Record year for caravan sales
Demand for imported and homegrown recreational vehicles has never been higherAustralians are snapping up recreational vehicles at unprecedented levels, with a record 40,000-plus camper trailers, caravans and motorhomes entering the Australian market in 2021.
According to data from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, a total of 23,931 recreational vehicles were manufactured in Australia in 2021 - a 42% increase from 2020 (+7089 units) and a 11.5% increase from 2019 (+2466 units).
"This is the largest volume of production recorded since 1979, when the impact of Cyclone Tracy increased demand for portable housing," the Caravan Industry Association of Australia's General Manager Research and Insights, Peter Clay said.
The amount of RVs imported into the country over the past 12-18 months has also never been higher.
"A record 18,917 units were imported into Australia in 2021, a 79% increase on 2020 and 82% increase from 2019," Clay said.
"This represents $307.3 million of freight arriving in the country, a 97% increase from the previous year."
The rise in RV imports has been boosted by a number of new brands entering the market, from budget brands to more top-end, all-electric offerings, while some well-known Australian brands have been re-invented as fresh Chinese models.
"Combining local production with caravan trailer imports... over 42,000 units have gone into the Australian market in 2021," he said.
"This makes it the most productive year of local manufacturing and imports recorded in the history of RV trade in Australia."
Huge demand for recreational vehicles combined with significant disruptions to local manufacturing and overseas supply chains, has also caused lengthy delays for RV deliveries, with order books for some homegrown models now stretching out to 24 months.
At the 2022 Victorian Caravan Supershow, instead of the usual price reductions and 'show specials' some exhibitors were appealing to impatient buyers by promising speedier delivery of some models before Christmas -- still a wait time of around nine months.
Australia currently has around 820,000 registered caravans and RVs, according to the Association - an increase of around 70,000 over the past 18-24 months.
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