Top RV News: AUG 28, 2024

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Black Book: Wholesale RV Values Rise as Summer Wanes

Black Book, which publishes a family of vehicle appraisal guides, has released the Black Book RV market commentary for September.

“The average values for Motorhomes and Towables sold at auction rose slightly last month.? Once again, the increase in Motorhomes was driven by an unusually high percentage of expensive Class As crossing the block.? The towable increase is likely due to their average age decreasing slightly.? As more new 2025 models arrive on dealer lots we expect used values to trend downward as we head into Fall,” reported Eric Lawrence, Black Book principal analyst – specialty markets.

“Taking a closer look at the markets, we see that the average selling price for motorized units was $70,356, which is up $1,600 (2.3%) from the previous month.? Towables came in at $19,311, up $254 (1.3%) from last month.? One year ago the average motorhome sold for $65,316 and the average towable unit brought $21,750.”

Auction volume was down: motorhomes decreased 10.2% while towables dropped 10.1%.?

The average age of motorhomes was eight years old (2016) and towables was five (2019).

Menz Joins Executive Leadership Team at Thetford-Norcold

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Thetford LLC, a global leader in RV and marine sanitation solutions, announces the addition of Jordan Menz to the leadership team as Product Strategy Director. The announcement was made during a town hall meeting at the company’s headquarters in Ann Arbor.

In his new role, Menz will drive product innovation and lead new product launches, the release continued. With deep RV industry knowledge and strong connections, he will track industry trends and ensure customer needs shape future product plans. Menz will report directly to Mary Pouliot, executive vice president, Americas. He will be based in Elkhart, Ind., at the heart of the RV industry.

Menz joins Thetford from Dave Carter and Associates, where he served as product development director. During his tenure, he spearheaded the development and launch of products across 12 categories, building sourcing and development partnerships globally. His experience spans both the RV supplier and OEM sectors, having worked with Patrick Industries, Forest River, and Thor Motor Coach.

“Jordan’s expertise in product development and his deep connection to the RV industry make him a perfect fit for this role,” stated Pouliot. “We’re excited to have him bring his passion and strategic vision to Thetford as we continue to innovate and grow.”

National Parks Contributed Record $55.6 Billion to Economy

WASHINGTON?— The Department of the Interior’s National Park Service released a?new report?that finds visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2023 resulted in a record high $55.6 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 415,400 jobs. ?

“The Biden-Harris administration has made historic bipartisan investments to restore and enhance national parks across our nation,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “This report illustrates the significant economic benefits national parks provide to nearby communities and the U.S. economy, and the value of our work to safeguard these public lands in the wake of the climate crisis, upgrade visitor experiences and invest in park infrastructure and staff.”

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.”

The National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. This spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income, and $55.6 in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. Restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.?

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