-pound Towing Capacity
Tesla watchers have been breathlessly hunting for clues about the company’s long-anticipated electric “cybertruck.” The anticipation may soon be over.…
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RVshare Releases Travel Trend Report for 2020
RVshare recently analyzed third-party research and internal data and found that the interest in RV rentals has grown 650 percent since…
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Trends: Indiana 2020 Growth Expected to be Minor
A new report from Indiana University says the state’s economy is expected to expand in 2020, but not by much.…
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Trends: Used Motorized RV Values Up 9%
Black Book has released the used values of RVs for September, showing that the average selling price for motorized units…
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RV News
Industry Members Pleased by Uptick in Shipments
RV shipment numbers in September were higher than the same month a year before, breaking a 13-month streak of negative…
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RV Wholesale Shipments Experience Slight Increase
The RV Industry Association has released its September survey of manufacturers, finding that total RV shipments ended the month with…
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Study: Used Fifth Wheel Prices Ahead of Third Quarter 2018
NADAguides has reported its market insights for the third quarter of 2019, showing that most segments of the RV market…
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RV News
Trends: Small Business Loan Volume Reaches $28B
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced fiscal year 2019 lending numbers, showing that it guaranteed more than $28 billion to entrepreneurs…
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Used Motorized RV Values Down 8.9 Percent
Black Book recently reported the used values of RVs as fall approaches, showing that the average selling price for motorized…
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RV News
Report: Outdoor Rec Generates $778B Annually
The second consecutive year of economic data on the outdoor rec industry by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has…
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August RV Shipments Drop 15 Percent from 2018
The RV Industry Association’s August survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 33,674 wholesale shipments,…
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U.S. Dept. of Labor Issues Overtime Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a final rule to make 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime pay…
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Powerboat Registrations Up Slightly in August
Registrations in the main powerboat categories grew 0.8 percent in August versus the same month last year, but were still…
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ARVC Reimagines OHCE with New Edu, Speaker Lineup
In response to member needs, the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) has announced a new and improved…
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RV News
RV Shipments for 2020 Predicted to Be 387,400
RV wholesale shipments will see a modest cyclical decline through the remainder of 2019 and into 2020, according to the…
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Canadian Wholesale Shipments Decrease 26 Percent
The Canadian RV Association reports that RV wholesale shipments into Canada for the second quarter, ending June 30, totaled 13,122 units compared…
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RV News
Trends: Labor Day Gas Prices Lowest in 3 Years
According to GasBuddy, gasoline prices this Labor Day are set to be lower than last year for everyone. GasBuddy predicts…
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Wholesale RV Shipments Decrease 23 Percent in July
The RV Industry Association’s July survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 28,044 wholesale shipments,…
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RV News
Trends: RV Sales Trigger Recession Warning
Elkhart, Ind., is flashing a warning sign that a recession could be just ahead. Capital of the country’s recreational-vehicle industry, the…
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RV News
Report: Boatbuilding Decline Expected Next Year
A recently released report from ITR Economics said that boatbuilding is expected to decline next year and rebound in 2021.…
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RV News
Aftermarket Survey Data Stresses Importance of Young RVers
DENVER, Colo. – At the second luncheon during the RV Aftermarket Executive Conference, five leaders of the industry led a…
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RV News
NMLA Releases Annual Statistical Report
The National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) recently released a marine finance market study of lending trends and operations in the…
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RV News
Learning Center Scholarship Goes to Taylor Boyd
Taylor Boyd, whose father is a full-time employee at Lazydays RV of Tampa, Fla., has been chosen to receive the…
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Senators Back Highway Spending
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators unveiled a proposal on Monday to authorize $287 billion in federal government spending over…
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RV News
Elkhart Co. Unemployment Grows Slightly
The slowdown of the RV industry has resulted in an increase in unemployment filings in Elkhart County, Ind., although the…
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RVIA: Motorhome Shipments in June Down 20%
The RV Industry Association’s June survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 36,524 wholesale shipments,…
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NADAguides Reports 8.5% Increase in Fifth Wheels
NADAguides recently reported that the second quarter was strong for most segments of the RV market. Starting with travel trailers,…
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RVInsider Offers Reviews, Evaluations
RV shopping just got easier with RVInsider, the first RV review site featuring evaluations from current and former RV owners who…
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RV News
May Shipments Continue to Spiral
The RV Industry Association’s May survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 39,724 wholesale shipments,…
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RV News
Unemployment Flat Again in May
Indiana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent for the third consecutive month in May. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development…
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RV News
Camping World Debt Ratings Receives Negative Outlook from Moody’s
Moody’s Investors Service confirmed all ratings of Camping World, including the B1 Corporate Family rating, and assigned a negative outlook.…
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