Retail sales outpaced shipments, drawing down dealer inventories—especially motorized—while year-to-date totals remain slightly ahead of 2024
Canadians are showing a renewed passion for traveling within their own country.
Burlington, ON – August 21st, 2025 – The Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA) reports that RV wholesale shipments into Canada for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 totaled 7,867 units, a 14.7% decrease from 9,221 units in Q2 2024.
According to Statistical Surveys (via the RVDA of Canada), retail sales reached 13,129 units in the quarter, resulting in a significant drawdown of dealer inventories, particularly in the motorized segment.
Despite the Q2 pullback, year-to-date wholesale shipments as of June 30 stand at 17,852 units, up 3.2% from 17,307 over the same period in 2024.
Order timing effects: Many Canadian RV dealers pulled forward Q1 orders to get ahead of proposed countermeasure tariffs announced by the federal government, boosting first-quarter wholesale activity and setting up a softer Q2.
Counter-tariffs on motorhomes: Canada’s counter-tariffs on motor homes were in place from April through June, weighing more heavily on motorized shipments and deepening the Q2 year-over-year decline in that segment. Those countermeasures have since been lifted, and Canada currently applies no tariffs on RVs imported from the United States.
“The data tells a clear story: Canadian consumers remain engaged, but Q2 was shaped by policy timing rather than demand,” said Shane Devenish, President of CRVA. “Retail outpaced wholesale while dealer inventories liquidated —especially in motorized. The RV Industry needs stable, reciprocal trade conditions to support dealers, manufacturers, and customers as we head into the future.”
CRVA reiterated its long-standing position that tariff-free, reciprocal trade across North America is essential for a healthy RV ecosystem. Current U.S. tariff policies on Canadian-built units continue to create uncertainty and unfair disadvantages for Canadian manufacturers exporting to the United States, while Canada has eliminated tariffs on RVs arriving from the U.S.
“We’re asking both governments to restore balance,” Devenish added. “A level playing field will protect jobs, improve consumer choice, and sustain the tourism and outdoor economies that RVing supports in communities across Canada and the United States.”
RVing supports campgrounds, dealers, service technicians, suppliers, and tourism businesses in every province and territory. With over 2.1 million Canadian households owning an RV, RV travel is also one of the most affordable ways to explore the country—often costing up to 50% less than traditional fly-and-stay vacations.
In an economic impact summary conducted in 2023, the Canadian RV Industry contributes $16.1 billion to Canada's GDP, $7.6Billion in Taxes while employing 141,000 Canadians.
"Canadians are showing a renewed passion for traveling within their own country, with surveys indicating that nearly two-thirds of vacationers plan to stay in Canada, and a growing number are choosing RVs as their preferred way to explore. This surge in domestic RV travel not only underscores the affordability and flexibility of the lifestyle—often costing up to 50% less than traditional vacations—but also highlights the vital role the RV industry plays in supporting tourism, campgrounds, and local economies from coast to coast."
