By Nick Farnell
A clear east-west divide defined the Canadian pre-owned RV market in 2025, with robust growth in British Columbia and Alberta contrasting with a mixed picture in Central Canada. While travel trailers continue to dominate sales volumes nationwide and average prices climb across most segments, dealership managers must navigate different regional realities to optimize their inventory and pricing strategies.
Analysis of year-over-year data reveals that while pricing generally remains firm, unit sales trends are telling a tale of two markets. Western provinces had a better year in 2025, showing strong consumer demand across nearly every major RV category. The scenario in Ontario, Quebec, and Eastern provinces were mixed, with growth in some segments and softness in others.
Towables Tell a Regional Story
As the bedrock of the industry, the Travel Trailer segment remains the key market indicator. Its health underscores the regional split. British Columbia and Alberta are leading the charge, posting substantial increases in units sold. This surge in volume was matched by strong price appreciation, with average prices climbing in B.C. and Alberta.
In contrast, Ontario, while still the country’s largest market by volume with well over 3,000 pre-owned units sold, saw more subdued growth and average prices remaining flat. The Prairie provinces faced headwinds, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan both seeing unit sales decline, though dealers were able to command higher average prices per unit.
The Fifth Wheel market, the second-largest segment, illustrates this regional divide even more starkly. Western Canada once again showed its strength, with B.C. and Alberta both moving more pre-owned units in 2025 than 2024 and increased average prices. The story was different in Central Canada, where Ontario, a major market for fifth wheels, saw unit sales cool. Quebec presented a unique scenario, where unit sales increased, but it was the only major region where the average fifth wheel price actually decreased.
Motorized Market Shifts Toward Smaller Units
In the motorized segment, the data signals a pivot toward smaller, more versatile units. For example, Class B motorhomes saw an increase in volume in Western Canada. While the absolute unit numbers are lower than towables, this trend points to an expanding segment.
Demand for larger Class A motorhomes was inconsistent. British Columbia again proved to be a hot market with increases in both volume and average price. However, sales volumes for these larger units were down in the high-volume markets of Ontario and Quebec, reinforcing the trend toward smaller motorized RVs in Central Canada.
From Macro Trends to Micro Decisions on the Lot
While these high-level trends provide a crucial roadmap, the real challenge for dealers lies in translating this market intelligence into profitable, day-to-day decisions. Knowing that fifth wheel prices are up 9% in Alberta is useful, but accurately valuing a specific trade-in is critical.
This is where granular, model-specific data becomes so important. Analytical platforms like our tools from wtrfll.ca allow dealers to move beyond generalized values and drill down to the specific floorplan level to see real-world sales volumes and current average pricing.
A good example case study is the Grand Design Reflection 303RL, one of the highest-selling pre-owned fifth-wheel models of 2025. Analysis shows that for models five years old or newer, the average selling price this year was $74,888. In 2024, that same model profile sold for an average of just $61,995.
This represents a year-over-year price increase of over 20% for one specific, high-demand floorplan. A dealer relying on outdated data or broad market averages would risk undervaluing a 303RL trade-in by nearly $13,000, potentially losing the deal or leaving significant profit on the table.
As the Canadian pre-owned market continues to evolve with these distinct regional and segment-specific trends, access to precise, real-time data is no longer a luxury—it is the key to making informed inventory and pricing decisions that drive success.
For more detailed insights and weekly updated information on pre-owned RV trends across Canada, please visit wtrfll.ca for interactive dashboards and in-depth analysis by province, RV type, manufacturer, and model year.
Nick Farnell is a professor of business analytics and runs the consulting firm wtrfll, focusing primarily on competitive intelligence and data driven insights. When not in front of a computer, he is spending as much time as possible in one of Ontario’s provincial parks with his young family.
Please vist https://wtrfll.ca/ to see how Nick and his team have helped organizations use data and analytics to better understand their customers and competitors.
