Just saying what a GM said about trailer sales

[Ken / Claudia]

On a local outdoor sports show the GM of a large RV dealer in Portland was on the show talking about mainly what they sell. Then he was asked what is the biggest seller and why. He said it is a 28 ft TT bunkhouse. Mainly for younger families and towing with 1/2 ton trucks. He further said that the biggest market is in the 26ft and smaller because of the smaller trucks and SUVs are big vehicle sellers. And of course the newer trailers are lighter than before.
They sell only pull type RVs, TTs and 5ers and truck campers. They might have 4 or 5 different brands. Maybe the longest dealer in Portland selling RVs.
I think I see more large 5ers (excluding motorhomes) with older couples traveling on the interstates and highways around here than the smaller RVs and was a little surprised by what he said.

[chuckster57]

Funny because we are selling a boatload of large fivers, being towed by brand new 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

Guess it may depend on geographical location.

[SUnderwood]

our local dealer has a hard time keeping grand design 313 in stock being pulled by new 3/4 tons

[bsmith0404]

When I was transporting, the majority of loads were 24-29' TTs, they made up probably 60% of the loads. Mid size 5ers (under 35') was probably around 20%, smaller TTs and larger 5ers were probably around 10% each.

I'm not surprised as all with what he said. Although the mid size TTs make up the majority of sales, the owners are most likely younger couples with families, both parents working, kids in school and probably use them for 2-5 outings per year and most likely stay closer to home. The larger units are typically owned by older couples, maybe the kids are no longer living at home or no longer go camping with mom and dad. They have more vacation time built up at work or are retired. They travel further from home do to less time constraints so you see them on the roads more often.

[mfifield01]

I had a hard time finding a 26-30' TT with bunkhouse that was used around here. It seems that they are in higher demand. I was looking for something that was 2-4 years old. If I found one I liked, the prices were close to buying new. I ended up getting a good deal on a new one back in September.

[lambda]

We just bought ours and looked for about 3 years, off and on. We were frustrated with the number of very large TTs and those designed for families. We wanted a smaller TT for two people, not a smaller TT for 6 or more. Finally found exactly what we wanted with our 195rb. I live in CA, and most dealers carry the bigger ones and very few of the smaller ones. We drove all over the state to look at TTs that were in our tow range. So, the dealers carry them, but only one or two, so we had difficulty finding what we wanted on the lots.

That was a long reply to say that I agree that geography and demographics play a big role.

[CaptnJohn]

Sounds regional. My dealer sells over 1200 of all types annually. Asked a few months ago that question and was told mid-size 5ers. He said families buy almost as many as retired people.