Indiana builds and ships more RVs than anywhere else on Earth. If you buy an RV, it most likely was built in Elkhart or one of Indiana’s north central cities. But, fewer are being built and shipped.

“Over 600,000 RVs were built in 2021,” said RV Industry Association spokesperson Monika Geraci, talking to Inside Indiana Business. “That was a nearly 20 percent increase over any previous year.

During the pandemic RV sales surged and Indiana RV businesses, meaning the companies that build them and the companies that supply the builders, thrived.

But, at least one of those companies has shut down and laid off all of its workers. People have less time and less money to take a trip to Yellowstone or Clark Griswold’s for Christmas. Thus, fewer RVs are being built and shipped, and the downturn will affect Indiana business.

Geraci called the decline a “normalization”, since the record years are proving not to be the norm.

“So what we’re looking at right now, our latest forecast shows we’re gonna be just under 500,000,” said Geraci.

That cuts 100,000 RVs. Geraci said the prediction is that organization is forecasting even fewer wholesale shipments next year.