Wholesale shipments to retailers of all RVs were reported at 22,400 units in the December 2007 survey of manufacturers, off 3.4% from this same month last year. December shipments for all towable RVs were off 4.2% while motorhome totals were even with the same month last year. In all, shipments in calendar 2007 were 9.5% less than a year earlier finishing at 353,400 units.

Although shipments declined for the first time in four years, the 353,400 unit total recorded for all RVs in 2007 was 7% greater than the current 10 year average. Last year, shipments had climbed to 390,500 units, a twenty-eight year high.

Consumer confidence, as measured by the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, posted a small decline in the December survey of consumers finishing the year well below levels recorded one year earlier. The Index of Consumer Sentiment (see page 16) finished 2007 with a 75.5 reading, down from November’s 76.1 and last December’s reading of 91.7. Consumers widely reported negative assessments about their personal financial situation with nearly two-thirds expecting bad economic times ahead.

Retail sales activity weakened substantially in the December survey of manufacturers, remaining well below the same levels posted one year earlier (see pages 14-15). Following wholesale shipment patterns, retail sales of travel trailers, fifth wheel trailers and folding camping trailers all were well below a year earlier level while figures for type A and type C motorhomes remained fairly close to last year’s totals.

Towable RVs

All towable RV shipments were reported at 18,300 units in December of 2007, off 4.2% from the same month last year. Conventional travel trailers were off 200 units, dropping to 11,000 units in December while fifth wheel trailers declined just 100 units finishing at 5,100 units.

For the year as a whole, towable RVs were off 10.9% as each vehicle category finished behind totals of the previous year. Folding camping trailers declined the most, slipping 15.3% to 28,800 units. Conventional travel trailers dropped 11.5% to 180,200 units but remained the third highest yearly total for these vehicles in more than 3 and a half decades. At 298,000 units shipped, all towable RVs represented 84.3% of all RVs this year, down slightly from 2006’s 85.7%.

Motorhomes

All motorhome shipments were reported at 4,100 units in December, the same total as last year. Type A motorhomes were even with December 2006 at 2,700 units while type B motorhomes were reported at 200 units. Type C motorhomes finished the month at 1,200 units, up slightly from last year.

Shipments of all motorhomes for calendar 2007 were off just 0.9% as type A and type B motorhomes gained 200 and 100 units respectively while type C motorhomes lost 800 units. At 52.1% of all type A