CAMPER VANS ON COMEBACK TRAIL
Growing popularity of smaller RVs, rebounding economy fuel hike in sales
Calgary’s RV Expo and Sale in the BMO Centre at Stampede Park is Susan Gitzel’s favourite show.
As dealer principal of Guarantee RV in Calgary, Gitzel has attended hundreds of RV events across North America.
“I’ve seen many RV shows in less-than-ideal facilities,” Gitzel says. “Some of the locations are rather dark and dingy, and they aren’t the most suitable venues to showcase what’s new in the RV world.”
Calgary’s show, however, is another story.
“It’s in a beautiful facility, and we’re very fortunate to have that location,” Gitzel says. “We’ve built a culture out of attending all kinds of trade shows in the BMO Centre during the winter months.”
Calgary’s 49th annual edition of the RV Expo and Sale rolls into the display halls at the BMO Centre from Jan. 25-28. More than 400 RV units, from the lightest tent trailers to the largest Class A motorhomes, will be on the floor together with plenty of display booths offering destination information, services and accessories for camping enthusiasts.
Alberta’s most recent economic downturn did affect the RV industry in this province, but indications are bright for the immediate future.
“There was a (sales) slump in 2015 and 2016, but there was an increase in 2017, and we hope to see that again in 2018,” Gitzel says.
Those numbers are reflected in the show’s attendance figures. Dan Merkowsky, executive vice-president of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) of Alberta, says 24,000 visitors came through the doors in 2016. In 2017, that number was up 14 per cent, to 27,000, a number of visitors almost equal to the record high of 28,000, set in 2014.
“We anticipate even stronger attendance this year,” Merkowsky says.
As for trends in the RV industry, Gitzel says she’s seeing many consumers shifting to smaller motorized RVs. The move is similar to empty nesters downsizing from a large family home to a condominium.
“We’re really seeing a swing toward B- and C-Class motorhomes as opposed to the larger A-Class RVs,” Gitzel says. “And, there’s a huge uptick in (Mercedes-Benz) Sprinter van chassis-based motorhomes.
“They’re extremely popular, and most manufacturers are building a motorhome on a Sprinter chassis.”
To help visualize the size distinction between A-, B- and C-Class RVs, think of an A-Class coach as the size of a city bus.
Confusingly, after an A-Class the next smallest vehicles are C-Class. These are based on a cargo van cab and frame with the coachwork or home portion built on behind and above the cab, with a bunk in that location.
Class B motorhomes are the smallest, and these, too, are based on a cargo van chassis but don’t have the bunk above the cab.
According to Gitzel, B- and C-Class motorhomes have been traditionally built on Ford or Chevrolet cargo van frames. At one time, Dodge platforms were also used, but that changed when Daimler took over Chrysler in the late 1990s.
In 2001, Daimler’s Sprinter van came to North America, making the Dodge product redundant. However, it wasn’t long before RV makers were producing Class B conversions of the Sprinter van itself.
Converted vans were followed by coach-built motorhomes when DaimlerChrysler began offering the Sprinter cab chassis to the RV industry.
“The Sprinter-based products have become very popular,” Gitzel says. “These cab chassis continue to be imported from Germany, but now MercedesBenz is looking to open a factory in North America to satisfy demand for the product.
“Manufacturers are still using Ford and GM frames, but the Sprinter platform is really taking off.”
Gitzel says the MercedesBenz diesel power plant is fuel-efficient and that’s the main reason for its ascendancy in the motorhome market.
“I’ve seen a lot of snowbirds downsize from Class A to Class C and B motorhomes because they’re tired of driving the big coaches,” she says. “They’d rather drive a smaller motorhome down to their property in the U.S. because the units are easier to drive and park.
“A lot of people don’t like to fly, so a Class C or B motorhome gives them their own living quarters and their own washroom. Also, and this is significant to some, they can comfortably travel with their pet.”