Unit Sales Continue to Struggle
Unsurprisingly given the weakness in most major economic indicators in recent months, RV unit sales continued their downward growth trajectory through 2015, with total sales off almost 13 percent over 2014 results.
Weakness in RV sales was evenly spread across the country, with no province or region registering positive growth. However, if there is one bright spot, it is Canada’s biggest province and market. Ontario’s sales are only down 3.2 per-cent over 2014’s results, indicating a relative continuation of 2014 demand levels in central Canada and the biggest provincial market in the country. New Brunswick also posted relatively strong sales, off only 3.1 percent over 2014. The rest of the provinces suffered steep double-digit sales reductions last year.
Purchase and Operation Costs Mostly Flat
The always-important purchase and operation price indeces indicators have remained relatively consistent over the last year. Purchase prices of RVs finally got back to 2002 levels for the first time in 13 years in 2015, and grew about six percent over the course of the year, hitting a peak in high-demand mid-summer season. Though prices remain highly affordable in historical terms, the impact of a low Canadian dollar may be beginning to have an impact on prices, which, along with sluggish economic growth, could explain much of the weak sales we saw in 2015.
Operational costs fluctuated in a pretty tight band in 2015, and came down in the second half of the year. This is most likely due to what’s taken place with energy and gasoline prices in the past several months.
RV Technician Bursary
The RVDA of Canada is once again offering a bursary program for qualified RV technicians who have engaged in educational opportunities this past year. The RVDA of Canada will award 21 bursaries valued at $1000 each and 2 bursaries at $2000 each to eligible RV technicians in all Canadian provinces who have enrolled in RV apprenticeship or related education programs recognized by both RVDA of Canada and The Mike Molino RV Learning Center. A selection committee will review all applications that meet the bursary requirements. Application deadline is June 1, 2016.
Canadian Trouble Shooter Clinics
The RVDA of Canada will be hosting the next Canadian Trouble Shooter clinics during the week of October 24th, 2016 in Calgary, Alberta in conjunction with the RVDA of Alberta. We will likely be running three advanced training tracks, regis-tration details should be out shortly.
