When Americans shop for used RVs: searches peak in May and fall to their low in December

The national used-RV shopping calendar

The index compares each month with the average month for the same keywords, so 100 is a typical month and 120 is 20% busier than typical. Search volume measures shopping interest, not sales. It tells you when the most people are looking, which is when you will have the most company on the lot.

Interest climbs from February (88) to March (107), peaks in May (119), and holds above 100 through August. It drops in September (89), recovers briefly in October (98), then falls to the year's low in November and December. The spring and early summer months, March to August, average 112; the three slowest months average 82.

Peak month by state

The map splits along latitude. Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina peak in April, along with Arkansas, West Virginia and California; Arizona and Nevada peak in March. Most of the Midwest and the central and northern East peak in May. The northern tier, from Washington and Montana to the Dakotas, Maine and New York, peaks in June, July or August, when the snow is long gone. Texas, Florida and Hawaii peak in January, which fits a winter travel season that runs opposite to the rest of the country.

Which words people use, and when

"RV for sale" is the most common of the three searches, with 2,902,410 of the 4,539,800, followed by "campers for sale" (1,356,530) and "used rv for sale" (280,860). Their seasons differ. "Campers for sale", which leans toward towables, has the strongest season, peaking at 131 in May and falling to 64 in December. "Used rv for sale" is the only one that peaks in winter, at 114 in January, and it stays at 110 or above through March.

What it means for you: shop when everyone else isn't

If you can wait, the slow months give you more of a dealer's attention. Far fewer people search in November and December, so there is less competition for the same used unit and more time for a careful look. Our search data can't tell you what prices did in those months, so treat the timing as an advantage in attention and choice, not a guaranteed discount.

• Research in winter, be ready before the spring rush. Use December to February to settle on a floor plan and budget, so you can move when the right unit appears in March.
• In a northern state, shop the late fall. In Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, Vermont and Alaska, searches fall to between 46 and 52 in November or December, roughly half an average month. A unit that has sat on the lot since summer is a fair thing to ask about.
• In Texas and Florida, the slow month is September. Both states are busiest from January to spring and quietest in September, the reverse of most of the country.
• Inspect more carefully, not less, in the off-season. A winterized RV can't show you its water system, A/C or slide-outs working. Ask for the unit to be de-winterized and run, or get it in writing that you can return it if a system fails when you do. Our RV Dealer Review Index found defects at delivery are the top complaint in low-star dealer reviews.
• Check the VIN for open recalls using the steps in our RV recall scorecard, and compare coverage in the RV warranty comparison.
• Selling? List before the peak. Searches jump from February to March nationally, so a listing that is live by late February meets the most buyers. Compare offers from dealers that buy RVs and consignment dealers.
• Use the shows. An RV show lets you compare many floor plans in one day. See our 2027 RV show calendar and the used RV dealer list for your area.