RV sales continue to surge for Western Pa. dealers, fueled by 1st-time buyers
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Dealerships across Western Pennsylvania are cashing in on growing demand for RVs, a 2020 national trend that has continued through this year.
John Park, general manager of Meyer’s Shreck RV in Washington Township, said his dealership sold 450 RVs last year, compared to 150 the year prior. This year, he projects to sell roughly 700.
“It definitely has to do with covid,” Park said. “Unfortunately, life is too short. People want to get out to live their dream. They want to see the country.”
Park, who has worked in the industry for seven years, said this is some of the largest growth he’s seen compared to dealerships of relative size.
Meyer’s is not the only dealership experiencing this rapid growth in the region. Valero Century RV Sales in Delmont has also noticed an uptick in sales.
“We’re barely able to keep anything in stock,” said Tammy Valero, sales consultant at Valero. “If I had an extra 100 coaches, I could sell 100 coaches.”
The RV Industry Association reported that shipments of RVs nationally jumped 75.9% from May 2020 to May 2021, with the average amount spent on an RV hovering around $75,000.
An RV, or recreational vehicle, is a generic term referring to a motor vehicle or trailer that includes some amenities of a house. They include coaches and campers, but the distinctions between them change, depending on who is using the terms.
RV rental companies also are experiencing a similar boom in interest.
Ed Zebinski of Cruise America RV Rental in Carnegie said his lot of RVs is empty every weekend because of the increased demand.
Longtime RV owner Gary Endlich said that his vehicle has been rented every weekend since April, through services such as RVShare and Outdoorsy, compared to only five times all of last year.
In line with national reports, dealerships estimate anywhere from 50% to 80% of customers are first-time buyers of RVs.
Valero said that although the majority of her customers are still longtime RV owners, a larger percentage of her customers tend to be new buyers.
Park estimates that his recent customers have been 70% first-time buyers and 30% trade-in buyers. That almost reverses figures from recent years, which were about 40% first-time buyers and 60% trade-ins.
As to why RV sales are skyrocketing, the RV Industry Association has issued a report showing about one-fifth of buyers indicate their ability to work remotely was a major factor. On top of that, 17% indicated that online classes have sparked their interest.
This could explain why Park has seen “tons” of new families purchasing RVs.
Despite many dealers pointing to pandemic travel restrictions as the culprit, the RV association found that only 16% cited “restrictions on other travel due to covid” as their reasoning.