--- title: "RV Shipments Have Fallen Every Month This Year, but One Major Segment Is Still Growing" url: "https://camperfaqs.com/rv-shipments-have-fallen-every-month-this-year-but-one-major-segment-is-still-growing" author: "Tory Jon" published: "2026-07-28T12:35:02-05:00" modified: "2026-07-28T12:35:04-05:00" --- # RV Shipments Have Fallen Every Month This Year, but One Major Segment Is Still Growing Earlier this month, we reported that [the RV market was splitting into two very different groups of buyers](https://camperfaqs.com/the-rv-market-isnt-dying-its-splitting). The latest shipment numbers suggest that split is getting wider. RV manufacturers shipped 25,484 units in June, down 13.1% from the 29,332 units shipped during the same month last year. That marked the sixth straight month in which shipments finished below the comparable month of 2025. Through the first half of 2026, manufacturers have shipped 163,644 RVs. That is 27,061 fewer units than they shipped during the first six months of last year, a decline of 14.2%, according to the [RV Industry Association’s June shipment report](https://www.rvia.org/reports-trends/rv-shipment-reports/2026-06/june-rv-shipments-top-25000). Yet one major part of the market continues moving in the opposite direction. Motorhome shipments are up 9.8% for the year, even as towable RV shipments have fallen 16.8%. > The RV market is still shrinking, but it is not shrinking evenly. ## RV Shipments Have Been Down Every Month This Year The latest report is not the result of one unusually slow month. RV shipments have fallen year over year during every month of 2026: - January: down 10.7% - February: down 11.1% - March: down 13.9% - April: down 17.4% - May: down 18.7% - June: down 13.1% Each percentage compares that month with the same month in 2025. The decline grew steadily worse through May before easing slightly in June, but shipments still remained down by double digits. Shipment figures measure the number of new RVs manufacturers send to dealers. They do not measure the number purchased by consumers. Still, manufacturers generally adjust production based on dealer orders, available inventory and expectations for retail demand. Six consecutive monthly declines show that factories and dealers are preparing for a smaller new-RV market than they saw last year. ## Towable RVs Are Taking Most of the Hit Towables make up the largest part of the RV market, and that is where most of the decline is occurring. Manufacturers shipped 143,149 towable RVs during the first half of 2026, down from 172,041 during the same period last year. The two largest towable categories both suffered substantial declines: - Conventional travel trailers are down 16.4% - Fifth wheels are down 19.9% - Folding camping trailers are down 7.3% - Total towable shipments are down 16.8% June alone brought another 14.6% decline in travel trailers and a 16.7% drop in fifth wheels. Those numbers support the pattern seen in previous reports. The lower and middle portions of the new-RV market appear to be facing the most pressure. Travel trailers and fifth wheels are generally less expensive than motorhomes, but many buyers still need financing. A towable purchase can also require a capable truck, hitch equipment, storage, insurance, maintenance, and money set aside for repairs. Families and first-time buyers may still want an RV, but more of them appear unwilling or unable to take on the full expense right now. ## Motorhomes Are Still Growing for the Year Motorhomes finished June slightly below last year, falling 1.6% for the month. Their year-to-date performance tells a different story. Manufacturers shipped 20,495 motorhomes through June, up from 18,664 during the first half of 2025. That represents growth of 9.8%. Not every motorhome class is performing equally: - Type A motorhomes are down 10.6% - Type B camper vans are up 13.4% - Type C motorhomes are up 15.2% Type B shipments also grew 19.5% in June, while Type C shipments slipped just 1.5%. The largest weakness was in Type A motorhomes, which fell 27.6% for the month. That makes Type B and Type C motorhomes two of the clearest areas of strength inside the regular RV shipment report. A Type B or Type C still represents a major purchase, but the buyer may be in a different financial position than someone shopping for an entry-level travel trailer. Some motorhome buyers are retirees with savings, home equity or enough income to be less affected by monthly payment changes. A June [Reuters report on the RV slowdown](https://www.reuters.com/business/americas-rv-industry-feels-chill-war-high-gas-prices-2026-06-15/) found that more affluent baby boomers were continuing to buy while many cost-conscious consumers were delaying purchases. High fuel prices, inflation, elevated financing rates and economic uncertainty were all cited as pressures on the market. The shipment report does not prove that buyer income is causing the difference. It does show that motorhomes are holding up far better than towables. ## There Are a Few Smaller Exceptions Motorhomes are the only one of RVIA’s two major shipment categories showing year-to-date growth, but they are not the only individual type that increased. Truck camper shipments are up 4.3% through June, although the category remains small, with 2,118 units shipped during the first half of the year. Park Model RVs are also growing rapidly. RVIA reports them separately from its regular RV shipment total. June Park Model shipments increased 25.5%, while year-to-date shipments are up roughly 23%. Park Models generally serve a different buyer than a conventional travel trailer. Many are placed at seasonal campsites, resorts, lake properties or vacation communities and moved infrequently. Their growth suggests some buyers may still want the campground lifestyle without repeatedly towing, setting up and moving an RV. ## The Great Recession Comparison Needs Some Context The current shipment decline is not as severe as the collapse the RV industry suffered during the Great Recession. RVIA’s [historical shipment data](https://www.rvia.org/market-pulse-dashboard) shows annual shipments fell to 165,700 units in 2009. By comparison, the industry shipped 342,220 RVs in 2025, and the current 2026 decline stands at 14.2% through June. There is still a valid connection to 2008. Inflation-adjusted consumer spending on recreational goods and vehicles fell for five consecutive months through April 2026. Reuters reported that it was the longest such losing streak since the height of the Great Recession in 2008. That spending category includes more than RVs, so it should not be treated as a direct measure of RV sales. It does show that consumers have been pulling back from expensive recreational purchases across a wider part of the economy. ## The Industry Has Already Lowered Its Forecast The RV Industry Association entered 2026 expecting shipments to grow. It has since lowered that outlook. Its latest [RV RoadSigns forecast](https://www.rvia.org/rv-roadsigns-quarterly-forecast) projects between 300,000 and 328,100 wholesale shipments for the full year. The midpoint of 314,000 would represent an 8.2% decline from 2025. RVIA cited tighter household budgets, higher financing costs, inflation and economic uncertainty as reasons consumers are delaying discretionary purchases. The first-half results are running even weaker than that midpoint forecast on a year-over-year percentage basis. Shipment patterns can change during the second half, but the industry would need a meaningful improvement to reverse the current trend. ## The Split Is Getting Harder to Ignore The new report does not suggest that Americans have stopped wanting to camp. Instead, it shows a market divided by RV type, price and buyer finances. New travel trailers and fifth wheels are falling sharply. Type B and Type C motorhomes are growing. Park Models are also up, while smaller categories such as truck campers are showing modest gains. Buyers with more financial flexibility are still participating. More price-sensitive households appear to be pulling back, delaying a purchase or looking for another way to camp. The RV market is not falling at the same rate everywhere. Six months into 2026, that may be the biggest story in the industry.