RVs at Sterling Trailer (Photo courtesy Colton McKee)

By Teagan Rasche

RV dealers struggling to get inventory to keep up with demand

May 11, 2021 | 4:34 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – What was once a lot full of RVs, now sits empty.

As more people take up camping during the pandemic, Mark Semrau, owner of Sterling Trailers, says he can’t keep up.

“Normally this time of year I’ll have 120 trailers on my lot and right now we’re sitting at about 10,” Semrau said. “A lot of that is because there’s been such a surge in sales. We sold most of our trailers off from last year.”

Semrau says he only received about 30 per cent of the trailers he ordered last year.

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Across Medicine Hat at ArrKann Trailer & RV, sales manager Doug Bischke has noticed a similar trend.

“The demand has been strong since May of 2020 and this year it’s just as strong and the tough part is keeping stock,” Bischke said.

But Bischke says the biggest problem is getting trailer inventory. He says the pandemic has made it harder to source parts and find delivery drivers.

“Trailers are ready to go but might be missing an air conditioner or they got a load or air conditioners that can’t be shipped,” Bischke said. “The whole world is so interconnected with trade or you have trailers ready to go in Indiana, but you have a shortage of drivers to get them here.”

Fewer trailers on the lot hasn’t stopped people from being picky with their purchase. Semrau has noticed many people are downsizing.

“With gas prices being a little bit higher, I’m finding that people are looking for that lighter trailer to pull down the road,” Semrau said.

Bischke says he’s seeing lots of families and couples looking to buy the bigger trailers.

But the increased demand has come at a cost.

Bischke says manufacturers have increased their prices 3 times this year, forcing him to increase prices. He says fixing the shortage will be solved by time, the vaccine and having the borders reopen.

“You’ll have the freer travel between not only Canada and the US, but the bulk of the world,” Bischke said. “You have ships with not enough people to empty them, it’s just a bottleneck across the oceans, across the world.”