Shane Devenish, President of the Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA), explains the successful results of advocating efforts, working with its industry partners and navigating the economic landscape north of the U.S. border

Words Steve Fennell

Based in Ontario, Canada, and with the support of its three industry partners, Shane Devenish and the CRVA have been successfully addressing and advocating issues within the Canadian RV industry. Taking the reins of the CRVA in 2014, Devenish’s leadership and team’s efforts in the last decade have brought many positive changes for Canadian manufacturers, dealers, and consumers. We spoke to the CRVA president in late May to discuss the association’s past and present accomplishments, the impact the economy has had on the Canadian RV industry, and future goals and initiatives.

Aboutcamp BtoB − The CRVA supports the Canadian RV industry by advocating issues at the provincial and federal government levels, addressing safety compliances, and even hosting one of Canada’s largest RV shows. What else can you tell us about the focus and goals of the Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association?
Shane Devenish − We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with our industry partners, which include the RVDA of Canada, GO RVing Canada and the Canadian Camping and RV Association (CCRVA). The CRVA and representatives from our three partners attend each other’s board meetings with open sessions about eight to ten times a year. During that time, we share concerns and perspectives about certain issues in the Canadian RV industry. We always have a good understanding of what our partners are working on and addressing throughout the year.
Members of the CRVA sit on the GO RVing Canada board and we are involved in their marketing efforts. We also have two seats on the CCRVA board and take part in assisting and supporting campgrounds across Canada. So, one of our goals is always maintaining these relationships.
Another one of our goals is to strengthen the perception of the RV industry to the consumer regarding certain safety mandates. I sit on the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z240 RV Series Technical Committee, the Z241 Park Model Standard and NFPA 1192 committees. At one time, we had wanted to harmonize the respective standards between the Canadian and U.S. RV industries, but achieving that was very difficult, almost impossible. However, we worked hard and over time managed to synchronize the standards, despite any differences that had existed previously between the two codes.

Aboutcamp BtoB − How many members does the CRVA currently have and what additional organizations are involved with the CRVA?
Shane Devenish − Our membership has stayed pretty consistent at around 83 to 88 members over the last 5 to 10 years. Those who belong to the CRVA are also members of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and 50 percent of our members are in the U.S.
The CRVA is a little different because we only charge parent companies for membership dues. For example, large manufacturers like Thor or Winnebago pay for one membership but we include a list of all of their brands as members as well. Luckily, our membership revenue is not what we solely rely on. We also receive support from the RVIA based on Canadian RV shipments. Funds are dispersed through GO RVing Canada to the CRVA and with the RVDA of Canada.

Aboutcamp BtoB − How does the CRVA support innovation and technological advancements in RV manufacturing?
Shane Devenish − We certainly encourage technological advancements from manufacturers and we are very much involved in the safety aspects and compliances along with our good friends at the RVIA in the south. However, when new advancements are made or introduced, the priority is to make sure the consumer is protected.
It would be great to see more “European” advancements come to North America as the RV manufacturers overseas are very innovative. We’re a little conservative in Canada but that seems to be changing with some unique advancements, which we like.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What do you feel are the current trends in the Canadian RV industry?
Shane Devenish − Lithium batteries are becoming much more prevalent and we are seeing a lot of other electric innovations and solar power systems as standard features in new RVs, and we’re excited about what is being introduced.
Like our U.S. counterparts, the RV industry in Canada has been lobbying the government for electrical infrastructure improvements and by extension to our campgrounds. I believe that efforts have been more successful in the U.S. We haven’t seen similar infrastructure improvements here in Canada, but they are extremely necessary with so many rural campgrounds. Many of the outlying properties are unable to expand or upgrade their infrastructure, as the capacity is just not sufficient enough. This causes us a huge problem given the industry desperately needs more campsites.
As far as the business trends are concerned in Canada, the Canadian RV industry recorded the lowest number of RV shipments in its history last year as a result of the economic downturn. There were just a little more than 26,000 units shipped into Canada in 2023. To better gauge this, our highest year was in 2010 when a little more than 61,000 units were shipped here.
Typically, the Canadian RV industry accounts for nine to 11 or 12 percent of the total North American RV shipments as reported by the RVIA. So, with the U.S. forecasting approximately 360,000 units to be shipped this year, it makes sense to anticipate that approximately 36,000 units will be shipped to Canada.
We are hoping the interest rates will start to come down and some of the economic uncertainties that exist today will stabilize in the near future. I believe consumers are also waiting for the right time for bigger purchases. Hopefully, it will be much sooner than later since RVing is extremely popular in Canada.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What other reasons do you think are the cause of the lower RV shipments into Canada?
Shane Devenish − We had a transportation issue at the start of 2023, which was a contributing factor to the lower shipment number. On January 1, 2023, commercial vehicles in Canada, including the RV drive-away/tow-away industry, were required to have an electronic logging device (ELD) attached to the vehicle to monitor hours of service driving. Many independent U.S. commercial drivers didn’t want an ELD on their vehicles, and they avoided coming to Canada altogether.
While it was mandated in January 2023, CRVA and RVDA of Canada had been lobbying Transport Canada since 2021. Although we were successful in obtaining an exemption in October 2023, the impact carried for most of the year. With the exemption, we anticipate that shipments coming into Canada will not be impacted for 2024.
Another reason for the lower shipments into Canada was that in 2022, when we were getting out of COVID-19, the availability of new units from the U.S. seemed to be limited to Canadian dealers. We finally saw shipments in August and September 2022 to Canadian RV retailers but being past the selling season many were carried over to 2023. As a result, many dealers avoided ordering new 2023 units until they sold their older inventory.
I do not envy our Canadian Dealers and I am sure that forecasting their inventory requirements would be a lot easier if the market was more stable, but it’s the condition of the industry right now. However, I feel we are much stronger now than we were last year at this time.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Can you discuss any recent government advocacy by the CRVA on behalf of the RV industry?
Shane Devenish − We are currently working with The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) as motorhome registration is not consistent from province to province, making it confusing for consumers, manufacturers and dealers.
Some provinces use the OEM number, while others use the chassis number to register a motorhome when it’s sold. The problem was exasperated during COVID-19 when there was a backlog of chassis. For instance, the effect would be that the motorhome would be licensed as a 2020 model instead of the OEM VIN number, which may have been a 2022.
In some provinces, consumers get a 2022 Motorhome while in other provinces it may be registered as a 2020. So, to serve our consumers and stakeholders better, we are making efforts to get consistent status across Canada.
We have also joined with the Ontario RV Dealers Association (ORVDA) on a driver licensing issue in Ontario. For instance, if someone is buying a heavy Class A (over 11,000 kg), they need to upgrade their license from a G to a Commercial Vehicle D license. The problem with a commercial D license is that there are stipulations and controls in place for Commercial Vehicles. We have joined the ORVDA to develop a new license category for motorhomes from being a Commercial Vehicle upgrade. This will make it a little easier for high-end class A dealers and also safer for consumers with proper training. Those are just some examples of the most recent issues we are addressing.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Can you provide insights into the overall size and growth of the RV market in Canada?
Shane Devenish − The RVDA of Canada and CRVA completed a statistical report that was based on the Canadian RV industry in 2022 and we introduced it last year. We learned that 14 percent of Canadians own or have access to an RV, there are one million units on the road, and the industry generates $16.2 billion in economic activity.
There is the consumer perception of a lack of camping destinations. Although provinces like Ontario have a lot of seasonal campgrounds, there are not a sufficient number of transient or overnight locations. This is a concern and we have been advocating levels of government to promote and/or facilitate having new campgrounds approved as it’s often a difficult process.
We are also seeing some equity groups buy up some campground properties, but we need to find a way to expand the campground site availability simply because the number of RVs on the road is increasing and our campsite destinations are staying the same or even decreasing.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What are the most significant challenges facing the Canadian RV industry today?
Shane Devenish − Right now, we want to get the RV shipments back to where they were a few years ago. Historically, our shipments have been between 40,000 to 50,000 units. That is an ideal range for us.
We are seeing a lot of innovative products being introduced such as lithium batteries. The key is continuing to work on the safety standards and compliances to keep up with innovation and make sure that RV consumers are aware of the issues.

Aboutcamp BtoB − How has the demand for recreational vehicles changed in recent years?
Shane Devenish − I think everybody is talking about the younger buyer/demographic and the smaller, off-road units have become very popular. While the shipments – and even production numbers – for pop-up campers are not as high as they used to be, Canada still gets a large percentage of the North American shipments, which is good news. Everyone remembers their family entering the RV lifestyle using a pop-up camper first and then trading up afterward.
However, we are also recognizing that consumers are purchasing larger class A models or fifth wheels and people going full-time. It is key, however, to differentiate between RVing full-time and using the RV for an affordable house. Dealers often get asked, “can I buy that $3,000 used trailer to live in for the winter because I can’t afford rent?” As an industry, we are working hard trying to get the message out that we know there is a problem with affordable housing in Canada, but the RV industry is not the solution.

Aboutcamp BtoB − How does the Canadian RV market’s relationship with the U.S. market influence the CRVA’s strategies and operations?
Shane Devenish − We are extremely fortunate to have a very good relationship with the U.S. and the RVIA and RVDA of America. The RVDA of Canada attends the RVDA of America’s board meetings and the CRVA attends the RVs Move America Week, which was held in June of this year in Washington, D.C.
During that time, we will have a Canadian Coalition Committee meeting to exchange ideas to become aware of what’s happening in our respective countries. The CRVA is extremely fortunate to work closely with RVIA and successfully address common or new issues that arise.