RV Podcast

7 Reasons Why There Will Soon Be a Glut of Used RVs for Sale

06.30.2021 - By Mike WendlandPlay

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Frustrated that you can't find good used RVs for sale? You know that some manufacturers are reporting two-year backlogs for new RVs. And you know that right now, used RVs are hard to find.

But that is about to change... Big Time!

That's one of many things we talk about in Episode 351 of the RV Podcast, available in both Video and Audio forms.

Click below to watch Episode 351 of our RV Podcast on the YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel.

Or click the player below for the audio version of the RV Podcast, also available on your favorite podcast app:

Where did all the Used RVs for sale go?

You know there is an RV sales boom going on, right?

Well, actually, it's more than that. It's unprecedented in the industry. Depending on what kind of an RV. you are interested in, good RVs in any form - new or used - are hard to find.

Like the housing boom that has sent real estate prices to record levels, some people are buying RVs sight unseen, at full or even above asking price.

I saw an advertisement this week for a low mileage 2121 Class C Leisure Travel Vans (LTV) Unity RV that had been used as a demo model. Last December, it had a list price of $170,000. It is in such demand that the dealer - Howard RV in Wilmington, NC - is taking bids on it, auction-style!

I had to call and check this out.

"We have three salesmen here and they all have received multiple bids," said Steve Hubbard.

I told him betting it will go for near $200,000! "I suspect you will be right," he said.

Used Class C's from LTV have come into his dealership on consignment. "They have all sold $5,000 to $15,000 over asking price," said Hubbard.

Why such a huge demand for Used RVs for sale?

The New RVs went first

In the industry, the rush of new buyers that went RV shopping last year are known as "COVID buyers." Tired of being locked in, restricted from their normal vacation travel and aware of the need to stay socially distant, they started buying up RVs from dealer inventory.

And the rush of COVID buyers came after several excellent years of RV sales.

Then came the supply chain breakdown and parts shortages

Supply Chain troubles

At the time RV orders were pouring in, RV factories had to shut down. Some for as long as a month. The backlog of orders started to pile up.

Soon, the production lines were without parts. Their suppliers had also shut down for COVID. Existing parts inventories were exhausted.

Overseas shipments stalled as huge container ships were unable to offload.

With the exception of travel trailers - easier and faster to build than motorized RVs, delivery dates on new RVs were pushed further and further back.

With New RVs hard to buy, Used RVs for sale were quickly snapped up

Not only did the number of used RVs for sale started to dwindle, but those RV owners who would normally trade in their units for new ones also started to hang on to them longer and longer.

Quickly,

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