RV industry steers through post-pandemic US slump

July 25, 2023

The U.S. economy may ultimately skirt a recession, but it’s felt like one for months at Jon Ferrando’s 103 RV dealerships.

Retail sales of recreational vehicles are on track to be the lowest since 2015, said Ferrando, CEO and president of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Blue Compass RV, which operates in 33 U.S. states. There’s “definitely a recession in RVs,” he said.

Blame the coronavirus pandemic. Few industries better illustrate the wild shift in U.S. spending habits that occurred during the health crisis. REUTERS