It was officially “The Year of the RV,” and the US RV Industry Association (RVIA) didn’t even need to wait for the year to end to declare it. It was over by October, at which point the 510,608 shipped towable and motor RVs surpassed 2017 numbers for a new record. The year was as much about quality as it was quantity, welcoming in some truly jaw-dropping designs from around the world.
“With this latest report, 2021 officially becomes the year the RV industry built more RVs than ever before – and that is with two months left in the year,” RVIA president and CEO Craig Kirby said after October’s numbers came in.
Total 2021 sales numbers won’t be in until next month, but the US RV industry tacked on a record November to keep things on track to break 600,000 shipments for the year. Numbers from the European Caravan Federation paint a similarly bright picture for the European industry, which as of September had pushed 93 percent of the way to last year’s 235,000 registrations.
The raw numbers are impressive enough to grab headlines around the world, but you have to look a little closer at the year’s new RV products to truly get the whole story, from the most expensive hypercar-carrier motorhome we’ve ever seen, to a Land Rover Defender/Airstream mash-up you have to see to believe.
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