b'EDITORS NOTES By Ben QuiggleRV Industry, FYI, Still in Good ShapeTheres been quite a bit of chatter lately within the RV park and camp-ground sector about the state of the RV industry. Given some of the neg-ative media coverage weve all seen recently regarding the national andworld economy, of course, that should come as no surprise.Indeed, many RV park and campground operators are keeping an eyeon the RV industry right now because, despite the emergence of a glamp-ing trend thats driving interest in other unique accommodations, manypark owners today still rely heavily on conventional RV traffic to fill sitesand maintain their financial equilibrium.So, recent headlines like this one from the Wall Street JournalAnEconomic Warning Sign: RV Shipments Are Slippingarent helpingease owners anxieties, even though state association leaders are tellingWoodalls Campground Managementthat their members had an excellent summer season (read moreon page 26).But the fact of the matter is that RV industry wholesale shipment numbers, though not perfect,dont point to any long-term issues. RV Industry Association (RVIA) officials are quick to point outthat the past couple of years represent some of the best yearly shipment totals on record. As Scott Stropkai, president of Statistical Surveys Inc.(SSI), a repository for RV industry retail mar-ket data, pointed out, however, the real pulse of the industry is determined by retail sales. If consumers are still buying units at historically high levels, which they are, then wholesale ship-ments will follow, he noted.So even though 2019 retail sales were down 9.14% through July and wholesale numbers slipped bymore than 20% due to a glut of field inventories, officials say that 2019 still represents a robust market. So far, this is the third-best year in recorded history for retail sales of RVs, Stropkai said. Lastyear was the second-best year ever, so comparisons this year are versus the strongest markets in his-tory. So, we need to put that in context when looking at this years numbers.As far as wholesale shipments, the industry is expected to finish 2019 at about 401,200 units, off17.1% from 2018, according to Richard Curtin, director of Surveys of Consumersat the University ofMichigan. However, the rate of decline will ease substantially in 2020, he predicts, with RV shipmentsprojected to be down 3.5% at 387,400 units.This forecast comes after the industry topped 504,000 wholesale shipments in 2017, the culmina-tion of an unprecedented growth streak following a recessionary low of 165,000 units in 2009.RVIA Senior Director of Research Bill Baker, for his part, noted that while shipments are off someat the moment, theres no indication that the industry is, in fact, heading into a serious downturn as itdeals with a spate of high field inventories following an extended post-recessionary growth spurt. WCMwww.woodallscm.comOctober2019 Vol. 50No. 10G & M E D I A LLC Publisher: Sherman GoldenbergGROUP Editorial Director: Bruce HampsonContact Information: EditorialSherman Goldenberg, Publisher Rick Kessler, Managing Editorsgoldenberg@g-gmediagroup.com rkessler@g-gmediagroup.comOffice: (574) 457-3370 (734) 777-6830Mobile: (574) 457-6637 Jeff Crider, Senior EditorFax: (574) 457-8295 campinginfosource@gmail.comBen Quiggle, Editor (760) 469-5905bquiggle@g-gmediagroup.com Bob Ashley, Editor at LargeMobile: (574) 306-7781 Writer892@aol.comFax: (574) 266-7984 (765) 675-4106Advertising:Ally Kollat, Account Chris Lang, MarketPlace & Executive, National Ad Sales Campground Investment Salesakollat@g-gmediagroup.com clang@g-gmediagroup.comOffice: (574) 266-7980 Office: (574) 266-7980or (800) 831-1076 ext. 11 or (800) 831-1076 ext. 10Wendy Thorne, AccountExecutive, National Ad Sales Art Direction:wthorne@g-gmediagroup.com Trina Nissley, Art DirectorOffice (574) 266-7980 tnissley@g-gmediagroup.comor (800) 831-1076 ext. 14All general correspondence, circulation and display and classifiedsales inquiries may be directed to the following:Woodalls Campground Management, C/O G&G Media Group LLC, 2901 E. Bristol St., Ste. B, Elkhart, IN 46514Owners, managers or marketing directors of privately held U.S. campgroundsmay receive a free subscription upon request to Woodalls CampgroundManagementone free subscription per campground. Others may purchasesubscriptions at these rates: $24.95 per year U.S. or $35.95 per year inCanada. Contact Chris Lang at Woodalls Campground Management, C/O G&G Media Group LLC, 2901 E. Bristol St., Ste. B, Elkhart, IN 46514.Email: clang@g-gmediagroup.com.Woodalls Campground Management is published monthly by G&G MediaGroup LLC at the above address.2 -October 2019Woodalls Campground Management'