RV Industry Update: What RV Buyers Need to Know Right Now

If you’ve been following the RV industry lately, you’ve probably noticed something, there’s a lot changing at once.

New 2027 RVs are beginning to roll out, manufacturers are preparing another wave of new floorplans, new safety requirements are on the horizon, and changes farther up the supply chain could eventually affect what shoppers pay for a new RV.

Some of these changes are happening behind the scenes. Others could directly affect how you shop, tow, travel, and maintain your RV.

Our favorite RV expert, Josh the RV Nerd, breaks down several of the biggest developments, and more importantly, what they could actually mean for RV owners and shoppers.

So rather than getting caught up in headlines, let’s look at what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and what you should know before buying your next RV!

RV Industry at a Glance

Table of Contents

RV Prices & Supply Costs
New 2027 RVs Are Coming
Why Can’t I Find a New RV That’s Listed Online?
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Are Becoming Mandatory
Could Anti-Lock Brakes Be Next for Towable RVs?
New RV Safety Requirements
National Park Rule Changes
Ford Motorhome Chassis Update
What’s Happening With Winnebago & Grand Design
More RV Service Options Are Coming to Love’s
What It All Means for RV Buyers
FAQs
An RV Industry That’s Still Evolving

Could RV Prices Be Going Up?

Let’s start with something no RV shopper particularly wants to hear. Some of the materials used to build RVs could become more expensive.

Josh discusses a recent trade investigation involving certain imported wood products, including products such as luan and plywood, coming from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. According to the information he reviewed, those imports were determined to have entered the market at unfair prices, potentially leading to additional duties or tariffs.

Why should an RV buyer care about plywood tariffs? Because RV manufacturers use a lot of wood products.

Some wood products sourced from other countries, including Malaysia, may remain unaffected, so this doesn’t necessarily mean every RV is suddenly about to become dramatically more expensive. But it’s something worth watching!

What Does This Mean for RVs Already on Dealer Lots?

Here’s where things get interesting. An RV that’s already sitting on a dealership lot was generally purchased based on costs that existed before a new tariff or material increase took effect.

In theory, existing/ aged inventory should therefore be somewhat insulated from future manufacturing-cost increases.

However, dealerships don’t all price inventory the same way. Some may price based on what the RV cost them. Others may consider what it will cost to replace that RV once it sells.

What We Like

This gives shoppers another reason to compare actual out-the-door prices, rather than assuming an MSRP or advertised discount tells the whole story.

Bottom Line: Material costs may put upward pressure on future RV pricing, but that doesn’t mean you should panic-buy an RV today. Compare prices, understand what you’re paying, and make sure the deal makes sense for you.

Some Supply-Chain News Could Help Offset Costs

Not everything happening on the supply side is bad news.

Josh also discusses the continued suspension of the de minimis rule, which can allow certain lower-value imported goods to enter without the same tariff treatment. He notes that the RV industry relies on this type of importing more than consumers may realize because an RV contains thousands of individual components.

That could help keep some component costs under control. There’s also more competition emerging in the composite-material space. Vixen Composites is expanding its offerings to include products such as:

• Roof panels
• Flooring materials
• Other purpose-built composites

As demand grows for composite materials in RV construction, having additional suppliers could create more competition and potentially help keep material costs in check.

Why This Matters

Consumers rarely see this side of RV manufacturing.

You don’t necessarily know which company supplied the floor substrate or roof panel when you’re standing inside a camper at a dealership.

But changes among suppliers can eventually affect:

• RV construction
• Material choices
• Weight
• Durability
• Manufacturing costs
• Retail prices

Bottom Line: Some of the biggest changes in RV construction happen long before a new camper ever reaches a dealership lot.

Get Ready for Another Wave of New 2027 RVs

If you’ve already seen a flood of new 2027 RV models and floorplans, don’t assume manufacturers are finished.

Major events such as the Hershey RV Show and the RV manufacturer open house are approaching, and manufacturers have continued developing and prototyping new floorplans since the first batch of 2027 models debuted.

That means we’re likely to see another wave of:

• New floorplans
• Updated models
• New features
• Redesigned interiors
• Prototype concepts
• Additional 2027 announcements

And some may show up online before you can actually buy one.

Why Can’t I Find a New RV That’s Listed on a Manufacturer’s Website?

This can be incredibly confusing for shoppers. You visit a manufacturer’s website, you find a new, floorplan, you love it!

Then you search dealer inventory and…nobody has one! That doesn’t necessarily mean the model was discontinued, delayed indefinitely, or sold out.

It might not even physically exist yet.

Josh explains that manufacturers sometimes begin marketing a new floorplan before the first production unit has actually been assembled.

So if you’re shopping for a newly announced 2027 RV and can’t find:

• Dealer inventory
• Walkthrough videos
• Interior photos
• Detailed reviews
• Real-world measurements

…give it a little time.

Should You Wait for the New 2027 RVs?

That depends on what you’re shopping for.

If you’ve already found an RV that checks your boxes at a price you’re comfortable with, there’s no guarantee that waiting for a future floorplan will give you something better.

But if you’re not in a hurry, the next several months could be particularly interesting for RV shoppers.

Bottom Line: Don’t be surprised if a brand-new floorplan appears online before the first unit reaches a dealership. More 2027 RVs are still coming.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Are Becoming Mandatory on Towable RVs

This may be one of the most important developments in Josh’s entire update.

Tire pressure monitoring systems, or TPMS, are set to become mandatory on towable RVs beginning with the 2028 model year.

But eventually, it won’t simply be a feature manufacturers can choose to include.

What Does an RV TPMS Do?

A tire pressure monitoring system can help alert you to changes in your RV tires while you’re traveling.

Depending on the system, that may include:

• Low tire pressure
• High tire pressure
• Increasing tire temperature
• Sudden pressure loss

That doesn’t eliminate the need to inspect your tires before towing, but it adds another layer of information once you’re on the road.

And on a towable RV, that’s important because you can’t feel or hear everything happening behind your truck the same way you might notice a problem with one of the vehicle’s own tires.

Bottom Line: TPMS becoming standard equipment is a meaningful safety improvement, and one Josh argues shouldn’t have been optional in the first place.

Could Anti-Lock Brakes Be Next for Towable RVs?

Josh would like to see the industry go a step further, his next wish? Mandatory anti-lock braking systems, or ABS, on towable RVs.

Passenger vehicles have used ABS technology for decades, yet many towable RVs still rely on comparatively basic braking systems despite potentially weighing thousands of pounds.

ABS could help reduce wheel lockup during hard braking, and it could give manufacturers a better way to track how far an RV has actually traveled.

Could RV Warranties Eventually Be Based on Mileage?

Think about how the warranty on your car works. It’s usually 3 years, or something more like 3 years or 36,000 miles. Your RV is different! Two people could purchase identical travel trailers on the same day, one owner tow 2,000 miles in a year, the other might tow 20,000 miles.

For example, instead of simply seeing, 1-Year Limited Warranty… you could someday see something more like: 1 Year / 6,000 Miles

That could also give shoppers another piece of information when comparing manufacturers.

Is This Happening Yet?

No. Current RV technology isn’t broadly set up to support this type of warranty system, and as Josh states, the industry may not exactly rush to adopt it.

So for now, this is more of a where-the-industry-could-go conversation than an upcoming confirmed change.

National Park Rules Are Changing

If national parks are a big part of how you RV, there’s another change worth knowing about.

The National Park Service has updated how certain powered micromobility devices can be managed within national parks. Think devices such as electric scooters, hoverboards, Segways, and similar non-combustion-powered transportation.

Under the new framework, individual park superintendents have more flexibility to determine where these devices can and can’t be used within their parks.

That means the rules may not look exactly the same everywhere you travel.

One national park might allow a particular device on paved paths or sidewalks, while another could restrict where it can be used.

This particular change doesn’t apply to e-bikes, which are governed separately.

What’s Happening With Ford Motorhome Chassis?

You may have seen some alarming headlines about Ford getting out of the motorhome chassis business.

The reality is more complicated, and considerably less scary for RV shoppers.

The Ford F-53 is one of the most commonly used chassis underneath gas Class A motorhomes. Josh addresses reports suggesting Ford would stop making chassis like the F-53, which understandably raised questions about what that could mean for the future of gas motorhomes.

But the chassis isn’t simply disappearing.

Ford and Blue Bird have entered an agreement under which Blue Bird will design, manufacture, and sell the next generation F-53 and F-59 stripped chassis using Ford powertrains. Blue Bird plans to begin production of the next-generation chassis in early 2028.

Why Does This Matter for RV Buyers?

If you’ve been considering a gas Class A motorhome but heard rumors that the F-53 was disappearing, there’s no reason to suddenly rush into buying an RV out of fear.

Josh makes that point pretty clearly.

If you’re not ready to buy, don’t let a headline pressure you into making a major purchase before it makes sense for you.

There is a transition happening in how the chassis will be produced, but the F-53/F-59 platform is expected to continue into another generation.

Bottom Line: The popular F-53 motorhome platform isn’t simply vanishing. Blue Bird is taking over responsibility for the next generation while continuing to use Ford powertrain technology.

What’s Really Happening With Winnebago & Grand Design?

This is another story where the headline can sound considerably more dramatic than what’s actually happening.

Winnebago Towables production is moving to the Grand Design manufacturing campus in Middlebury, Indiana.

But that does not mean Winnebago Towables is becoming Grand Design.

Winnebago Industries owns Grand Design, so both brands already operate under the same parent company. The change is primarily about consolidating manufacturing operations and making better use of existing facilities.

Winnebago Industries has confirmed that Winnebago Towables and Grand Design will remain distinct businesses with their own:

• Leadership
• Product development
• Sales teams
• Dealer networks
• Product portfolios

No product lines are being discontinued as a result of the move. So, for example, a Winnebago Thrive isn’t suddenly going to become a Grand Design Imagine with different graphics.

They’re still separate RV brands.

Why Make the Move?

It largely comes down to efficiency. Both companies have manufacturing space that isn’t currently operating at full capacity because today’s RV market doesn’t require the production volume it once did. Maintaining separate facilities creates additional operating expenses.

Moving Winnebago’s towable production onto available space at the Grand Design campus allows the parent company to reduce some of those costs while continuing to build the existing Winnebago lineup.

Winnebago Industries describes the move similarly, as a way to align manufacturing capacity with current market demand and better utilize existing resources.

More RV Service Options Are Coming to Love’s

Here’s an industry update that could actually make life on the road a little easier.

Love’s Travel Stops continues expanding RV-related service capabilities at more locations.

Josh points out that this could give RVers another option when something goes wrong during a trip and you need more than fuel, food, or a place to stop.

Depending on the location and available services, that could include help with things such as:

• Tires
• Batteries
• Basic repairs
• RV service needs
• Some bodywork or damage

Love’s has also been opening new RV-focused service locations and retrofitting existing facilities to offer additional services.

Why This Matters

One of the hardest parts of owning an RV can be finding service when you’re away from home.

Your selling dealership might be hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Having more travel-oriented service facilities along major routes could give RVers another resource when something unexpectedly goes wrong.

It doesn’t replace having a good RV dealer or service center at home, but it’s another option worth keeping in mind while traveling.

Bottom Line: As Love’s expands its RV service network, owners could have more options for getting help without completely derailing a road trip.

What Does All of This Mean for RV Buyers?

When you put all of these updates together, the RV industry is clearly changing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s changing for the worse.

Some developments are particularly encouraging.

We’re seeing more attention paid to RV safety, including mandatory tire pressure monitoring systems. More composite suppliers could give manufacturers additional material choices. New 2027 floorplans are coming. RV roadside service options are expanding. And even major manufacturing changes aren’t necessarily the catastrophe some headlines make them sound like.

At the same time, there are legitimate things worth watching.

Material costs could increase. The overall RV market remains challenging. Manufacturers are adjusting production to match demand. And new technology and regulations continue changing how RVs are built and used.

For shoppers, that makes education more important than ever.

Before Buying an RV:

Compare pricing between dealers.

Understand what’s included in the RV you’re considering.

Don’t assume the newest model is automatically the best choice.

Pay attention to safety equipment.

Research the manufacturer and its customer support.

And most importantly, don’t let fear make the buying decision for you.

Like Josh emphasizing that point while discussing the Ford chassis changes, if you’re not ready to buy, don’t rush because someone makes you think your opportunity is disappearing.

A good RV purchase should fit your budget, your tow vehicle, your camping style, and how you actually plan to use it.

An RV Industry That’s Still Evolving

If there’s one takeaway from this month’s RV industry update, it’s that a changing industry doesn’t automatically mean a dying industry.

Manufacturers are adjusting.

Suppliers are changing.

Safety requirements are improving.

New RVs are still being developed.

Companies are consolidating manufacturing where it makes financial sense, while other manufacturers are finding ways to grow even in a difficult market.

And that’s why context matters.

A headline saying Ford is “ending F-53 production” sounds alarming until you learn there’s already a plan for Blue Bird to produce the next generation using Ford powertrains.

A headline saying Winnebago is moving production onto the Grand Design campus might sound like one brand is disappearing until you learn that Winnebago Industries says the two will remain separate brands with distinct products and dealer networks.

That’s also what makes our favorite RV expert, Josh the RV Nerd’s industry updates so valuable, the goal isn’t to convince you that everything in the RV industry is great, or terrible. It’s to give you enough information to make a better decision.

If you’re shopping for an RV right now, there’s no reason to panic because of what’s happening in the industry. Take your time. Compare your options. Ask questions. Pay attention to the details that actually affect how you’ll use the RV.

Because ultimately, the best time to buy isn’t when a headline tells you to. It’s when you’ve found the right RV, at the right price, and you’re confident it’s the right fit for the way you want to camp!