RV, marine M&A activity resumes after supply chain disruptions

M&A in the RV and marine industries is slowly picking up following years of supply chain disruptions following the pandemic. RV dealers and marine dealers entered 2026 ready to take advantage of improving supply chains, interest rates and dealership valuations to increase M&A activity, with RV dealers already seeing a stronger market, Jesse Stopnitzky , co-owner of dealership brokerage firm Performance Brokerage Services , told Auto Finance News . “The environment in the RV M&A space is the best that it has been in the last few years,. The marine space is getting better. ... We do anticipate that 2026 is going to be a rebound year for marine M&A activity.” Jesse Stopnitzky, co-owner of dealership brokerage firm Performance Brokerage Services. In fact, two dealers who recently engaged in RV M&A transactions: Delevan, Wis.-based Kunes Auto & RV Group acquired fellow Wisconsin-based dealers Quietwoods RV and Scenic RV on Dec. 16, 2025. Kunes has more than 40 locations across the Midwest. Bish’s RV , which operates more than 20 locations across several states, acquired Calera, Ala.-based Burton Camper Sales on Jan. 8 and merged it with the Bish dealership in the same town. Bish’s RV also officially acquired and rebranded two Adventure Camper Sales stores in Oak Grove Ky. and Murray, Ky., the company announced in December on Facebook and Instagram, respectively. While RV and marine dealerships historically have similar acquisition activity because they share many of the same performance metrics, RV dealers began this year in a better M&A position because they are in a different phase of the buy-sell cycle following pandemic-era supply chain issues, Stopnitzky said. “We don't see the same level of aged [RV] inventory as we did 12 months ago, and the teams have been stabilized, so those groups are back on the hunt,” he said. “The marine industry is still working through aged inventory , so we don't see the same pace of activity in marine as we do RV right now.” 'Opportunities for growth’ While RV M&A activity remains below pre-pandemic levels, larger dealer groups such as Kunes, Bish’s RV, Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Camping World and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Blue Compass RV remain active, Phil Ingrassia , president of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association , told AFN . “We're seeing some of it, but maybe not quite at the pace that it was a couple years ago,” he said, “We expect these companies are looking for opportunities for growth, but they're very prudent about it.” For RV dealers, adding dealership locations adds to their service networks, Stopnitzky said. “In the RV industry, customers are taking their units out on the open road, so as a larger group or regional group, you may want to have additional locations to service your clients as they're commuting,” he said. “It's also part of building — almost like in the trucking space — your network of stores along an interstate or a corridor throughout a particular state or region.” Camping World’s products, service and other revenue landed at $208.6 million for its fiscal third quarter ended Sept. 30, representing its third-largest revenue stream behind new- and used-RV sales, according to the company’s Oct. 28 earnings release. The service business, as well as Camping World’s Good Sam roadside assistance business, represents a bedrock component of the company, President Matt Wagner said during the company’s Oct. 29 earnings call. Auto Finance News will present multiple invaluable events for industry professionals in 2026, starting with Auto Finance Summit East and Auto Finance Capital Summit in May. To see event agendas and register, visit autofinance.live .

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RV, marine M&A activity resumes after supply chain disruptions

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