A Changing RV Industry
The effects of COVID are still being felt in many ways, even though life has largely returned to normal. One industry that experienced dramatic changes during that time was the RV industry, and now it appears to be settling back into a more typical market.
We purchased our Keystone Cougar fifth wheel in January 2020, just weeks before COVID became a household word.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price was a little over $80,000, and we purchased it for about $52,000. Other than two walk-throughs at the dealership, we hadn’t even camped in it before the country shut down.
To say we questioned our timing would be an understatement.
Campgrounds closed or severely limited reservations during much of that first season, and we wondered if we’d made an expensive mistake.
Thankfully, things eventually began reopening.
As people looked for ways to travel while maintaining some distance from others, camping became one of the most attractive options available. Families bought tents, travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes in record numbers. Demand quickly outpaced supply, and manufacturers worked to increase production while dealerships struggled to keep inventory on their lots.
Like many industries during that period, prices climbed.
In 2022, I priced a Cougar comparable to ours with similar size, features, and sleeping capacity.
The sticker price had increased to nearly $129,000.
For a brief moment, we even joked about selling ours while values were high. In the end, we decided against it. We really enjoyed our trailer, and any money we made selling it would likely have gone right back into purchasing another one.
Besides, ours had been built before the production surge that many people felt affected quality throughout the industry. We had been fortunate with our trailer and saw no reason to start over.
One of the reasons we bought an RV in the first place was to spend winters in Florida.
When we finally did that during the winter of 2022–2023, finding a seasonal campsite was much harder than we expected.
At first, we looked near the Gulf Coast, but prices were well beyond our budget. We expanded our search inland, where rates were more reasonable, only to discover that many parks were already full. After a lot of searching, we found a great place, met wonderful people, and thoroughly enjoyed our first winter as snowbirds.
While we were there, we spent time exploring other RV parks, always keeping an eye out for a location we might enjoy even more. We found several that appealed to us, but almost all had waiting lists—some extending several years.
It was definitely a landlord’s market.
Over the past several months, though, I’ve noticed what appears to be a shift.
I’ve read about manufacturers reducing production and some dealerships scaling back operations. As we began thinking about future winters in Florida, I started watching campground availability again.
This time, I noticed something different.
More seasonal sites seemed to be available. I also saw an increase in rental homes and condos being advertised, along with occasional price reductions.
Out of curiosity, I looked at current Cougar pricing.
A comparable 2024 model carried a sticker price of around $90,000 and was advertised for sale at approximately $62,000—much closer to what we saw before the pandemic.
These are simply my observations, not a market analysis.
It appears that some people who entered the RV lifestyle during the COVID years have decided it wasn’t the right fit for them. As demand levels out, manufacturers, dealers, and campgrounds seem to be adjusting as well.
If that trend continues, it could be good news for those of us who enjoy RV travel. More campsite availability, shorter waiting lists, and more competitive pricing would make it easier for both new and experienced RVers to get out and enjoy the lifestyle.
For those of us who have discovered how rewarding RV travel can be, that’s a welcome direction to see the industry heading.