Out of all recorded RV owners in the United States, 1.5% is living in it full-time.
Here are some of the most interesting and up-to-date statistics about the RV industry.
Sources: I’ve included the source for each data under every stat, but you can find a full list of all the articles and reports used in this round-up at the bottom of the post.
Note: Some posts may contain affiliate links. Read more in our Privacy Policy. Learn more about how we create and update content in our Publishing Guidelines.
The RV industry has an economic impact of $140 billion to the US economy and $4.8 billion of GDP for the Canadian economy.
Meanwhile, in the UK, RV sales hit its record high of £1.15 billion in 2021.
What is the outlook for the RV industry?
The general outlook for the worldwide RV industry is positive. In 2021, there were a total of 600,240 RV shipments, which is an astounding 362% increase from 2009!
Where are the most RVs sold?
With $2.4 billion worth of RVs sold in 2019, California is the US state with the highest sales of RVs.
Is the RV industry slowing down in 2022?
The RV industry is not slowing down in 2022. In fact, January 2022 recorded a total of 53,290 RV shipments, 16% more than the previous year.
RV Industry Key Statistics
The RV industry has an economic impact of $140 billion to the US economy, which is a 23% increase from 2019 to 2022.
$416 million worth of RVs were manufactured in Canada in 2019.
RV sales in the UK has also reached a record high in 2021, at around £1.15 billion.
The overall RV industry in the US supports almost 680 thousand jobs.
Between 2001 and 2021, RV ownership has risen by more than 62%.
Family campers make up 33% of all RV owners and 64% of them are employed full-time.
The median usage of RVs by current owners is 20 days per year.
In January 2022, total RV shipments was 53,290, which was 16% higher than in January 2021.
General RV industry statistics
How many RVs are sold each year?
1. Total RV shipments in July 2020 rose by 53.5% from the previous year.
[Nasdaq]
2. RV price varies wildly depending on the vehicle type, but the most affordable one is the pop-up camper, averaging at $16,900.
[Camper Report]
3. Class A motorhomes are the most expensive RV type, which costs $375,800 on average.
[Camper Report]
Class A RVs are the size of a large bus and have high-end design and quality. It’s the most luxurious type of RV, and can be suitable for short vacations and full-time living alike.
4. Meanwhile, Class B and Class C motorhomes have an average price of $134,000 and $148,000 respectively.
[Camper Report]
RV industry economic impact
How large is the RV industry?
5. The RV industry has an economic impact of $140 billion to the US economy, which is a 23% increase from 2019 to 2022.
[RVIA]
This includes activities in the manufacture, sale, rental, repair, storage, service, financing, and insurance of RVs.
6. Out of this amount, $73.7 billion is generated by RV manufacturers and suppliers.
[RVIA]
7. $35.7 billion is produced by RV campgrounds and related travel.
[RVIA]
This shows how a huge part of tourism in the US is driven by RV trips.
8. Finally, RV sales and service activities give rise to $30.5 billion.
[RVIA]
9. Additionally, the American RV industry also pays $13.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes.
[RVIA]
10. Meanwhile, the RV industry generated $4.8 billion of GDP for the Canadian economy in 2019.
[CRVA]
The RV industry has a huge economic impact for other countries too, including from those road tripping Canada.
11. $416 million worth of RVs were manufactured in Canada in 2019.
[CRVA]
12. Canadian RV retailers have offered more than 200,000 indirect loans in 2017, which amounted to a total of $8.4 billion.
[CRVA]
13. Out of those, the average amount lent for financing an RV purchase is $45,000.
[CRVA]
14. RV sales in the UK has also reached a record high in 2021, at around £1.15 billion.
30. A recent survey by the RV Industry Association recorded that 31% of their respondents are first-time owners, which emphasizes the rapid growth of the industry in recent years.
[RVIA]
The association also notes that ownership is spread evenly across age, gender, household income, as well as education levels.
31. This survey classified 7 types of RV owners, with “casual campers” making up the most portion at 39%.
[RVIA]
This refers to people who use their RVs on average 16 days per year, typically during vacation and in warmer months.
32. Family campers make up 33% of all RV owners and 64% of them are employed full-time.
41. In 2021, there were a total of 600,240 RV shipments recorded by RVIA. This is an incredible growth of roughly 362% from 2009 (165,709 total shipments).
[RVIA]
42. Out of the total RV shipments in 2021, 90.64% was towable RVs while 9.36% was for motorhomes.
[RVIA]
43. The over 600 thousand RV shipments in 2020 also surpassed the previous annual record of 504,599 shipments in 2017 by an impressive 19%.
44. In January 2022, total RV shipments was 53,290, which was 16% higher than in January 2021.
[RVIA]
Again, this proves that the RV industry is in fact not slowing down in 2022.
45. Between July 2020 and June 2021, there were 16,608 new motorhomes registered with the DVLA in the UK. This is significantly higher (by 8.25%) than the previous record in the 2018/19 period.
[Truly Experiences]
Summary of RV Industry Facts
The RV industry is clearly thriving the most in the United States, but other countries have also seen a recent boom in sales of campers and motorhomes.
Disclaimer: Fully research your destination prior to travel, or any products prior to purchase. We can accept no responsibility for anything you experience as a result of the information found on this website. Some posts may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission for some purchases, at no additional expense to you. Read more here.
I'm an Economics graduate with a passion for travel. In 2016 I decided to ditch the office environment, work from my laptop and travel to every country in the world. You'll find me working out of a cafe in Bali, perhaps on a riverboat in Brazil or maybe even an airport lounge in New Delhi.
Leave a comment
Let us know what you think!