The RV Market Isn’t Dying. It’s Splitting Into Two Very Different Groups Of Buyers

The RV industry is still under pressure, but the latest numbers show a market that is more complicated than a simple downturn.

New RV shipments are falling. Towable RVs, the category that includes conventional travel trailers, are getting hit especially hard. At the same time, used RV registrations are rising, Park Model RV shipments are growing, and motorhomes are holding up better than towables.

That pattern suggests the RV market is not collapsing evenly. It appears to be splitting between buyers who can still afford to spend and buyers who are trying to reduce risk.

The RV market is not collapsing evenly. It appears to be splitting.

The latest report from the RV Industry Association showed total RV shipments fell 18.7% in May compared with the same month last year. Manufacturers shipped 22,900 units in May, down from 28,150 in May 2025. Through the first five months of 2026, shipments are down 14.4%, with 138,160 units shipped compared with 161,373 during the same period last year.

Those numbers add to the broader slowdown we covered earlier in RV Industry Faces Worst Spending Slump Since The Great Recession. A recent Reuters report found that inflation-adjusted consumer spending on recreational vehicles and related goods had fallen for five straight months, the longest slump in that category since the height of the Great Recession in 2008.

For the RV industry, the problem is not just that fewer buyers are moving forward. It is that the buyers who remain are not all behaving the same way.

The split: New towable RVs are taking the hardest hit, while used RVs, Park Models, and some motorhomes are holding up better. That suggests buyers are not walking away from RVing. They are changing how they buy.

Towables Are Showing The Most Strain

The sharpest weakness in the May shipment report showed up in towable RVs. According to RVIA, towable shipments ended May at 19,679 units, down 21.3% from May 2025.

That category matters because towables are where many families, weekend campers, and first-time buyers enter the RV market. Travel trailers and fifth wheels are usually less expensive than motorhomes, but they are still major purchases, and the final cost can be much higher than the price on the camper itself.

A travel trailer buyer may also need a capable tow vehicle, hitch setup, brake controller, weight distribution system, storage, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and repair money. Fifth wheel buyers may face even higher truck requirements. For some shoppers, the camper is only one part of the total purchase.

Motorhome owners face many of the same ownership costs, and often at a higher level. Insurance, tires, fuel, maintenance, repairs, storage, and depreciation can all be expensive on a motorhome. Some motorhome owners also tow a car, which adds another layer of equipment, maintenance, and setup.

The difference is that towables often attract more price-sensitive buyers. A family shopping for a travel trailer may be trying to get into RVing without taking on a motorhome-sized purchase. If that entry point is getting harder to afford, it says something about the pressure on the middle of the RV market.

The weakness in towables does not mean motorhomes are cheaper to own. It suggests the buyers most likely to be watching monthly payments, interest rates, insurance, fuel, campground costs, and repair risk may be the ones pulling back first.

Higher-End And Stationary Buyers Are Still Showing Up

While towables fell sharply, other categories looked different.

RVIA said motorhome shipments finished May at 3,221 units, up 2.2% from the same month last year. Park Model RVs also posted growth, with 383 wholesale shipments in May, up 8.5% from last May. Through the first five months of the year, Park Model RV shipments are up 23.3%.

Park Model RVs serve a different buyer than a typical travel trailer. They are commonly placed at seasonal sites, campgrounds, lake lots, or vacation properties. Buyers are often looking for a stationary or semi-stationary getaway rather than a rig they plan to tow across the country.

That growth may point to a shift in how some people want to camp. A seasonal setup can reduce the cost and hassle of towing, repeated setup, fuel, and long-distance travel. For buyers who still want the campground lifestyle but want fewer moving parts, a Park Model may feel more predictable.

Motorhomes holding up better than towables may also reflect the split in the buyer pool. Reuters quoted Campers Inn CEO Jeff Hirsch as saying more-affluent baby boomers are still buying, while many cost-conscious consumers “just don’t feel this is the right time to make an investment.”

That is one of the clearest descriptions of the current market. Buyers with more savings, higher income, or less dependence on financing may still be able to move forward. Buyers who need the monthly numbers to work are more likely to pause, downsize, or look elsewhere.

Used RVs Are Moving In The Other Direction

The used market shows the other side of the split.

According to RV PRO, which cited Statistical Surveys Inc., new North American RV retail registrations were down 16.87% year over year in April. March was even weaker, with new retail registrations down 21.87%.

Used RV sales moved the opposite way. RV PRO reported that used RV sales were up 5.66% year over year in April. Used travel trailers were up 9.02%, used Class B motorhomes were up 6.29%, and used fifth wheels were up 4.25%.

That does not look like buyers abandoning RVing. It looks more like buyers becoming more selective about how they enter or stay in the lifestyle.

A used camper can reduce the amount financed, lower the initial price, and avoid some of the steepest early depreciation. It can also give shoppers a chance to inspect a unit that has already been used, serviced, and lived in.

Used RVs are not automatically safer purchases. A pre-owned camper can have water damage, roof leaks, worn tires, soft floors, slide problems, neglected maintenance, old sealant, or hidden repairs. A low price can disappear quickly if the buyer misses major issues during inspection.

Still, in a market where new RV payments feel high, a used unit may feel like a more reasonable risk for buyers who still want to camp.

The Middle Of The Market May Be The Weak Spot

The RV industry has pointed to broad economic pressure as the main reason buyers are slowing down. That explanation is supported by the data.

In its RV RoadSigns forecast, RVIA President and CEO Craig Kirby said “economic headwinds and tightening household budgets” are weighing on consumer demand. He also pointed to higher financing costs, uncertainty, and continued inflation pressure as reasons many consumers are delaying discretionary purchases.

Those pressures do not hit every buyer the same way.

A retiree paying cash for a motorhome is in a different position than a family financing a travel trailer. A buyer putting a Park Model at a seasonal site is making a different calculation than someone planning long road trips with a tow vehicle. A shopper choosing a used camper may still want the same lifestyle, but with a smaller payment and less exposure to depreciation.

The middle of the RV market may be under the most pressure.

These are the buyers who want a new camper but have to make the entire ownership cost work month after month. They are looking at the payment, interest rate, insurance, fuel, campground costs, repair risk, and resale value all at once.

For that group, the problem may not be a lack of interest. The problem may be confidence.

Buyer Trust Still Affects The Math

Affordability is the largest issue in the current slowdown, but trust may also be influencing buyer decisions.

RV owners have complained for years about build quality, warranty delays, dealer service problems, and expensive repairs. Those complaints existed before the current market downturn, but they carry more weight when buyers are already being asked to pay more.

Related: RV Sales Are Slumping, But Is The Industry Blaming The Wrong Problem?

When financing is cheaper and buyers feel confident, some shoppers may accept the idea that RV ownership comes with repairs. When the payment is higher, that tolerance can change.

A buyer looking at a new RV today may not only ask whether they can afford it. They may ask whether they trust the product, the dealer, and the warranty process enough to take on the loan.

That concern may help push some shoppers toward used units. A well-maintained camper with a lower price and visible ownership history can feel more comfortable than a new unit with a larger payment, especially for buyers who have heard repeated complaints about warranty work and service delays.

There is also a common belief in RV groups that some pre-COVID campers may be better buys than rigs built during the pandemic sales surge. That claim is hard to prove across the entire industry, and older RVs can have serious problems of their own. Even so, buyer perception can affect demand. If shoppers believe certain older campers carry less risk, that belief can help shape where they spend their money.

The Industry May Need To Win Back The Cautious Buyer

The RV market is not moving as one large block. The latest numbers point to several different markets operating at the same time.

Higher-end buyers are still present. Park Model buyers are still spending. Some motorhome buyers are still moving forward. Used RV buyers are active. At the same time, new towable shipments are falling hard, and cost-conscious shoppers appear more hesitant.

That creates a challenge for manufacturers and dealers. Discounts may help move inventory, and lower interest rates would make payments easier. Cheaper fuel would also help. But if the middle of the market is under pressure, pricing alone may not solve the problem.

Buyers also need to feel that a new RV is worth the cost, the payment, and the risk. That means quality control, dealer service, warranty support, realistic pricing, and a better ownership experience after the sale may matter more than they did during the pandemic boom.

The industry grew rapidly when demand was high and buyers were eager. The current market is different. Buyers have more information, more hesitation, and more ways to compare new units against used alternatives.

RVing Still Has Demand

The strongest part of the current data may be what it does not show.

It does not show that people have lost interest in camping. Used RV growth suggests buyers still want campers. Park Model growth suggests some people still want campground living. Motorhome shipments holding up better than towables suggests some higher-end buyers are still active.

The demand is being filtered through a tougher financial reality.

That could create opportunities for careful shoppers. A slower new-RV market may give buyers more room to negotiate. A stronger used market gives shoppers more ways to compare price, condition, and long-term cost. People who are not in a rush may have more time to inspect units carefully and avoid overpaying.

For the industry, the message is more complicated.

Buyers are not rejecting RVing. Many are rejecting the idea of stretching too far for it.

The RV market is not dying. It is splitting.

One group of buyers can still afford the RV lifestyle they want. Another group still wants to camp, but is looking for a safer, cheaper, or more practical way to do it.

That second group may define the next phase of the RV market.