b'Forecast: RV Industry Analyst Says Shipments Expected to Stabilize in 2020RV shipments are expected to stabilize in2020, according to a new forecast prepared bylongtime RV industry analyst, Richard Curtin, aprofessor at the University of Michigans SurveyResearch Center.The RV Industry Associations(RVIA) News& Insightsreported that in the spring 2020 issueof the RV RoadSignsnewsletter, Curtin projectstotal RV shipments will range between 420,200and 380,300 units this year, with the most likelyfinal total being 410,100 units. That total wouldrepresent a 1% increase over the 406,100 unitsshipped in 2019.Towable RV shipments are anticipated toreach 366,900 units in 2020, with motorhomeshipments projected to finish at 43,200 units byyear-end.Curtin believes that steadying RV sales willbe due to positive economic indicators, includ-ing job and wage growth, as well as low-interestrates and inflation. The upcoming presidentialelection and potential impact of the coronavirusare uncertainties that will likely impact the mar-ket in the second half of 2020.The projected 2020 year-end total of 410,100units would rank as the third-best annual total onrecord and surpass the 10-year shipment averageof 365,800 units, the 20-year average of 337,400units and the 30-year average of 304,600 units.Analysis in this issue of the RV RoadSignsnewsletter shows that the outlook for RVs is ex-pected to remain stable at relatively high levels,and there is no better time to make discretionaryinvestments to help ensure the future vitality ofthe industry. These investments should focus onprotecting recent ownership gains from a back-slide and creating new ownership incentives thatattract an even larger share of households to pur-chase an RV to enhance their outdoor lifestyle.WOODALLSCM.com April 2020-21'