RV News April 2022 by ⌘ ⇧ ⌥

RV News The Voice of the RV Industry

April 2022

Leading the Industry +

Digging in to Type A Motorhome Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Rev Recreation Group President’s Plan for Excellence . . . . . . 18

How RV Country is Winning the West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Learn to Increase Camping Accessory Profits . . . . . . . . . . 46

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Contents VOL 46, ISSUE 4 | APRIL 2022

38 DEALER PROFILE

DEALER PROFILE

38 Climbing High

A dealership based in the West has found that slow and steady growth is a recipe for success.

8 TYPE A MOTORHOMES

INSIDE

8 Type A Retail Slump

Only one RV category saw retail registrations fall each of the last two years: Type A motorhomes.

18 Rev Group Raising the Bar

Rev Recreation Group President Mike Lanciotti spent the first year in his new role looking to improve the RV manufacturer’s operations.

18 RV MANUFACTURER

28 A Stable Future: Q&A with Jeff Rutherford

Jeff Rutherford led the industry in various ways in 2021. The Airxcel CEO navigated the supplier through new ownership while beginning a second term as RVIA chairman.

28 2

JEFF RUTHERFORD Q&A

RV News | March 2022

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Departments

RV News The Voice of the RV Industry 685 S. Arthur Ave., Unit 6 Louisville, Colorado 80027 (720) 353-4003 rvnews.com PUBLISHER

Dana Nelsen dana@rvnews.com (720) 353-4003 Ext. 7889 EDITOR IN CHIEF

Chris Freeman

chris@rvnews.com (720) 353-4003 Ext. 1064 ASSISTANT EDITOR

Beth Stone-Ehrhardt beth@rvnews.com (720) 353-4003 Ext. 1066

62 THE BEST OF

46 CAMPING ACCESSORIES

DIGITAL EDITOR news@rvnews.com (720) 353-4003 Ext. 1065

46 Selling Camping Accessories

Suppliers provide insights to dealers looking to improve their camping accessory sales and participate in the $14 billion segment.

ART DIRECTOR

Jim Nissen

adproduction@rvnews.com (720) 353-4003 Ext. 1063

62 The Best Of: Camping Accessories

The best products from the industry’s aftermarket camping accessory suppliers are highlighted here.

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS

Dana Nelsen

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Shawn Moran, Ron Wheeler, Alyssa Whitmore

UPCOMING TBO CATEGORIES:

MAY Jacks, Lifts, Leveling & Ride Control JUNE Power Solutions & Management JULY Made in the USA Products

IN EVERY ISSUE

ADVICE

Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . 8 Advertiser Index . . . . . . . . . . . .72

RV News The Voice of the RV Industry

April 2022

Leading the Industry + 4

..........8 Digging in to Type A Motorhome Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Rev Recreation Group President’s Plan for Excellence

. . . . . . . . . 38 How RV Country is Winning the West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Learn to Increase Camping Accessory Profits .

RV News | April 2022

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F&I Pros: Alike but Different . . . . 56 Why Dealers Struggle with Analytics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Four Key Phone Handling Tips to Drive Leads and Convert Prospects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

ON THE COVER

Subscription requests, address changes should be sent to dana@rvnews.com. Send letters to the editor and feedback on the publication or website to chris@rvnews.com.

RV News magazine ISSN 0193-2888 is a trademark and copyright of DRN Media Inc., 685 S. Arthur Ave., Unit 6, Louisville, Colorado 80027. www.rvnews.com 2022 DRN Media Inc. All printed rights are reserved. RV News magazine is published monthly by DRN Media Inc. 685 S. Arthur Ave., Unit 6, Louisville, Colorado 80027 (720) 353-4003. ©

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to DRN Media Inc. 685 S. Arthur Ave., Unit 6, Louisville, Colorado 80027. Any and all items submitted to RV News magazine become the sole property of DRN Media Inc. Submitted items and any and all content within RV News magazine or on its website cannot be reproduced, republished or reprinted unless written consent from the publisher is given. Advertisers and/or their agencies assume all liability jointly and severally for advertisements that appear in the printed and online editions of RV News magazine. Editorial content, including columnists and opinion articles do not necessarily represent perspectives or opinions of RV News magazine, DRN Media Inc., or its staff, owners or principles.

Jeff Rutherford has spent six years as Airxcel’s CEO and is in his second year as RVIA chairman. RV News is published by DRN Media Inc.

rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:17 PM

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Letter > FROM THE EDITOR

Spend Time Learning from the Best

ucceeding in any business requires a willingness to listen and learn. A penchant for seeking out the best companies and leaders in the industry to learn from doesn’t hurt. When I was 27, I took my second professional job. I was going to be managing people for the first time in my career. Among the first steps my new employer took was sending me to a management skills training course. There, I learned the nuts and bolts of being a manager, things which I inherently picked up from my first boss but did not know how to put into words, action and organization. The training course leader was a top expert in the field. He had a decorated business career before spending a decade passing along lessons to new managers like me. In the past month, I had the opportunity to watch and learn from two of the RV industry’s leading companies: NTP-Stag and RV Retailer. Take a Chance

The NTP-Stag Expo certainly was a bigger event than the first show I attended last year. The organization and care devoted to every aspect were evident. From the educational seminars and featured presentations to the revamped Power Hour sales on the exhibit floor, thoughtful agenda decisions provided attendees with a successful and entertaining experience. More than just the show was revealed, however. NTP-Stag officials detailed the distributor’s efforts to fulfi ll orders and keep the industry moving. Among the biggest lessons: 6

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When the situation appears to be difficult, lean in and do more rather than cautiously pulling back. NTP-Stag President Bill Rogers said the distributor realized suppliers were facing challenges securing materials to meet orders. Yet rather than cut back on orders, the company leaned in to order more, providing suppliers the security needed to push capacity as far as possible. As a result, NTP-Stag secured more and more products at the end of 2021, putting the company in a strong position to fulfi ll dealers’ Expo orders. The decision is not the one every company would make but NTP-Stag determined it would be the right call. Share Your Plan

Shortly after, I got the opportunity to see RV Retailer’s Leadership Summit. The one-day event brought more than 150 general managers and executives together for a day of meetings with company leaders. RV Retailer’s team learned about results and successes from 2021 as well as goals and expectations for 2022. The event included numerous executives who were not with the company just one year ago. That happens when your dealer chain more than doubles in size within one year. Growing that quickly can bring challenges and risks. Yet RV Retailer’s decision to get leaders together and be on the same page will likely mitigate those risks. Ryan Eagen, general manager of the ExploreUSA Supercenter in Beaumont, Texas, put it best. “We will work together for a common goal for the company,” he said.

Chris Freeman

The company now owns 94 stores in 29 states. Lessons to Implement

The takeaways from the past month appeared obvious. When you are faced with challenges, trust your team and trust your business. Lean in and take calculated risks when you have confidence that your team will execute the plan. When your business finds itself in growth mode, even super-charged growth, do not ignore the smaller details that make the overall goal possible. Talk with team leaders, then empower them to carry out the plan. So many times, we might want to keep information close to the vest and only let certain people in on the grand plan. True leadership, however, trusts the team to execute when they have all the information necessary. It certainly helps, too, to hire the right team trustworthy to carry out your business plan. When you are faced with decisions in your business, look to experts and the industry’s cream of the crop. Study how they achieved their success and determine how you can best bring those lessons to your team. Your success will be our industry’s success. Thanks for reading,

Chris Freeman Chris Freeman Editor in Chief

rvnews.com

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Trends > TYPE A MOTORHOMES

Type A Retail Slump Type A motorhomes are the only RV category with retail registrations falling during the past two years. Motorhome manufacturing moguls say chassis and generator constraints have kept them from building the motorhomes. By RV News Staff

2021 Type A Manufacturers

Type A Motorhome North American Retail Registrations

By Market Share 1 Thor Motor Coach 2 Newmar 3 Tiffin 4 Forest River 5 Fleetwood RV Other

20% 15% 15% 10% 9% 31%

20%

Down 9.64%

15% 31%

15%

2020

10% 9%

2021 Top 5 Type A Brands

GAS

DIESEL

By Market Share

1 2 3 4 5

Source: Statistical Surveys Inc.

RV News | March 2022

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15,501

Source: Statistical Surveys Inc.

17,154

2021

Forest River FR3 Forest River Georgetown Thor Motor Coach Ace Entegra Coach Vision Jayco Precept

Newmar Dutch Star Tiffin Phaeton Tiffin Allegro Bus Fleetwood RV Discovery Tiffin Allegro rvnews.com

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Newmar motorhomes ranked second in all Type A sales in 2021 behind Thor Motor Coach.

ccording to Statistical Surveys Inc. (SSI), the total RV retail market grew by more than 8% in 2021, reaching record levels. Nearly every RV segment surpassed 2020 wholesale shipments and retail sales. Three RV segments were the exception. Tent camper trailer, Type A motorhome and Type C motorhome categories flatlined or sank in 2021. Type A motorhomes are unique in that they have seen retail registrations fall during each of the past two years. Registrations decreased 9% in 2020 and 9.6% in 2021. While consumer demand for motorhomes mirrors requests for other RV types, the industry’s ability to build them does not. With the increased number of SKUs required to build motorhomes and a dependence on a limited number of chassis manufacturers, supply chain issues crippled most motorhome manufacturers’ ability to meet consumer demand. “We are still at about 50% capacity of what we can build and build well out of this plant,” Forest River General rvnews.com

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Manager Chris McDonough said. “It is frustrating not being able to build more.” Global semiconductor chip shortages forced chassis manufacturers such as Ford into extended shutdowns throughout the past 24 months. After manufacturing 2.7 million vehicles in 2019, Ford fell to 2.1 million in 2020 and 2 million in 2021.

The biggest single component controlling volume are generators. They have been really problematic for us.” – John Sammut

Ford is the largest Type A gas chassis supplier. The top four bestselling Type A motorhomes in 2021 were gas models, according to SSI. “I think what we have seen with sales has more to do with the availability of product and dealer inventory,” said Jon Krider, Thor Motor Coach vice president of product

development/marketing. “If dealers had more product to sell, they probably would have sold more. I think the numbers probably would have been more of a flat line compared to the year before.” McDonough echoed the notion, saying dealers have had inadequate inventory for two years despite motorhome manufacturers’ frantic efforts. “I think the numbers are really incomplete the last two years because production has been so limited,” he said, “and there is just not a lot of inventory in the field.” Krider said dealers’ speedy inventory turn–times are nearly unfathomable. Dealers reported shorter motorhome time–on–lot as consumers snap up anything available. “This chip shortage has really impacted Ford’s ability, Freightliners’ ability and everybody else’s ability to produce the chassis in the numbers that the industry would like to see,” he said. Chassis are not the only original equipment slowing Type A manufacturers. John Sammut, Newmar’s vice president of sales and marketing, said April 2022 | RV News

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Trends > TYPE A MOTORHOMES

Newmar’s Dutch Star was 2021’s top-selling diesel Type A motorhome. chassis shortages were only one challenge when building Newmar’s luxury motorhome lines. “The biggest single component controlling volume are generators,” he said. “They have been really problematic for us. It is no one particular component or supplier, though. It seems to change from week to week and month to month. It has been a challenge the last 24 months, and it is still a challenge to this day.”

2021 Top Diesel Brand

Newmar made the bestselling 2021 diesel Type A motorhome—the Dutch Star. The manufacturer boasts the second–highest Type A retail market share total at 15.2% in 2021, according to SSI. Newmar’s 2021 Dutch Star success began with, according to many consumers, its industry–leading quality and design. Incorporating quality differentiated the motorhome with discerning

Dutch Star interiors are created by Kim Moore, Newmar’s interior design manager, and her team. 10

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consumers and subsequently buoyed the company’s dealer relationships in challenging times. Sammut said one of his company’s greatest priorities was supporting dealers as they worked with consumers in 2021. “We developed a team of people and processes that our dealers will tell you is among the very best in terms of supporting them and being very successful in services, parts, warranty and really being the hero for the customer,” he said. Feature additions such as slide–out rooms with solid–surface flooring and bathroom cathedral ceilings resonated with consumers, Sammut said. He singled out Kim Moore and Newmar’s design team for creating fresh and appealing interior décors. “Overall, the value proposition with the content and features in the product for the price is there,” he said. “ We made strides in innovation, design and floorplan development.” Sammut also credited the manufacturer’s elite dealer body, citing how Newmar’s dealer list transformed over the past decade. Dealer attrition followed the Great Recession. Of the company’s 75 current dealer partners, Sammut estimated 80% were not Newmar dealers before 2010. “We have to earn our way onto the dealer lot and to the top of each salesperson’s list. We rely on our dealer partners for success. Having the No. 1 rvnews.com

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Newm

WHERE TO NEXT? REVEALING LIVE APRIL 28

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Trends > TYPE A MOTORHOMES

Forest River’s FR3 was 2021’s top-selling Type A motorhome in all classes with a 4.23% market share.

diesel motorhome takes a quality dealer network,” he said. “We have had a couple of dealer additions recently, but we have done so very carefully, given the challenges we have had to resupply our current dealers. We have some open markets we could still fill.” Newmar’s product refinement has continued over the past 12 months. Developers encountered other original equipment challenges, such as an interior décor fabric potentially out of stock for an entire model year, but Newmar’s team navigated those obstacles, resulting in its top position, Sammut said. “Pricing has been very tough,” he said. “It has impacted the price of the product during the 2022 model year. It definitely is a factor of pricing the next model year’s product.” Manufacturing capacity is still shy of Newmar’s full potential, he said, but is unrelated to labor shortages. Sammut said Newmar can quickly respond and acquire the needed human resources to boost capacity once supply–chain constraints improve. “We are pleased and very humbled by the success. That did not happen by accident,” he said. “Customers and 12

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dealers voted with their dollars. We had to earn that. It is one thing to achieve the No. 1 spot, but it is quite another to maintain it. We are looking forward to that challenge.”

The success and gains in market share are attributable to product planning and the work we have put in over the last several years.” – John Sammut

Top–Selling Gas Type A Brands

Forest River made one diesel Type A model in 2021, the Berkshire, and added another, the Charleston, in 2022. On the gas Type A side, the manufacturer offers the FR3 and Georgetown. SSI reported FR3 and Georgetown as 2021’s two bestselling Type A gas brands. FR3 led all brand retail registrations with a 4.2% market share. McDonough said offering only two gas Type A brands has always been strategic.

“We have always felt that was the right thing to do for our dealer partners, helping them not have to compete against the same product with a different in many ways sticker on the other side of the highway,” he said. “Only having two brands really helped us focus. In times like this, while everyone is certainly searching for more inventory, it allows us to take better care of the dealers we do business with.” Product Manager Michael Hums said the manufacturer’s sales reps who were traveling less during the past two years now walk through every finished motorhome before it ships. The staff gives each vehicle a green light before it leaves. The staff’s walk–through findings go to the plant manager to aid continuous future improvement. Hums said another factor boosting the two brands’ dominant positions was using Forest River’s dealer check-in sheets and comparing the dealer’s list of items with the sales staff’s walk–through review. “We see what we are missing to make us better,” Hums said. “That helps all the way around. It helps the dealer make those motorhomes ready rvnews.com

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faster, which helps the product turn faster. The end user has a better experience. We have seen very favorable results from those efforts.” McDonough said reviewing finished products has led to fewer 2021 warranty claims. “When those occasions arise when a customer needs some support, we stand behind the product, and we get our customers taken care of,” he said. “You create customers for life, so customer retention is very important to us, both as a division and as a company.” In 2021, Forest River’s new product development shifted as orders outpaced manufacturing. McDonough and Hums asked engineers to transition from creating new floorplans and features to focusing on enhancing how current models are made. Engineers were asked to make the RVs more production-friendly, easier to operate for the end-user and to look for ways to News Ad March.pdf 1 2/10/22 maximizeRVmanufacturing efficiencies.

“We didn’t make a lot of aesthetic changes, virtually none, over the past year,” McDonough said. “Not because we were lazy, but because we were dealing with suppliers who we felt comfortable with getting us enough material. We wanted to try and mitigate, as much as possible, the possibility of running into new roadblocks or shortages by switching vendors or changing things.” FR3 and Georgetown motorhomes are built in the same plant and run down the same production line. When possible, Forest River uses similar parts/materials for both coaches based on which suppliers can keep the manufacturer well–stocked. The downside, McDonough said, was balancing efficiency on two different products and manufacturing lines while also creating two distinct units. “How do we manage the construction of two products that are very 3:50 PM different in many ways in a way as

similar as possible, without losing the individuality of the products?” he said. “We want to take advantage of the efficiencies, as well as the supply chain of available parts/materials, to maximize our exposure to those vendors able to supply us.”

We are still at about 50% capacity of what we can build and build well out of this plant. It is frustrating not being able to build more.” – Chris McDonough

As generator constraints emerged in 2021, McDonough said a Forest River–exclusive deal with Yamaha helped FR3 and Georgetown avoid those challenges others may have faced.

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Trends > TYPE A MOTORHOMES

Forest River’s Georgetown ranked second in Type A motorhome sales in 2021. “Generators are not one of the things that have ever stopped my production line from moving,” he said, “but I do not think that is the case with some of our competitors.” Looking to 2022, McDonough said inflation is a concern. He said costs rose substantially during the previous 18 months. They are likely to continue rising through 2022. “To some degree, we will introduce some things at model change this year,”

he said. “Some of those things we had ‘in the bank.’ We know these introductions will not cause an interruption on the production side of things, but you cannot stand pat forever. “Are we going to release everything we have banked at model change? Probably not. Are there some changes we will make? Yes.” Forest River worked to help dealers prepare for an unconventional 2022. McDonough and Hums said sales reps

Forest River’s Georgetown 36D7 motorhome includes a bath and a half layout and four theater seats. 14

RV News | April 2022

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took wholesale shipping projections to dealers to discuss realistic delivery expectations. Dealers, even those who did not like the reduced realistic projections, appreciated Forest River’s transparency, McDonough said. As an example, McDonough cited how a dealer who ordered a large number of RVs in September hoping to see half of those vehicles might have unrealistic expectations based on current challenges. Realistically, the dealer might receive 35% of those orders. “If we deliver him seven RVs when he thought based on the orders he placed he was going to get 17, we are doing him a disservice,” McDonough said. “We have been very transparent with the dealer body in terms of expectations. We always put the caveat out there that the number could change up or down slightly, based on market conditions… ‘This is what you should plan on for the calendar year 2022.’ Dealers really appreciate that.” Hums said the sales team returned from dealer inventory planning meetings citing positive conversations. “So many dealers last year kept piling on orders. They had the rvnews.com

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NE W

TRAVEL TRAILER

assumption that the more they planned for, the more they would get,” Hums said. “We try to be upfront by telling them this is how many we are going to build, no matter how old the order is. An order that is two years old, most of the time, is not a good order.” McDonough added, “Being that we, at the Forest River level, are not a publicly traded company, holding onto a bloated backlog provides no benefit. In reality, it only further clouds the already murky environment in terms of expectations for both our dealers and us internally. If we did not project an order to be built this calendar year... it no longer exists.” Success Through Volume

Thor Motor Coach was the leading 2021 Type A manufacturer by volume, according to SSI. The company boasts a 19.9% 2021 market share as of Dec. 31, 2021. Thor Motor Coach topped the market share list despite having just one brand ranked among the top 10. Its gas–powered A.C.E. unit placed third overall on the top–10 brands list. Krider attributed the manufacturer’s product breadth as a factor in Thor Motor Coach’s overall motorhome sales volume. Thor Motor Coach offered four diesel and seven gas Type A models in 2021. “We have multiple product lines. We go from a 26–foot Class A that is very manageable to drive and attracts a lot of people intimidated by the Class As, all the way up to a 45–foot diesel pusher,” he said. “So, there are seven or eight lines of Class As that build upon each other. You might start off at your least expensive, smallest vehicle and move on to the next line, where you have a little different feature set.” Model variety also helps Thor Motor Coach offer product diversity to its dealers, he said. Dealers might not carry every product line because the manufacturer places vehicles in markets lacking competitive models from other manufacturers. “Not every rear end fits in every seat,” Krider said. “Especially as we look at younger audiences, smaller vehicles rvnews.com

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Trends > TYPE A MOTORHOMES

The A.C.E. was Thor Motor Coach’s top-selling Type A motorhome in 2021, according to Statistical Surveys Inc. are very attractive. However, they need all the storage and love how big the Class A is. You have lots of options when it comes to Thor Motor Coach. With some other manufacturers, you might have limited capacity. We are helping dealers by broadening the overall RV network and bringing new consumers into the market with something that does not look exactly the same as the Class A did 20 years ago.” Vehicle evolution includes Thor’s efforts in its top–selling A.C.E., Krider said. The motorhome was released more than a decade ago to fill the gap bridging Type C and Type A motorhomes. “It was always going to be functional, and it was always going to be pet– friendly,” Krider said of A.C.E. “The A.C.E. was one of the first Class As that had the overhead bunk space. If you look at the market today, every single person in the segment offers an overhead bunk. The A.C.E. started that because it was a feature people liked in Class Cs.” Floorplans expanded over time. A.C.E. started with one or two floorplans less than 30 feet long. Today five floorplans are available, from 28 feet, 10 inches long up to 34 feet, 8 inches long. “Every year we have tried to evolve the product to keep it relevant in the 16

RV News | April 2022

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market,” Krider said. “The A.C.E. has always connected with consumers. We have always said this is the motorhome that takes you from potentially being a Class C–only buyer to being a Class A buyer.”

I think one of the biggest things we tried to manage through this is how we first satisfy dealers’ stocking expectations, and then how we satisfy retail consumers.” – Jon Krider

Thor Motor Coach’s product offerings evolved in 2021. Despite manufacturing challenges, Krider said a dedicated product development and marketing team instituted 2021 tech advances such as dashboard radios with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Other evolutions include improved seat belt capacity to enhance safety and additional storage. “Maybe getting a raw component, if you want to change from component A to component B, that can be difficult.

But improving the product based on consumer feedback can be easily done,” he said. Krider said enhancements might include reconfiguring a dinette, making a bed 3 inches deeper to accommodate three children rather than two, or benefits stemming from increasing the slide out length by 10 inches. “Those are things that are more internally controllable,” he said. “Those are the things we really want to focus on.” To meet demand, the motorhome manufacturer added space to multiple manufacturing facilities during the past 12 to 18 months. Krider also said Thor Motor Coach has increased on-site employee training and has enhanced its hiring and onboarding practices. Improving the operations’ Lean manufacturing processes has been an ongoing mission intended to positively impact market share results, he added. “I think one of the biggest things we tried to manage through this is how we first satisfy dealers’ stocking expectations, and then how we satisfy retail consumers,” he said. “We try to balance getting a dealer a stock piece versus getting a dealer a retail piece. There was consideration you had to take, as far as where we could actually supply inventory.” rvnews.com

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Feature > RV MANUFACTURER

Rev Group Raising the Bar During Mike Lanciotti’s first year as president of Rev Recreation Group, the longtime Renegade RV executive instituted divisional shared best practices and operational excellence standards. By RV News Staff

ev Group’s recreation division had been without a president for four years. That changed in 2021, when Mike Lanciotti was promoted to oversee all six company brands. Lanciotti said he has spent the last year working to improve efficiencies and capitalizing on each facility’s best practices by sharing them companywide. Before his promotion, Lanciotti led Renegade RV for 13 years. When Rev Group acquired Renegade in 2017, he began calling into monthly management meetings alongside other divisional leaders. On the call, attendees discussed aspects of their divisions. Lanciotti said that initial knowledge gave him the bare–bones foundation he is now building upon to lead the company. He said relying merely on his Renegade RV experience, which provided basic Rev Group divisional knowledge, was insufficient to oversee the RV conglomerate—he needed a holistic perspective to succeed in growing the company. Lanciotti envisioned a future that more effectively united the different divisions to share best practices and use each

RV News | April 2022

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division’s unique talents companywide. Through better communication and collaboration, he believed the company would reach a new pinnacle.

I am pretty picky on who I bring in and how I fill spots when they become open. It is not just the best person. It has to be the best person that fits the people they are going to manage and lead.” – Mike Lanciotti

understanding each division’s leadership, employees and manufacturing floors required talking with staff and immersing himself in each plant. “I am pretty picky on who I bring in and how I fill spots when they become open,” he said. “It is not just the best person. It has to be the best person that fits the people they are going to manage and lead.” After personally exploring and experiencing the various divisions, Lanciotti contemplated how to maximize RV manufacturing. He calculated what the company needed to improve efficiencies for the group as a whole. His goal was not to clone a single culture companywide through each plant, he said. Instead, he wanted to encourage divisional leadership to work within and capitalize on the strengths of each culture. Philosophy

Lanciotti said he first wanted to understand each manufacturing plant’s unique culture. Understanding the cultures would entail more than simply listening in on monthly operations calls while at Renegade RV. Deeply

Lanciotti next focused on building more RVs. He identified potential plant efficiency gains. “Looking at product categories, looking at geographies, targeting investments for the group was rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:17 PM

(L to R) Jason Bird, Rev Recreation Group director of operations; Mike Lanciotti, president; and Rich Brown, director of operations; walk through Rev Group’s Decatur, Indiana, plant.

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April 2022 | RV News

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Feature > RV MANUFACTURER

(L to R) Don Gephart, marketing manager; Mike Brinker, senior human resources manager; Lanciotti and Mandy Weimerskirch, controller; discuss operations at the manufacturer’s monthly operations meeting.

Lanciotti was president and co-owner of Renegade RV from 2008 until the company was bought by Rev Group in 2017. 20

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important to me,” Lanciotti said. “That means asking, ‘Where could we best implement this innovation?’ ‘Where can we increase capacity without a lot of capital expenditures?’ Those are things we can do for the group first.” To leverage untapped potential, Lanciotti enlisted outside consulting talent to teach Operational Excellence concepts to his co–workers and employees. Operational Excellence is a philosophy used to enhance workplace culture and improve overall manufacturing performance. The concept is not merely a set of activities but is instead a business philosophy fueled by procedure. Those procedures include Lean manufacturing principles, Six Sigma tools/techniques and Kaizen, a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement.” Operational Excellence driven manufacturing strives to produce more products at faster rates and lower costs. Rev Group began implementing Operational Excellence with a value creation model: making something of value (RVs) to receive something more valuable (orders/money). rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:17 PM

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Feature > RV MANUFACTURER Lanciotti said Rev Group’s new value creation model focuses on managing the supply chain, purchasing, building quality products, and enhancing design and subsequently manufacturing. To provide improvements in those areas, outside consultants taught Rev Group staff a host of lessons encompassing Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma processes, process capabilities, quality, materials, management, logistics and product platforming to use common OE materials/parts when developing new models and floorplans. Improving Efficiency

Employees who successfully completed the training goals were recognized with awards, designated by different belt levels. Group leaders who achieved training program goals received a bronze belt designation.

Mid–management received green belt designations. Company leaders who mastered the content achieved black belt designations.

Right now, demand isn’t unlimited, but it is pretty high. We are monitoring stations and making changes in a very professional, Operational Excellence driven way.” – Mike Lanciotti

An ongoing secondary focus has been to add experienced employees. Rev Group is now enlisting value analysis and value engineering (VAVE) engineers to further improve 2022 operations.

“We are bringing qualified people in there,” Lanciotti said. “More than anything, it makes you look at the business just a little different than they ever did.” A New Takt

As individual and team skills advance, manufacturing efficiency improves. Value stream mapping is a Lean manufacturing tool now in use across Rev Group divisions. Using a flowchart, the manufacturer documents each step in the manufacturing process to help leaders identify waste and implement improvements. Rev Group began by scrutinizing its manufacturing lines’ takt times. Takt, a German word meaning “beat” or “pulse,” was used in the 1930s to determine German airplane construction times. In the 1950s, Toyota adopted the term to define automobile manufacturing times. Rev Group now applies takt to RV manufacturing.

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Takt time is the rate a manufacturer needs to create products to meet demand. On a manufacturing line, each stage has a cycle time—the time needed to complete a single aspect of the manufacturing process. Rev Group defines takt time as the total time required to build an RV relative to the time needed to meet existing customer demand. For example, when a manufacturing line requires an eight–hour day to manufacture four RVs, each RV would then have a two–hour takt time. “Say your takt time is an hour for simplicity,” Lanciotti said. “Maybe some stations take an hour and 10 minutes, another one requires 40 minutes. You have to rebalance the workload so you can achieve what you need.” The goal, Lanciotti said, is to continually rebalance each station. Those stations taking longer periods to complete their respective tasks would have their workloads reduced,

the number of station employees increased, or other efficiencies implemented to lower the station’s cycle time. Stations completing tasks faster than others might take on more work or have workers reassigned to slower stations. By lowering each station’s cycle time, the overall takt time falls. “The takt time is driven by demand,” he said. “Right now, demand isn’t unlimited, but it is pretty high. We are monitoring stations and making changes in a very professional, Operational Excellence driven way.” As Rev Group works to improve takt times, divisional leadership has incorporated recent OE products/ innovations into the vehicles. Lanciotti said adding new items or changing the product being built increases station cycle and takt times. He said integrating innovated products and features is vital to creating new floorplans that result in leading–edge RVs.

Trailers Expanding East

Operational Excellence identified a specific area where Rev Group could see significant improvement— Lance Camper travel trailers. Lanciotti contemplated how Lance’s travel trailers were priced to absorb the added freight and manufacturing costs of building travel trailers in California despite significant consumer demand further east. By expanding travel trailer production to Decatur, Indiana, Lance Camper could reduce fixed costs and subsequently lower pricing to be competitive. In February, Rev Group announced it was expanding Lance Camper travel trailer manufacturing from California to Decatur. Lance Camper’s strong Midwest, East Coast and Southeast sales dictated the decision. The vehicles will be constructed in a repurposed former Fleetwood RV facility. The move eliminates having to buy OE materials/parts from suppliers in

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Feature > RV MANUFACTURER

(L to R) Kevin Scudder, associate; Justin Carnahan, associate; Lanciotti and Bird review a dishwasher Carnahan is preparing to install. Elkhart, Indiana, ship them to California for construction, and then transport the finished RVs back east to dealerships. “You are shipping a lot of air on a truck when you go from California all the way to those destinations,” Lanciotti said. The switch will enable Lance Camper to adopt towable manufacturing plant best practices. “I think expanding in Decatur creates a little bit of a best practice between the two companies,” he said. Lanciotti praised each division’s success and said over time each plant has proven its worth. He said adding Operational Excellence processes in Indiana and California will improve each division. “I could see where Operational Excellence is adding a lot of value,” he said. “I am still a believer that if you produce the finest product, meaning the finest workmanship, keep on–time with deliveries and you are a leader in innovation, the customers and dealers are going to support you.” Lance Camper’s truck camper manufacturing will continue at the California facility because much of the consumer truck camper demand comes from the Western U.S. 24

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Cool Running

Lanciotti said although chassis shortages hampered manufacturing lines in 2021, he is confident about current chassis and chip availability. However, returning to maximum manufacturing levels will continue to be a work in progress.

We can say, ‘What does Fleetwood use? Can Renegade match it?’ Our As and our Cs more closely resemble components they could share and use. We take a look, and we try and help each other.” – Mike Lanciotti

“We are starting to build and ramp it back up, and it seems like we have the chassis available,” he said. “Once you tear something down, getting that cadence back together, getting the supply chain back together, getting your trained people back together—because

you probably moved them to somewhere else in the plant—is hard. It’s not like you can just flip the switch.” Lanciotti said although OE material/ part supplies have been uncertain, Rev Group’s divisions have been nimble. Plants change daily or weekly to accommodate available OE materials. The company has been successful at accommodating shortages by using similar OE part SKUs on different models. “We can say, ‘What does Fleetwood use? Can Renegade match it?’ Our As and our Cs more closely resemble components they could share and use,” Lanciotti said. “We take a look, and we try and help each other.” Items that fit all models, such as generators, are shuffled between various plants as needed. Lanciotti said if one plant has a six–week supply of a common part, and another plant has only a week’s worth on hand, the manufacturer shares parts until a plant can restock its sister division. “We are doing a lot of that as a group now, which helps,” he said. “That is a lot of what I do. I travel around; I get to sit in these meetings. The supply chain continues to be a big important meeting. I look to see who has a little bit more of something than somebody else.” rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:18 PM

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Feature > RV MANUFACTURER

(L to R) Bird, Lanciotti and Brown discuss potential facility changes as they walk the chassis yard.

Future Focus

The manufacturing climate remains tough, Lanciotti said, but consumer demand is driving orders. He said dealer inventory will improve. When demand slows, he said he thinks dealers will be able to sufficiently restock their lots. In the short term, Lanciotti said he is pushing each division to grow. Moving Lance manufacturing to Decatur is one way to do so, as are the ongoing Operational Excellence improvements. “Growing the businesses the way they sit today, without a lot of capital expenditures and with the same personnel, is pretty important,” he said. Rev Group also wants to increase market share by expanding the number of Rev Group divisions on their collective dealer body’s lots. “Renegade maybe never appeared where a Fleetwood is, and now they are around each other a little bit more at the same dealers,” he said. “Maybe somebody has more action with La 26

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Mesa or General RV or someone else. What could we do to have another brand on that lot, too? As these dealers continue to consolidate and grow, we find there is now a lot of cross–pollination.”

Growing the businesses the way they sit today, without a lot of capital expenditures and with the same personnel, is pretty important.” – Mike Lanciotti

Lanciotti said employee appreciation has been and will continue to be another of his primary focuses. “Sometimes it is important things: suggestion boxes, attendance awards and lunches, safety awards,” he said.

“Respect them for their expertise, because they are doing things that most of the leadership cannot do themselves. Then you have to make sure you celebrate career milestones.” Numerous Rev Group division employees are at or near longevity milestones, such as 40 years of service. Lanciotti said acknowledging employees’ commitment to invest entire careers with the manufacturer is vital. “I really do want to be an employer of choice, because everybody is fighting for talent right now,” he said. “You want them to say that Rev is a great place to work.” As for his personal goals, Lanciotti said he still gains satisfaction seeing the people and companies he works with improve. “I know the different things I am sharing and talking about from a 20,000–foot mark gives them the chance to come up with the ideas and solve it,” he said. “I just love seeing the management of these companies grow and expand.” rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:18 PM

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Feature > JEFF RUTHERFORD Q&A

Rutherford has nearly 35 years of experience in the RV and auto industries. 28

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A Stable Future: Q&A with Jeff Rutherford Airxcel President and CEO Jeff Rutherford spent 2021 at the RV industry’s forefront. Rutherford completed his first year as RVIA chairman and was re-elected to the post in the fall. He led one of the industry’s largest suppliers through supply-chain challenges in a record year for wholesale shipments. In September, Airxcel was sold to Thor Industries. By RV News Staff | Photos by Jamie Chihuan Photography

hrough shutdowns and slowdowns, shifting capacity and extended work hours, Jeff Rutherford has worked to ensure Airxcel’s operations met customer and overall industry demand. As 2022 began, Airxcel’s new ownership, Thor Industries, brought stability to the company, Rutherford said, empowering it to tackle business in unprecedented ways. He added that the ability to plan and execute differently will allow Airxcel to expand capacity, add technology and pursue acquisitions. Meanwhile, as RVIA chair, Rutherford said the return of RVs Move America Week and a new initiative to support emerging industry leaders will be among his and RVIA’s 2022’s highlights.

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How has Airxcel changed since the Thor Industries acquisition? The biggest thing under our current ownership structure, when you think about the difference between being part of a private equity business and a public company, is the view of investment. The time frame for return on that investment is entirely different for the two structures. Things that were not possible to consider because of the timing we may have had in a private equity cycle are now things very much on the table for us. That could be new product development, new technologies, new equipment or new facilities. It has really opened an opportunity to be a much more forward-looking business as it relates to innovation, product, technology, product expertise

and manufacturing. That is probably the single largest change. In a private equity world, businesses typically sell in three to five years. When you first go through that transaction, you get your wheels underneath you, and then it takes a year to pay down some of the debt. Now you are one-third of the way through your cycle. If you have a project that takes 18 or 24 months to materialize, by then, in many cases, the private equity company is already in the sale process. So, the private equity window is much shorter: How can you get returns in six, nine, or 12 months? Now, we can look at two- to three-year returns. A construction project, for example, might take you 18 months just to get a permit and build…maybe April 2022 | RV News

3/28/22 5:18 PM

Feature > JEFF RUTHERFORD Q&A

(L to R) Mark Brodie, Airxcel director of digital marketing; Selma Salihagic, Aqua-Hot general manager; Rutherford; and Piar Adams, Airxcel vice president of marketing, international and aftermarket sales; meet at Aqua-Hot’s Longmont, Colorado, headquarters.

Production Technician Michael Deane.

(L to R) Adams and Rutherford review Aqua-Hot’s manufacturing facility.

Warehouse Manager Darren Slater.

Aqua-Hot’s 450D heating system for diesel motorhomes includes a 1.5 gallon-per-minute tankless water heater and a 65,000 BTU interior heat exchanger. 30

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even two years. Some kinds of capital equipment have longer lead times and take 12-14 months to have specialty equipment built. All those are now open to us that were not necessarily open to us previously. They were available; they were just hard to justify and make sense. We now have ownership stability. I tell people on our team this is the first time in 30 years of existence that Airxcel is not for sale. That is a real change. There is a certain calmness that exists today. Thor is ultimately a holding company. The way we view it is Thor owns the paper of the business. The focus, the priority, the execution of our goals and objectives, it is on us. Has Airxcel changed anything regarding product delivery to non-Thor-owned customers? Th ings have not changed. One of our core pillars is to be a committed partner to our customers. Th at commitment applies to all of our customers—the people who want to do business with us, as well as our employees and our suppliers. Our expectations of supporting those customers will continue to be exactly the same as we have done during our last 30 years of doing business. If you are our customer, we are going to give you the same support. When we went into and came out of the Covid shutdown, customers wanted products beyond our capacity. We allocated the appropriate capacity to customers based on the partner relationships we had with them before the shutdown. There was a lot of pressure from a lot of different people to put a thumb on the capacity scale in their favor. That is not how our business operates. We stayed true to our commitment and partnerships, and we treated all of our customers fairly. As our capacity increased, we proportionately increased volume to our customers. We intend to continue doing that in the same fair way going forward. Each one of Thor’s business units operates independently. Airxcel must earn its place as a supplier with every

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Feature > JEFF RUTHERFORD Q&A Thor business, just like we have to earn our place with any non-Thor business entity. Earning our place at those companies is based on our service quality, product performance, price… the same criteria for everyone, just as it has in the past. What kinds of business investments will you make, and have you made? Over the past six months, we made several significant equipment capital investments to improve capacity and product throughput. We do have intentions of facility expansion, again to further increase capacity and our product offerings. Our vision of Airxcel being a supplier to the entire industry is really no different today than it was before. Those things that made us successful and grow in the past were product innovation, new product development and strategic acquisitions. We intend to continue to do all three of these. We just have more resources to do them with today than what we had available to us before. Projected customer demand is usually the first way we prioritize investments. That could be a combination of OEM and/or aftermarket demand and our current capacity utilization. How are we doing with what we have today? Ultimately, our investment strategy is based on our view of what the future looks like relative to product-type demands. Is there a technology shift or something coming into play that might cause us to consider doing things differently? It may be something related to electric vehicles or the more recent focus on boondocking. Does that create different product demand types that may require an investment in facilities or equipment?

Rutherford was promoted to CEO at Airxcel in 2016.

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How is your supply chain holding up in present market conditions? There are two sides to this. The first is the industry just got done announcing 600,000 shipments last year. That could not be done if suppliers were unable to figure out how to manage rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:18 PM

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Feature > JEFF RUTHERFORD Q&A the supply chain. It is incredible when you look at this industry that not only Airxcel but many suppliers figured out how to overcome those hurdles in very challenging environments. Airxcel’s growth last year significantly surpassed the industry’s growth. Not only did we have to deal with the industry growth of 20%, but we also dealt with our growth on top of that in an environment where obtaining parts was a challenge. For example, some of our gas appliances use specialty-type steel. Those types of steel were just not available anywhere else in the world. Having to try and qualify and replace those materials with a different type of material that could still meet all the safety and performance criteria was a significant challenge. Quite honestly, we are still dealing with it. The good news for us is we manufacture our own products. So, we are buying components and assembling them domestically. Back in 2018, when President Trump first imposed tariffs on products coming from China, it really forced us to look for multiple component sources in order to deal with the cost consequences of the tariffs. Because we had multiple sources for each of the components we buy, we had a lot more alternatives in the supply chain. I think we had a little different situation than people who were just importing strictly from China, because we have more alternatives and more options available. Having said that, it was not easy. What challenges has RVIA faced since you became chairman in 2020? By the time my chairmanship began, a lot of work was already underway, and it was really just trying to adapt to the environment or make tweaks to what existed at that time. But the heavy lifting was done prior to me taking the spot. The industry association’s purpose is to promote the health and growth of the RV industry. The association has had to look at all these new 34

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first-time buyer entrants coming into the marketplace. …What can we do to improve repair event cycle time? What can we do to help identify, create and/or provide more qualified technicians? What can we do to help identify some of the challenges in finding repair parts? One supplier may sell the same product to six different customers under six different part numbers. How does a dealer find access to this complex information, and how do they resolve those kinds of things? Those are things that the industry can help push. One of the other challenges is today’s buyers are more demanding than buyers we had 25 years ago, even 10 years ago. So, what can the industry do to be a better provider? RVIA created a lot of tutorials about how to be a good camper, how to use your product, how to be a good neighbor at a campsite and what basic protocols are. What advocacy gains have you accomplished, and what would you like to do? The big one that occurred prior to my chairmanship was the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. Subsequent to the act’s passage was allocating a lot of funding to the outdoor environment geared toward recreation. To the extent that we could influence how some of that funding was allocated, whether it be for campground renovations, roads infrastructure, anything to do with access to these lands, was all part of the post passage of the act. I also spoke to different association members about the federal unemployment subsidy and the impact it had on attracting workers back into the workforce. In many states where RV manufacturers and suppliers are located, there was a lot of conversation about the subsidy not being very good for employers, because we have plenty of jobs, but we couldn’t get workers. Association members couldn’t get workers because the government was paying them not to work. When those subsidies began going away, the ability

for suppliers and manufacturers to attract workers back into the workforce increased dramatically. RVIA was a voice letting state and federal government leaders know jobs were available, but the subsidies were having a negative impact on business. We also have the traditional advocacy events…everybody going to Capitol Hill. We were unable to do it last year or the year prior, but we are planning on restarting that this year. The Supply Chain Taskforce working with RVIA was able to get information to advocacy representatives to take up to the Hill. We were able to convey what members were seeing regarding ports, containers and supply-chain concerns overall. How important is a united industry voice on supply-chain issues? It is not only having a unified voice, but it is having actual data and facts. The great thing about our congressional representatives is they respond very well when presented with data and facts. It is very difficult for them to truly have an appreciative impact on something if you are talking in generalizations. I think that part of the task force was absolutely well worth it. How has RVIA’s role with non-manufacturing partners evolved? If you think about the membership within RVIA, it is manufacturers, suppliers and a bunch of associate members. I have always been a strong proponent of RVIA as a membership association. It is for the members. And RVIA, in general, under Craig Kirby’s leadership took a really strong emphasis toward serving the members first. RVIA was not always a member-first association. Under Craig’s leadership, the emphasis they start every conversation with is, “How does this help our members?” I do not think there is any different view, whether that be a supplier member, manufacturer member. It truly is all members. rvnews.com

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Feature > JEFF RUTHERFORD Q&A

Rutherford began serving as RVIA chairman in fall 2020. He was re-elected as chairman in 2021.

What role, if any, should RVIA play in increasing diversity and inclusion? There is a lot of talk these days about diversity inclusion. People often think about diversity only as racial or gender inclusion, but diversity could be from people coming from different geographical areas. You have economic diversity, physically abled body diversity, as well as racial and gender diversity. We do not want to push any specific social agenda. What we want to do is…to help people understand the different kinds of diversity and how through that understanding diversity can help influence the industry, your business, our lifestyle. When it comes to inclusion, I think the industry itself has done a great job. RVIA has done a great job of trying to make groups who previously did not feel welcome in certain types of outdoor recreation become more engaged. Understanding what some of those limitations or restrictions or barriers are that would make people feel like they are not included makes it easier to fix. 36

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We are talking about having an open and welcoming industry and environment. This is partly driven by a lot of these new buyers, who are coming from different kinds of groups to be included in camping in ways that they had not been before. Whether it is the industry reacting or the industry driving it, it all seems to have come together now. What has been the highlight of your chairmanship? I will look back and be excited about two things when the chairmanship is over. One is the progress RVTI has made. Technician training and education is something I have been involved with for nearly 20 years. I am proud of the progress RVTI is making and its ability to recruit and bring people into the industry. Th is progress has been a long time coming for our industry and was desperately needed. The other thing I will look back on is the new Emerging Leaders initiative. How do we embrace some of the younger folks who are identified as up-and-comers? How do we get them

involved in what is happening in their business and the industry? We want to use this new initiative as a platform to help mentor and enhance their skills and knowledge. That is pretty exciting. In March we had our first Emerging Leaders Conference in Palm Desert, California. The emerging leaders did all the work to make this conference happen. They brought in guest speakers. We encouraged attendee networking at the event. We also invited attendees to attend and participate in the RVIA board meeting. During the board meeting, we had an open roundtable forum where we discussed global/industry events as they relate to the RV industry. We encouraged and received feedback from the emerging leader attendees’ perspectives. As the conference wrapped up, I feel like we have a good idea of who our industry’s future leaders may be. Seeing the conference take place and what I believe will be very positive results as time continues is certainly a highlight for me. rvnews.com

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Feature > DEALER PROFILE

(L to R) RV Country’s three co-owners are Curt Curtis, Charlie Power and Dale Cantrell.

RV News | April 2022

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rvnews.com

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Climbing High RV Country—a large multi-location RV dealer group in the western U.S.—demonstrates how a methodical approach to growth ensures consistent output and sustainable corporate culture. For this 60-year-strong dealership, slow and steady wins the race. By RV News Staff | Photos by Top Hand Media

hile climbers may aspire to reach a mountain’s summit, many credit the journey as being more meaningful than the destination. At RV Country, a steadily expanding RV dealership based in Fresno, California, company leaders share a similar attitude toward growth. They point to timely preparation, a common bond among personnel and collective perseverance as essential to their well-paced ascent. Success is not achieved while standing still, noted Charlie Power, RV Country co-owner and chief operating officer. As the industry evolves, he said embracing change by planning and investing in core people, processes and infrastructure is imperative. As a result, RV Country is now among the largest dealership groups in the western U.S. The company employs about 400 personnel across 11 locations in five states, including a standalone service facility in Washington, and a part-time seasonal store in Show Low, Arizona. Most recently, the company acquired U-Neek RV in Kelso, Washington. The new location celebrated its grand opening in March to coincide with RV Country’s 60th anniversary. rvnews.com

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Curt Curtis, co-owner and president, said RV Country is preparing to expand in target markets. He admits the rate is mindfully slower paced to maintain a disciplined growth pattern with consistency across all locations and sustainable corporate culture as the business scales up.

We’re doing what the previous owner, Paul Evert, did for us— mentoring the next generation.” – Dale Cantrell

When RV Country approaches a new business venture, Curtis said the dealership does so with a long-term commitment in mind. He stressed company partners carefully seek out the right fit—one that preserves the company’s storied history, foundational values and sound business practices. “We’re not in business to grow an arsenal of dealerships to just build up

and sell out. Rather, we’re heavily investing in the company culture and training the right people to, one day, come in behind us (partners) and eventually take over the reins,” said Dale Cantrell, RV Country co-owner and CFO. “In that sense, we’re doing what the previous owner, Paul Evert, did for us—mentoring the next generation.” Prepping for Progress

RV Country, now co-owned and operated by Curtis, Power and Cantrell, was formerly known as Paul Evert’s RV, aptly named after its founder, Paul Evert. What began as a small, used sports car business in the early ’60s eventually grew into a multilocation RV dealership. Evert decided to cut expansion efforts during the Great Recession and focus on the Fresno, California, store. However, in June 2010, the company reentered a growth phase, opening a second site in Coburg, Oregon, and averaging one new store per year thereafter. “Paul was a very strong businessman and really had his hands on every detail and aspect of the company. He was never satisfied with the status quo and always April 2022 | RV News

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Feature > DEALER PROFILE

(L to R) Receptionists Abby Jackson and Avaiia Caudillo.

Joe Hamilton, collision specialist, repaints a motorhome.

Consumers ask sales rep Scott Atchison the time it takes to cool the refrigerator during travel.

Camping coordinator Sammie Peters Jr. schedules the pickup time for a consumer to pick up their new RV. 40

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Parts advisor Rick Jenkins.

Service advisor Ashley Keener. rvnews.com

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pushed us to do better,” said Curtis, who joined Evert in 1987. “I think that mindset really stuck with us (as new owners) and remains a driving force behind the company.” While acknowledging Evert’s savvy business acumen, Curtis said his former boss could be apprehensive about physical expansion. The expectation was to show results quickly or move on promptly, he said. By comparison, he feels the current team approaches growth as a long game, requiring patience and tactical precision. “We’re not hasty in our decision– making, but once we commit, we stick with it and make the business venture successful,” Curtis said, noting how key players from across the company rotate through a new location for months to ensure stability. Occasionally, a new location requires more time than expected to acclimate, he said, but partners do not move on to a new large-scale venture until the current one is “completely dialed in.” The owners agree a less aggressive growth strategy grants them more time to be hands-on. Whether RV Country acquires an existing business, tackles a new construction project or expands a current store, the partners like to be involved in the detailed moving parts. These tasks include site visits, business forecasts, employee onboarding and process improvements. Personability in business dealings is critical, Cantrell said. “When you get too big or get too big, too quickly, you risk losing some of that,” he said, “and we feel the connectivity is integral in making sure to maintain the culture.” Curtis said the partners go to great lengths to ensure directors and middle management foster RV Country’s values from top-down within the company to interactions with vendors and customers. He noted the company motto, PRICE, an acronym that translates to: Promises kept, Respect the individual, Integrity first, Creativity as foundational to problem solving and Education. “It all starts with getting to know the people we work with every day on rvnews.com

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a more personal level,” Curtis said, noting how others feel part of the family when company leaders are vested in the person, not just the employee or transaction taking place. “It should be so much more than just walking in the front door every day and having a job, and that’s what we look to create from day one.” Build vs. Buy

Both acquisitions and new constructions undergo a strategic planning process. Cantrell said the company considers many factors before acting: from location, size and future expansion capabilities to local demographics, nearby traffic patterns and revenue potential.

We’re not hasty in our decision-making, but once we commit, we stick with it and make the business venture successful.” – Curt Curtis

Company leaders agree a five-acre lot is typically the minimum requirement, as the space can comfortably display roughly 200 RVs. Power said sometimes geographic location will dictate the size, in which case, RV Country remains flexible. “Ultimately, the size of the market you buy into will determine your potential,” he said. “A location with 2 to 3 million people could yield between $50 million and $80 million in revenue. Of course, it is subjective to the condition of the market.” Curtis said the executive team will slice and dice statistical surveys and target area RV registrations when shopping for a new business opportunity, but he also credits “a good gut” in determining the right location. “Sometimes you just know,” he said. When considering an acquisition, Curtis said RV Country is not interested in “some big conglomerate.”

Ideally, he believes a medium-sized store with around $30 million in revenue is a better fit, stating RV Country can operate within a comfortable expense structure and better manage the internal corporate culture to its desired benchmark. “Not to mention, you lose a lot of personality with big stores, and maintaining that local feel is very important to us,” Curtis added. He said the company in question must have good bones, the right product mix and be receptive to RV Country’s corporate culture. For the deal to ripen, however, he said company partners look for potential. “We’re not interested in a business currently running on all cylinders. A more viable option for us is a business that checks a lot of boxes but is currently underperforming in a few key areas that we can positively impact,” he said. For example, Power said a dealership may be missing the mark in used RV sales or not fully leveraging its finance department. “The numbers don’t lie,” Cantrell said. “We can tell right away if there’s an area in need of improvement at any store, because we know that projection is attainable since we’re doing it at other places.” Cantrell also stressed how expansion must make sense operationally and financially. “We looked at a deal a year ago in a market we were really interested in but, as part of the agreement, they wanted us to assume their dealerships in outlying areas,” he said. “In the end, what they wanted wasn’t in our wheelhouse and didn’t fit our plans, so we declined to move forward.” Staying West

Though some factors are dynamic and subject to flex from deal to deal, such as lot size or staff headcount, others are more fixed—like geography. “Our team doesn’t really have the appetite to extend our reach across the U.S. That’s not our M.O.,” Curtis said, pointing to untapped opportunity in underserviced markets across their April 2022 | RV News

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Feature > DEALER PROFILE five target states, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Power said “a slow and steady” growth pattern laser focused on the western U.S. enables RV Country to not only manage daily responsibilities easier but also stay within its current operational framework. Though company leaders always take “a seriously hard look” at all business opportunities, he admitted expansion eastward would cramp the current logistics structure.

When we do control a region with certain brands and products, it does help us better manage profit margins and focus on being a regional leader who prioritizes service.” – Charlie Power

Sales rep John Adams describes the benefits of RV Country’s participation in the Priority RV Network with a consumer.

Adams shows a consumer Taxa Outdoors’ Mantis habitat. The 19-foot trailer weighs less than 3,000 pounds dry and sleeps four. 42

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On a more granular level, Cantrell said choosing a strategic location within the company’s preferred western boundaries also offers some protection in uncertain economic times. He added that considering an acquisition or new build halfway between existing store A and B, for example, could result in the nearest competitor being 150-200 miles away. Power said a western location is also ideal from an operations standpoint. RV Country leadership prefers to keep the same RV brands across all locations. Ensuring strong OEM partnerships at each dealership creates internal efficiencies and synergy when sharing inventory, he explained. Otherwise, the company would need to continually place new units on order. “It’s not about eliminating the competition, but, on the internet, all dealers across the U.S. look the same size, right?” Power said. “So, when we do control a region with certain rvnews.com

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brands and products, it does help us better manage profit margins and focus on being a regional leader who prioritizes service.” Curtis noted macroeconomics in combination with record-breaking growth in the RV industry could shift how the company expands and at what rate in the future. “Right now, growth as we define it is a little more challenging,” Curtis said. “On one hand, there are so many opportunities because people want to sell coming off their two best years, and why wouldn’t they? But we have to be really cautious because these last two years may be an abnormality. Since we’re in it for the long haul, those purchases may not be in the cards for us because, while we’re willing to pay, we don’t want to overpay.” Curtis said if building out a new location from scratch is more economical than an acquisition given current market conditions, then the company will pursue such a route. Power noted new construction is a business strategy the co-owners are highly familiar with, considering six of its locations are a startup in one way, shape or form.

Rod Ploechelman, a certified master technician, is responsible for teaching service tech classes.

Details Matter

Once an acquisition or new build is complete, the owners, key middle management, sales and parts/service directors collaborate with staff at the new location to ensure a smooth and timely transition. The partners agreed many fine details determine the success or failure of a launch. With a lengthy checklist in hand, the team embarks on transforming an empty shell or an existing dealership into an RV Country store, Power said. He noted the organized chaos associated with any rebrand— from IT, website and communication system transfers to proprietary software integration and pay plan revisions. Signage and uniforms are switched out, while showroom layouts are updated. Meanwhile, staff absorbs massive changes alongside education in RV Country history, culture and expectations. rvnews.com

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(L to R) Service technicians Fernando Lopez, Pedro Gonzalez, Jorge Flores and C.J. Orona listen to Ploechelman’s lesson on HVAC troubleshooting. April 2022 | RV News

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Feature > DEALER PROFILE

RV Country’s retail store now includes a camping accessories display as the spring camping season nears.

Jenkins explains how a sewer hose attaches an RV to a dump station. 44

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Power said the company is committed to reducing stress and skepticism, which tends to run high the first few weeks. He emphasized how remaining humble and patient as people grapple with change is important. “You can’t expect to come in, change the name on the building, turn on the switch and everything is exactly how you want it,” he said. “It takes time, and people take time.” As such, various team members remain on-site to guide the full transition from start to finish, shepherded by a leadership director who visits the store weekly during the initial months. Power said the overall transition may take a few months, or longer. Each dealership is a different circumstance, he said. Whether a store enters the family via acquisition or new build, Power said there is uniformity across the locations. The owners agreed companywide procedures help relieve some risk and error associated with expansion, while ensuring everyone is both comfortable and operating in unison. To maintain connectivity among managers spread across a dozen locations in five states and counting, RV Country relies on weekly Zoom meetings. Though video conferencing does not replace regular on-site visits, it does ensure team members can stay on-point between critical in-person interactions. The owners agreed there are significant data points to consistently manage across the locations. As such, a standing weekly video conference allows the leaders to share best practices about pressing issues while putting a name with a face. “We measure everything, forecasting down to the net dollar,” Power said. RV Country considers each brand per store, analyzing the connection between turns and profitability. Cantrell said the company evaluates expense structures, pay plans tied to projections and even how many touchpoints a sales associate should have per month. Though leadership communicates expectations and actual results at a granular level, he said high standards reinforce the important role processes rvnews.com

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Matt Turya, technician shop foreman, repairs a hydraulic hose connection. have in the company and how they drive continuous improvement. For Power, procedures are merely communication methods meant to simplify a request. The information helps end users best understand goals and how to obtain the desired result. RV Country personnel receive the procedures in numerous ways, such as written step-by-step instructions, diagrams and screenshots. He said regardless of the delivery method, detailed information provides structure and company-wide accountability, guiding everything from onboarding and inventory management to shipping and receiving. The latter, Power said, is especially noteworthy because mistakes result in skewed profits and operational errors. A robust process details expectations from the time a part is received, including quantities, lengths, cost verification, markup and who to notify at which point. During the past five years, Power said RV Country developed “a multilayered executive team.” The group not only represents employees from different facets of the company but also empowers them to have an active role in planning, executing and measuring desired outcomes. For example, ownership works closely with the directors to identify a rvnews.com

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specific need or situational problem requiring a safety net procedure. While the partners remain hands-on during process development, collaboration is plentiful and encouraged.

Managing attitudes or behaviors, as well as being willing to have diﬃcult conversations, is really important. When leaders fail to recognize or do that, it allows the situations to dictate their leadership.” – Charlie Power

Directors help write, test run and refine a finished process, working closely with middle management to communicate and implement down to the grassroots level in the company. Additionally, Power said the partners are open to new ideas, whether they come from leadership or staff. Sometimes, RV Country even adopts an acquired company’s processes or procedures if those methods best serve corporate goals.

Power admits people are naturally the greatest obstacle to change or process improvement, which he said requires genuine empathy and open communication to overcome. “Individuals feel comfortable where they’re at and gain confidence in their area of responsibility and domain. They tend to protect what they’re comfortable with because that’s where they’re finding success and less stress,” he said. “Managing attitudes or behaviors, as well as being willing to have difficult conversations, is really important. When leaders fail to recognize or do that, it allows the situations to dictate their leadership.” Ownership remains focused on attracting the right talent by profiling personalities and competencies to best match aptitude with the position. The partners agreed cross-training is also important, so RV Country makes a concerted effort to develop partnerships across departments. Reports and findings are not only shared but also explained. Power said leadership must understand how employees learn to best align their strengths and ensure positive results. “We need to find joy in what we do. When people truly feel part of something, like they belong, that’s when culture thrives,” he said. April 2022 | RV News

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Trends > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Selling Camping Accessories Retail store managers looking to maximize aftermarket camping accessory profits can tie the products to the camping experience, suppliers say. By RV News Staff

ccording to the 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, commissioned by the Outdoor Foundation, 53% of Americans ages 6 and older participated in outdoor recreation at least once in 2020—the highest recorded rate to date. Remarkably, 7.1 million more 46

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Americans took to the outdoors in 2020 than in 2019. More than half the U.S. population (160.7 million people) recreated outdoors in some way. The trends report indicated nearly $14 billion is spent annually on outdoor accessories in the U.S. market. While a minuscule amount of those

dollars flows to RV dealerships, the potential is exponentially higher. One example of an RV dealership seeing tremendous value in offering camping and outdoor accessories is Camping World’s Gander Outdoor chain. In 2021, the company’s 69 stores grossed $1.3 billion in revenue. rvnews.com

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Kuma Outdoor Gear camping accessory products line the corner of a dealer’s retail store. Coghlan’s works with its dealer/retail customers to build custom plan-o-grams able to display the supplier’s various camping accessories.

Growth In Active Camper Households (2014 to 2020)

74,900,000

77,000,000

79,100,000

82,300,000

86,100,000

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73,000,00

rvnews.com

71,500,000

In comparison, Kuma Outdoor Gear’s owner Rob Gomme said, “The average RV dealership should be going through about $30,000 a year, but larger dealerships could sell infinitely more.” He said many dealers fail to provide a wide breadth of camping accessory products. Consumers ultimately leave

58%

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2014

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Trends > CAMPING ACCESSORIES Ken Middleton, Coghlan’s director of sales, has been with the supplier since 2011.

the RV dealership and then flock to retailers such as Walmart, Bass Pro Shops, REI, Gander Outdoor or Amazon to purchase items that create the outdoor experience they craved when they bought their RV. Coghlan’s, which offers nearly 500 different camping accessories, is arguably one of the largest camping accessory suppliers in the U.S. and Canada. The company provides diverse camping accessory products to RV retailers through numerous RV distributors. “What we are trying to do,” said Ken Middleton, Coghlan’s director of sales, “is give the dealer a chance to upsell the RV buyer before they leave and realize there was a whole bunch of other products they needed to buy, but did not, because the RV dealer didn’t know they should be carrying it.” Merchandizing

Few RV parts/accessories stores have the necessary floor space to properly merchandise, Kuma’s Gomme said, Harmony EarthKind Ad Approval.indd RV NewsApr| 22 April 2022 48

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What we are trying to do, is give the dealer a chance to upsell the RV buyer before they leave and realize there was a whole bunch of other products they needed to buy, but did not, because the RV dealer didn’t know they should be carrying it.” – Ken Middleton

so merely stocking more products is selling the retail store short. He said creating camping accessory displays inside the RV showroom is a smarter option, because those displays become a powerful visual motivator to purchasing RVs. Tying camping accessories directly to the use of the RV sells an experience, according to Gomme. rvnews.com

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Inside the Numbers

amping accessories and equipment is a growing category according to various research companies. The NPD Group, a global research firm based in Port Washington, New York, reported sales in the first half of 2021 up markedly in camping accessory products from the same period of 2019. A comparison between 2021 and 2020 was not conducted. NPD Retail Tracking data found camping chair sales up 70% in the first half of 2021 compared with the first half of 2019. In the same period, portable power accessories rose 162% and lanterns rose 31%. Mordor Intelligence, a market intelligence and advisory firm, projects the camping equipment market to rise 6.68% annually through 2026. The company said North American leisure travelers increased their number of trips from 11% annually to 16% after 2020. Mordor Intelligence said this positively impacts camping equipment demand. Research by Statista, a German-based market data and consumer data provider, found camping equipment wholesale sales nearly doubled when comparing totals from 2010 with 2020. The top-selling camping accessory in 2020 was coolers/chests, Statista reported, with $659.9 million in sales. Camping furniture totaled $284.8 million in sales with stoves/fuels at $167.3 million. Mordor stated camping accessory suppliers are targeting campers by age demographic. “In addition, with the rising awareness about environmental preservation, demand for eco-friendly camping equipment is on the rise,” Mordor Intelligence stated. “Thus, vendors are introducing eco-friendly equipment to differentiate and expand their product lines. Such innovations in camping equipment may increase the sales of camping equipment during the forecast period.” NPD also found camping accessory sales taking place in specialty retailers, those focused on niche items, rather than mass-market, or big-box, retailers. Dick Sorenson, executive director and sports industry analyst at NPD Group, said specialty-market camping accessories sales on products such as portable heaters, tools and coolers rose in the first half of 2021. “On a personal front, as my summer trips expanded, so did my investments in camp toiletry items – a portable shower and toilet, towels and biodegradable soap were big investments towards making my family more comfortable in the outdoors,” Sorenson said. “Clearly, I wasn’t alone, as camp toiletries grew 55% in dollar sales compared to two years ago. Where I shopped for these items—at specialty retail outlets—is also mirrored in our data. Camp toiletry items sold at specialty retailers grew by 82% in revenue, compared to the rest of the market, where sales grew 51%. Specialty also gained share in add-on categories, such as coolers and other camp accessories.”

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Camping Equipment Demand in 2020 Total shoppers on Amazon U.S. marketplace Knives and Tools

..1 2,819,697

Safety and Survial Equipment

..11,113,033

Lights and Lanterns

..10,069,212

Hydration and Filtration Products

..7,265,285

Camping Furniture

..4,602,390

Camping Chairs

..3,570,486

Fixed-Blade Knives

..3,545,515

Coolers

..3,368,605

Camping Stoves

..3,274,990

Stove Accessories

..2,992,890

Source: Pattern Inc.

Change in Camping Equipment Demand 2020 vs 2019 Change in total annual demand on Amazon U.S. marketplace Camping Flatware

.. + 12 %

Camping Coffee/Tea Pots

.. + 11 %

Dishes and Utensils

.. +9 %

Sun Shelters

.. +9 %

Coolers

.. +5 %

Camping Cups and Mugs

.. +4 %

Camping Pillows

.. +1 %

Cooler Accessories

-5%

Hand/Foot Warmers

- 10 %

Source: Pattern Inc.

Monthly Cooler Demand - 2020 vs 2019 on Amazon U.S. marketplace 2019

2020

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Trends > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Although camping accessories often are thought of as items used around a campfire, products such as tent spikes are crucial to secure campsite canopies. He emphasized that while parts and sales departments are separate identities, both can benefit by working together to outfit consumers with accessories that make for an enjoyable camping experience.

If you give them an experience to think about beyond just the trailer, they are more apt to buy the trailer.” – Rob Gomme

Middleton said, “If they have room on the showroom floor, they should build an artificial campfire, put some chairs around it and stock the display PropackRV Apr News 22 Ad Approval.indd 1 | April 2022 50

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with products they are going to need for their travels. For dealers with enough floor space, the best thing is to get a consumer to visualize what they will be doing when camping. That stimulates the buying power.” Gomme said, “Display the RV and put the awning out in the showroom. Then put all the camping accessory visuals underneath, like you would see at a campsite. It is very difficult to do that in the parts room. Use other space you have. If you give them an experience to think about beyond just the trailer, they are more apt to buy the trailer. They can visually see what their experience is going to look like outside and inside.” Both suppliers agreed dealers should reinforce the vehicle sales with strong accessories programs to prevent rvnews.com

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Auto Motion Apr 22 Ad Approval.indd 1

consumers from shopping online or at big-box retailers to buy those necessary camping items. “We have talked with dealers who were wondering what they can throw in with an RV purchase to encourage the vehicle sale. We say, ‘Why not try a promotion with a $500 gift certificate for the parts room for accessories?’” Gomme said. “We all know accessories have a bit more margin than some other items they sell within the dealership.” Aftermarket Profit Centers

Middleton and Gomme agreed dealers should be able to turn top-selling accessories five to six times per season. If dealers lack showroom floor space to create compelling camping displays, some suppliers offer rvnews.com

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3/16/22 11:07 PM

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Trends > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Key Camping Statistics • 77 million households in the U.S. contain someone who camps. • Since 2014, 6 million additional households started camping, with 64% camping three or more times per year. • In 2018, 4 million families camped for the first time; 51% of these campers were from non-white consumer groups. • In 2018, 65% chose to stay at campsites. • 1 million families in Canada like to camp. • 56% of campers are millennials. • More than 40 million people regularly take RV trips. • Over 50% take their pets with them. • 28 million Americans camped in 2018. • 47% of campers spent between $51 and $200 on camping equipment in 2016. • The number of Americans going camping in 2018 increased 64%. • 81% of campers say their main goal is to spend time with family and friends. • The top five words associated with the camping industry are outdoors (89%), campfire (89%), fun (84%), tent (83%) and adventure (80%). • On average, trips are planned 25 days in advance. Source: Condor Ferries Website

RV News | April 2022

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organized but condensed merchandising displays to improve sales. Middleton said about 80% to 90% of Coghlan’s U.S. dealers peg camping accessories to a wall. To add visibility, floor or end cap displays with colorful lifestyle images can help RVers imagine using those accessories at the campsite, he said. Gomme said Kuma recommends dealers devote at least 200 square feet of retail store space to camping accessories. The supplier offers a 12-foot by 12-foot gazebo with mesh screening that occupies roughly 150 square feet. Kuma suggests dealers set up the gazebo and place a host of camping accessories within.

When they walk into an RV dealership, the guy gets to choose the RV, because it matches his truck, but the woman decides the accessories that go inside.” – Rob Gomme

“It is a great summer visual. Number one, you are taking care of the wind and the elements. You are outside, but you are dry and you do not have bugs,” Gomme said. “Put your chairs in and make it a really good focal point for what it would look like in their campsite.” He said such visuals are particularly important to women who often choose which camping accessories to buy for their families. Women decide 80% of disposable household spending, he said. “When they walk into an RV dealership, the guy gets to choose the RV, because it matches his truck, but the woman decides the accessories that go inside,” Gomme said. “When we approach dealers, we tell them to focus on the woman contemplating the purchases and not necessarily the guy.” Kuma products, he said, are designed to collectively look like a comfortable rvnews.com

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Trans

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Trends > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Michael T. Keller, Keller Marine & RV sales director, displays a Kuma Outdoor Gear camping accessory set including chairs, a table, glassware and a log-shaped pillow.

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outdoor living room. Consumers frequently buy more Kuma gear than chairs. They snap up end tables, couches and ottomans to complete a set. “You have to get that visual,” he said. “You cannot show just one chair. You have to show the woman what the campsite will look like outside the awning of the trailer.” Start at Campfires

When talking with RV consumers about camping accessories, Middleton and Gomme said products used in and around the campfire are of great interest. Highlight accessories for campfire cooking, such as skewers for hot dogs/marshmallows. Discuss dishware and beverage koozies. Both suppliers said, in addition to cooking accessories, dealers should consider stocking campfire accessory must-haves such as seating. Gomme said different chair styles match a variety of consumer seating needs. “One might be for comfort, one might provide support for someone with a bad back, one might be a rocker for people who are always fidgety,” he said. “There are different elements to chairs that people do not think about, on the

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psychological level, especially when you are selling furniture for comfort.” Beyond the campfire area, Middleton noted how consumers often purchase canopies and dining tents to provide covered seating and gathering spaces. Accessories such as tent pegs to anchor canopies are necessities many dealerships may overlook because the vehicle includes an awning, he said. Dealers should also consider stocking accessories that help consumers mitigate inclement weather. Middleton said rain ponchos are obvious products, but packs and protection to keep electronic devices and cell phones dry are popular as well in most outdoor retail stores. Fire-starting products are invariably needed to deal with wet or difficult-to-light wood. “The moment bad weather sets in, people may say, this is not a good weekend, let’s just pack up and go,” he said. “We want to make that experience continue rather than packing up and going home, because it is a disruption to vacation. “Where the conversation starts for retail stores is around the campfire,” he added, “and then it goes into other needs outside that campfire for the campsite.” rvnews.com

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Advice > F&I MANAGEMENT

F&I Pros: Alike but Different P

ast auto F&I managers often ask the Brown & Brown training team about the differences between RV and auto F&I as they start a new career in the RV industry. Let’s explore how these two similar fields are so alike, yet so different.

Understanding Collateral and Establishing Value

The first obvious difference between RV and auto is the collateral type. Our training team starts by asking every new trainee what they know about the distinct types of RVs on the lot. Generally, the trainee answers something like, “They all look nice, but I don’t know much.” This is when we begin basic education with a sales lot tour to explain the differences between motorized and towable. We examine the many unique features and accessories each RV has. To be successful at selling coverage on an RV, you must be able to identify the features of the coach a customer has purchased. You must be able to ask informed questions about how the buyer will use those unique features. Only after this occurs, can you truly relate to your customer. Only then can you properly offer the exact coverage to protect their investment and RV lifestyle. Thus, knowing the units you offer coverage on is essential for an RV F&I professional. Next, F&I pros must understand the manufacturer’s RV invoicing statements. We love asking a new RV F&I professional, “You know every RV invoice is different, right?” The F&I person’s baffled response is priceless. This is because the automotive industry provides fairly uniform invoices to establish an auto’s value. In the RV industry, the coach’s billing invoice is similar to a shopping list at Lowes or Home 56

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Depot. As the unit is built, items are listed on the invoice and discounts are deducted at the whim of the dealer’s negotiating skills with their factory rep. During training, we spend a great deal of time handing out sample invoices. We ask F&I professionals to add up and provide the gross invoice total vs. the net invoice total. You would think this is simple, but the task is fairly difficult for most. Establishing an RV’s value is key to getting a loan purchased and establishing the loan-to-value percentage. Loan-to-value determines the customer’s interest rate. In the automotive industry, many lenders already have the invoice values from various websites, so auto F&I professionals typically don’t have to think too hard about value. F&I pros can simply submit a deal and move on to the next loan packet. Thus, establishing value is a critical point of education for any RV F&I professional.

Lenders

Many past auto F&I professionals will tell us up front, “I know how to submit a deal to a lender. Just teach me how to use their software.” In automotive, submitting a deal to a lender through Route One or Dealer Track is fairly easy. This method is commonly referred to “shotgunning the deal out to the lenders.” We must slow down the process for an RV F&I trainee when performing this step. In the RV world, we might call the practice “shut gunning,” because freely sending out a deal with little consideration on where the deal should be submitted is a truly amateurish move. Free-sending with little consideration often results in very few approvals. You could shut the door on your customer from obtaining financing.

Thus, comprehensive lender education is a key topic to understanding RV finance. At Brown & Brown, our national school highlights RV lenders and how to effectively use them. They are dramatically different from auto lenders. Each lender has unique methods of examining an RV transaction—such as a unit’s invoice value, payment-to-income ratio, debt-to-income ratio, advance, bureau scoring models, hard adds, backend advance and much more. Many senior RV F&I professionals will tell you that they work most of their lives attempting to master the art of using the many different RV industry bank programs but never truly succeed. This is why RV lender education is a constant and absolute requirement, especially with programs changing daily, weekly and monthly. After a new RV F&I professional learns each lender’s basic guiding principles, we then must teach the second concept of RV lending: The rate line from a lender is a guideline, not the final decision. Too many new and senior F&I pros fall into bad habits when deciding on an underwriter based on what the rate line says vs. picking up a phone and working as a true salesperson by selling the customer and loan to a lender. On its own, this is an art of the trade. In auto, a lender will provide a dealer with a “left-handed turndown,” also known as a counter call. In RV, this is not uncommon. We work hard teaching trainees how to call lenders and go back through deals to find the positives in the paperwork that give a lender the desire to buy a deal. Again, this endeavor is a big differentiator on how RV retail lenders manage and approve loans vs. automotive retail lenders. The lesson can sometimes be a big

learning curve for past auto F&I as they transition into an RV dealership.

Process

Next, the actual process can differ vastly between RV and automotive. Many auto locations push for same-day purchase and delivery, known as “spot deliveries.” In RV, the collateral sold is similar to residential houses, which require customization and prepping. RV spot deliveries are possible but are extremely uncommon. This brings us to the next question, “How does the process work at your dealership?” Some dealers will meet a customer on the day of deposit and attempt to do all paperwork as well as product selling to the customer. The next dealer may wait until delivery and then complete the paperwork either before or after the RV walk-through with the customer. Using either method is fine, depending on what works for your dealership and its processes. That said, how you offer F&I protection plans can change based on the dealership’s process. The one constant in all models, though, relates to cash deals. The F&I department must offer RV protection plans on the day the customer puts down a deposit. Many ask me why. The answer is simple. When a customer gets a check from their bank for their new RV, if the total doesn’t include the pre-negotiated protection plans, selling the F&I products on the day of delivery is much harder. An RV F&I professional will always have a difficult time overcoming the customer’s day-of-delivery objection, “I wish I knew about the programs earlier; I would have had the bank make the check out to include them.” Therefore, we must offer protection plans to our cash customers on the day they leave rvnews.com

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their purchase deposit. This new product offering process can make for a hard transition from auto to RV for F&I professionals.

Product and RV Lifestyle

The easiest aspect for past auto F&I professionals to learn is the RV F&I protection products themselves. Coverage terminology is similar to that in the automotive industry. Though, how you offer the protection plans to RV consumers is far different. An automobile is a necessity for most people. Our vehicles take us to and from work, provide us a means to drive to see family and give us a way to get our children to school. In comparison, RVs are a want. Consumers buy them for relaxation and to fulfill dreams of the places they can now visit. This is a hard topic for F&I pros to grasp. We never want to say to an RV customer, “You know this part costs $XXXXX.00 to repair, and you should be scared if it breaks.” That tactic might be commonplace in auto dealerships, but RV customers are far more afﬂuent. Many will respond, “I can afford to fix that myself.” This can leave most new RV F&I professionals speechless without a direction to go. Instead, learning how the customer intends to use the RV is a must. A question like,

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, what dream trip will you take in your new RV?” Why do we want to know this information, outside of being nice and making conversation with our customers? The answer is simple: All RVers dream of relaxation near a fire in some camping location that gives them peace. When training, we call this the Dr. Phil (from the Dr. Phil TV show) effect. Dr. Phil loves suggesting ways to find peace in your life. What better way for customers to do that than in an RV on their dream trip? RV protection plans can protect consumers’ investment and keep them on the road while they seek their adventures. Most RV consumers find much more value in the protection plans when explained using this angle. Brown & Brown calls this selling method the “The RV Lifestyle Selling Method.” The method is definitely a transition for past auto F&I managers to learn. Changing old ways of selling protection plans can be challenging. As you can see, auto and RV are alike in their similar retail environments. Though, to be successful as an RV F&I professional, a person must learn many aspects of the industry to create a truly long–lasting RV F&I career.

Shawn Moran National RV and marine training director Brown & Brown Insurance, Dealer Services Division

Shawn Moran is the national RV and marine training director with Brown & Brown Insurance, Dealer Services Division. He started his career in 2002 as a business manager at an automotive dealership in upstate New York. In 2003, Moran became a successful finance director for a multilocation RV and marine dealership. In November 2008, he opened his agency, F&I Consulting Unlimited, where he quickly became known for his work ethic and knowledge of the RV industry. In July 2013, Brown & Brown bought the agency, creating the largest RV master general agency in the country. Moran provides personalized finance training to RV business managers. He conducts numerous weekly training sessions with small and large RV groups. 518.456.5948 | Shawn.Moran@BBrown.com rvnews.com

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Advice > BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Why Dealers Struggle with Analytics D

ealers struggle with website analytics for many reasons. The most prevalent originate from people who share the analytics with you. When they intend to share data without interpreting it, you will have problems. Analytics providers share data in a thousand ways, leaving you a thousand ways to become confused about what the data says. Sound familiar? This confusion is detrimental when analytics indicates an activity that you feel comfortable with but should not. To prepare you for the entirely new retail selling world ahead of us, I would like to give you questions to ask your data/analytics providers, whether they are employees or outsourced personnel. Analytics are confusing and worthless without interpretations and recommendations to follow. Historical data is also essential. Here are 10 questions you should be asking and why they are important.

Where is the access to my analytics?

Do you own the analytics and are you the administrator? Over the past three years, only 75% of our new clients own or have access to their Google Analytics accounts. In many cases, the website provider or digital company claimed it owned the account, and the dealer lost all historical data.

What is my average Google cost for pay-per-click (PPC), display and YouTube ads? Specifically, ask for these metrics defined by each category. If you get only your Google cost per click, your costs will be distorted because each category has a different marketing purpose and cost. Often, people combine these to hide a high Google Search cost per click.

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What is the cost per click for my PPC campaign for my brand/name, general RV terms and productspecific searches?

Dealers often receive a general cost per click for a paid search. This can also be misleading. Ask to see your brand name cost per click. This is a search associated with your dealership name. Cost per click is inexpensive and can greatly alter your true PPC for important keywords. Your product and brand cost per click is the most important statistic to review. Consumers using these searches are low funnel shoppers, and you need to win them at this point of contact. When customers intentionally search for your products and brand names, you need to connect with them.

What is my impression share for each campaign?

Impression share tells you how often your ad is served in paid search when a targeted consumer performs a relevant search. So, a 10% impression share would indicate

your ad is reaching 1 in 10 consumers who search for a term or phrase important to your account. A 10% impression is not very good. Of course, 100% would be ideal but is too expensive to reach. We recommend an impression share between 35% and 55%. Your brand campaign (which is your name) should be in the high 90% impression share. As competition and inventory levels rise, you want to be sure consumers see your ads, or you will lose the online consideration battle.

How many Vehicle Details Page (VDP) views am I getting from my PPC campaign?

A click is a click, is a click, and is worthless if end users are not buying. Viewing a VDP has been proven repeatedly as the only consistent action every consumer partakes in before buying. If consumers are not viewing your RVs’ VDP, the quality of your clicks is poor. Asking about VDP views will help you validate the traffic quality you are generating from paid search campaigns.

Are the clicks representing my inventory? This will be critical over the next year. You must check inventory levels with your click and VDP counts. Sending many clicks to low inventory areas is easy. Within the next year, dealers will realize this hit as they spend too much money sending clicks to motorhome inventory versus towable. When you have five motorhomes in stock and 120 trailers you need to be sure the percentage of budgets to keywords associated with each category is appropriate.

How do these statistics compare with previous months and years?

As you go into the next few months, comparing the monthover-month data will be very important. The trends through summer will be essential to your marketing strategies. Although year-over-year data will be interesting, past Covid and inventory challenges will skew the numbers. So, keep a sharp eye on month-over-month data rvnews.com

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while watching impression share and budget levels. You will need to increase budgets to maintain the exposure you had last year. There is no way around that. As consumer interest falls from industry peaks, and 2022 competition increases due to inventory levels, you will see higher cost per click and lower month-over-month results.

How do your numbers compare with other dealers?

Ask your providers how your data compares with other dealers. The results are so important. Comparing yourself only to yourself can be misleading. Check how other dealers are attacking the market. What is their average cost per click? What is their impression share? How are their VDP views trending month-over-month?

What are your recommendations for next month? Ask your data providers, based on the results, what their recommendations are for you next month? What will you adjust based on results or expectations? Most dealers receive a data dump containing numbers and percentages, but no action plans based on the results. Generally, dealers fail to get action plans because data providers are reporting numbers and do not really understand what is happening.

Are my clicks from all media channels providing VDP views?

This question is critical as you move forward. Consumers do most shopping online. Consumers are only visit only 1.2 dealerships before they buy. You are likely being eliminated from consideration online. To grow your business, you must increase your VDP views. Doing so is the best marketing indication you have at your fingertips and your dealership’s one true leading activity indicator. Finally, here are some observations based on industry data we collect and aggregate. • Year-over-year VDP views started slower in 2022 but seem to have caught back up. • Only 10% of consumers physically visit more than one dealership when they decide to buy. Because consumers do research and shopping before visiting the physical store, this finding means dealers close deals once foot traffic occurs without losing that Reico-Titan Apr 22 Ad Approval.indd customer to a competitor. • Asking the right questions will provide the right answers. Asking the wrong questions will only get you unimportant answers to your marketing future. Like a good reporter or an outstanding interviewer, ask relevant questions to get reliable results. By doing so, analytics will become an insightful friend rather than a confusing or misleading foe.

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Ron Wheeler Founder and principal at Wheeler Advertising

Ron Wheeler is the founder and principal at Wheeler Advertising. Ron has been a speaker at RVDA for more than 30 years and at NADA for more than 18 years. He has spoken on topics ranging from dealership branding to RV effectiveness, social media and digital marketing. He began his RV advertising career more than 30 years ago. Ron was RVDA Convention/Expo chairman for six years and sat on the RV Hall of Fame board. His company works with RV dealers in more than 30 states and into Canada. 800.678.7822 wheeleradvertising.com 800.678.7822 ||wheeleradvertising.com rvnews.com

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April 2022 | RV News

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Advice > SALES MANAGEMENT

Four Key Phone Handling Tips to Drive Leads and Convert Prospects

ow many times have you found yourself at Chick-fil-A in need of a quick meal after a long day at work or during your lunch break? Well, if you are anything like me, the number is pretty high. But why? The menu is not extensive and the long line at the drive-thru is intimidating. We go because the service is superior in the fast-food industry. We know they will get our order perfectly and quickly. And the food tastes good! Now, this isn’t a Chick-fil-A ad, but think about how the chain’s quality of service continues to keep its lines stretching to the street every hour of the day. No one can say “my pleasure” without thinking of Chick-fil-A. Although you aren’t selling lunch, you can replicate the restaurant’s exemplary level of service in the RV industry. First impressions matter in every aspect of your life, from where you decide to go for lunch to whether customers will purchase more than once from your RV dealership—first impressions matter. The first impression most dealers have with a potential buyer is often over the phone. Consumers see an ad for a new, luxury RV that came in yesterday. They call you and ask to look at the RV. Using the same mindset as the famous fast-food

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chain when leveraging the phone, you will give your customers a great, memorable experience. The phone should be an asset to creating satisfied customers, not a liability negatively impacting your dealership’s bottom line. With summer months quickly approaching and being your busiest time of year, get ahead with these four steps to learn the power of the phone and how it will impact your dealership.

Connect Every Call and Build Rapport

If you waited three minutes at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru just for the employee to say “Yeah, what do you want?” you probably would be unimpressed. Same with the phone. When customers call your dealership, they will likely be annoyed when they must wait on hold for three minutes to have a salesperson answer who, instead of helping, refers them to the website. Instead, you should connect callers quickly, route them properly and create a good first impression. If you fail to connect calls the first-time clients dial your number, they will already be calling the dealership next door before you get the chance to return their call.

Let’s go back to the term first impression. Just as Chick-fil-A makes you feel like their most valued customer, you should build a personable relationship with your customer. Build rapport throughout the call by giving a friendly introduction and truly learning the consumer’s RV wants and needs. Jot down what you learn and mention it throughout the call. For example, “I have two kids as well. They love the spacious bunk beds with TVs, and having a washer and dryer makes it so easy to clean all their dirty clothes during longer trips!” Not only will you gain customers’ appreciation for taking their needs into account, but you will also continue to build a more personable relationship.

Request and Invite Customers into the Dealership Every Time

This may seem obvious. A customer calls and loves one of the RVs on your lot. The potential buyer gives you the exact model, and you check that vehicle’s availability. Then, you invite the consumer to come in and check the RV out. Extending an invitation is one step dealers missed more often than you would think. Not every caller makes this step obvious. The RV they asked about may already be sold. They may live a couple of hours away, or they are calling to compare the price of an RV with your competitor down the road. Don’t lose these leads by forgetting one simple question. As with many other types of manufacturers around the world, the RV industry has seen shortages over the past few years. Inventory shortages and supply

chain issues have contrasted rising demand. Often, customers are calling about a particular model. The agent could easily say, “Nope, don’t have it.” Instead, attempt to invite the customer in to look at a similar model or one from a previous year. Due to these shortages, If potential buyers seeking a specific RV live hundreds of miles away, try requesting a virtual appointment, sending videos and pictures of the RV, and inviting consumers to the lot when they will be in town. The goal on the phone is to sell the appointment, not the RV. Instead of answering consumers’ questions on every detail of a particular RV they are interested in, invite the customer in to see it firsthand. When requesting an appointment with your customer, you will get some form of a “yes” 90% of the time and will likely prevent buyers from immediately visiting your competition. Make consumer invitations a habit and build phone accountability so customers continue to show up.

Set Firm Appointments

Once you have requested the customer visit your dealership, there’s still another critical step: verify the date and time that works best for their schedule. When setting an appointment, many salespeople fall into a trap of setting “soft” versus “firm” appointments. A soft appointment happens when customers say they will come later in the week; these appointments have only a 25% show rate. Make sure to set a firm time and date (for example, Saturday at 10 a.m.) to see upward rvnews.com

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of a 75-80% show rate. Agents need to highlight the importance of firm appointments to every customer. With a firm time, you can guarantee the RV the consumer is interested in will be cleaned, parked out front and ready for a walk-through. The customer will have your undivided attention during the appointment and will avoid any unnecessary wait times. Some customers may beat around the bush and avoid giving you a specific arrival date and time. To overcome this, try implementing the Whittle and Shepard technique. Start by asking the caller whether the beginning or end of the week works better. This will narrow which days to suggest. If the customer indicates the end of the week, then ask how their Thursday looks, for example. If they agree to Thursday, then follow up by asking whether they prefer morning or

OEM

afternoon. Finally, end by confirming the customer’s appointment for Thursday at 4 p.m. By providing either/or options, you assist in narrowing an open-ended range of appointments to one that works best for the customer. This commitment creates accountability and improves your show rates.

Pursue Any Missed Opportunities

If you remember, the first step to providing a top-notch first impression is to connect every caller to someone who can help. Although our goal is to connect 100% of those callers, that target is unrealistic. You may be on the line with another customer at the time of their call, out on the lot showing an RV, or a potential buyer calls after the store has closed. You may also

experience customers who fail to show up when you booked a soft appointment. Promptly following up with consumers can help salvage the opportunity. Try calling any customers who set soft appointments the morning of their appointment to help increase show rates. Pursuing these missed opportunities and no-shows is important. Set aside time each day to make outbound calls and shift your proactive

mindset to reactive. Show initiative to potential leads and continue to build upon your positive first impression once you reconnect with customers on the phone. Reach out to your most important and valuable leads first, attempt to salvage any missed opportunities or no-shows and hold your staff accountable to true outbound performance.

Alyssa Whitmore Marketing Specialist Call Box

Alyssa Whitmore is a Marketing Specialist at Call Box, a comprehensive call tracking and phone handling solution. Call Box allows RV dealerships to gain visibility on phone calls, capture more leads, and improve the caller experience. Dominate every call, every day with Call Box. 833.713.2531 | content@callbox.com

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The Best Of Camping Accessories As spring arrives and consumers make camping plans, RV dealers are poised to turn RV buyers into camping accessory add-on sales. KOA reported more than 9.1 million new camping households were created in 2021, with nearly 16 million households camping over the summer. KOA projections point to even larger camping numbers this year. Dealers who do not take advantage of camping accessory opportunities are missing out on a $14 billion market and driving RVers to big-box retailers such as Gander Outdoors, Walmart and online sites such as Amazon. Traditional staples lead the category, including coolers, chests, chairs and furniture. Products helping RVers, particularly new buyers, get further off-grid will remain top sellers. Among those items are powered coolers, portable power stations, WiFi devices and campfire-related cooking gear. Competing against online retailers can require creativity from dealer/ retail store managers. Camping accessories do not merely have to be hung

on a peg rack against a wall. Suppliers will assist dealers/retail stores with merchandising and displays to showcase items. Consumers, particularly new buyers, are not as brand loyal in the camping accessories category. Store managers are free to purchase products from various vendors and inform consumers of the benefits each provides. Merchandising can extend outside the retail store as well. Suppliers encourage showroom displays, or displays near RVs on the indoor showroom, to present camping accessories as they would be used on RVers’ trips. Smaller items can be added to pointof-purchase areas at the checkout. Helping consumers see products they will need once they set up their RV will save them time and money by making it so they do not have to go to the nearest big-box retailer to buy items they forgot. Dealers and retail store managers can become consumers’ heroes by merely steering them to the crucial products needed to make their experience enjoyable.

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JUNE Power Solutions & Management

JULY Made in the USA Products

NTP-Stag Private Brands

Faulkner’s BigDog bucket chairs include durable aluminum frames and UV-resistant 600D polyester. The chairs feature a 300-pound weight capacity and are available in five different colors. The bucket chairs have padded backrests and include a carrying bag with shoulder strap. The chairs measures 36.2 inches wide by 28.7 inches high and 37.8 inches deep when open. faulknerfurniture.com

Dometic

The CFX3 Cooler Series features VMSO3 compressor cooling technology. The system keeps coolers from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to minus-7 degrees while using less power than a 60-watt light bulb. Coolers range in size from 45 liters to 95 liters, enough to fit 133 cans. The coolers are powered by 12-volt and 24-volt connections and DC solar power. The coolers are controlled through a phone app. dometic.com

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The Best Of > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Kuma Outdoor Gear

The Lazy Bear Heated Camp Chair features Kuma’s exclusive Addheat control system. The chair includes a 10,000-milliamp-hour power bank. The chair heats to temperatures from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 131 degrees. The power bank heats from two to six hours depending on the setting. The chair is rated for 350 pounds and includes an insulated beverage holder and phone pocket, padded back and armrests and a carrying bag. kumaoutdoorgear.com

Camco Mfg.

The Big Red Portable Campfire brings campfires to sites with restrictions against in-ground fires. The fire tray measures 13.25 inches in diameter and the ring burner is 9.5 inches in diameter. A log piece creates the campfire look. Security lid latches ease transport. The Big Red Portable Campfire includes a 10-foot propane hose for use with standard LP cylinders. camco.net

Garmin

Vieo is an integrated system combining Garmin navigation, Fusion sound system and optional EmpirBus system control technology. Portable displays are available in 7-inch, 8-inch or 10-inch sizes. Vieo can be used as a remote. The EmpirBus system enables control of electronic systems from the display. Vieo pairs with the Garmin Drive App to provide notifications and weather updates. Vieo includes four camera inputs for backup, forward-looking and turn-signal-activated blind spot views. garmin.com/en-US/rv-oem/overview/

Way Interglobal

The Everchill 40 quart 12-volt Cooler has an electronic control panel with an internal temperature LED display. The cooler’s full plastic casing and twotemperature control system keeps food and beverages cold. Other features include an AC/DC adaptor, an anti-leak inner tank, a reinforced handle and a removable basket. The cooler measures 18.18 inches tall, 28.13 inches long and 15.6 inches wide. wayinterglobal.com

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Prest-O-Fit Manufacturing, Inc.

Surface Mate Patio Rugs attach to various surfaces. The rugs can be temporarily attached to concrete, gravel, grass and dirt surfaces. The rugs can be permanent fixtures on backyard decks. Rugs can be attached with stakes, sticks or snaps. Each rug features four hooked-fiber strips with snap fasteners sewn into the back corners. The all-weather Patio Rugs are made from outdoor turf. The turf features UV protection and mold/mildew resistance. prestofit.com

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On the Road Again

On the Road Again placemats are made from upcycled durable mesh. The corner fabric accent includes a grommet to hang them away when not in use. Placemats can be rinsed off and hung with a 4-inch bungee. Placemats come in a set of four and measure 18 inches by 14 inches. ontheroadagainbags.com

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The Best Of > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Pace International

TravlFi is a mobile WiFi LTE hotspot. The service provides secure WiFi, with data plans available from 2 gigabytes up to 800 gigabytes. Various pay-as-you-go data plans are available. No SIM card is required to access data from all major cell carriers. TravlFi can connect up to five devices. It features VSIM technology telling the device to change towers and find the strongest cellular signal. travlfi.com

GoSun

The Chillest dual-zone, 45-liter cooler is powered by 12-volt, AC and solar power. The cooler keeps temperatures ranging from minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit to 68 degrees. The cooler includes a built-in battery and all-terrain wheels. Features include inside lighting, tie-down straps and organization baskets. gosun.co

GCI Outdoor

The Legz Up Lounger includes Legz Up Technology, a feature enabling consumers to raise and lower the leg rest without needing to adjust the backrest angle. A mesh panel in the backrest provides continual airﬂow. The Legz Up Lounger reclines to four positions. The lounger has a 250-pound capacity and measures 39.7 inches long by 27 inches wide with the leg rest up. The lounger includes a beverage holder, phone pocket, head pillow and backpack straps. gcioutdoor.com

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Antennas Direct

The ClearStream Eclipse Antenna enables over-the-air TV viewing. The antenna includes a 12-foot coaxial cable to connect to TVs. The antenna has a peel-andstick strip to attach to any smooth surface. The ClearStream Eclipse Antenna is multi-directional with a reversible black or white color. The antenna has a range of at least 35 miles and can provide viewing when satellite TV access is unavailable because of bad weather. antennasdirect.com

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Stromberg Carlson

The AM-533 Lend-A-Hand Extended Assist rail provides an additional 10 inches out and 13.5 inches down from Lend-A-Hand rails. The rails provide steady support entering or exiting RVs via its stairs. The hand-rail locks in an open position and folds to the coach’s side during travel. No tools are required to secure the rail in open or closed positions. The AM-533 has the same footprint and brackets are standard Lend-A-Hand rails, eliminating the need to drill new holes when changing rails. strombergcarlson.com

Valterra Products

Diamond’s new music-activated RGB LED strip light kits include lights that pulse to the music sound. The lights can be controlled with an included remote control or through a phone app. The strip light kits are available in 16-foot and 33-foot lengths. Trip light kits are cuttable and are charged with 12-volt and 110-volt adapters. Additional strip kits can connect to provide extra length. valterra.com

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Give us the opportunity to supply your parts/accessories needs.

• Industry-leading family-driven service • Highly competitive wholesale pricing with monthly special discounts • Our reps have extensive technical knowledge on all products we sell • 24 to 48-hour delivery service with great fill rates

www.laurelhurstdistributors.com • Call (800) 234-4328 Laural Hurst Apr 22 Ad Approval.indd rvnews.com

*Apr 22 RVN Book 5.indb 67

3/14/22 PM April 2022 | RV1:32 News

3/28/22 5:18 PM

The Best Of > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

Utica Cutlery Co.

Utica Cutlery Enamelware sets are available in five different wildlife scenes. The scenes were created by wildlife artist Jim Tosrud. The five sets are Eagle Camp, Elk, Deer, Turkey and Walleye. Four-piece enamelware sets include one dinner plate, one pasta plate, one bowl and one large mug. The 16-piece sets include four of each piece. All products are double enameled. uticausa.com

Coghlan’s

The cast iron griddle can be used on heat sources including portable stoves, barbecues and open fires. The griddle features two surfaces, a skillet and grill, to cook foods from steak to veggies to pancakes and bacon. The griddle is preseasoned and cast iron. The griddle can be re-seasoned as needed. The griddle weighs 7.25 pounds and measures 17.9 inches by 8.9 inches. coghlans.com

Ming’s Mark Inc.

The LED Illuminated Border RV Home Mat measures 8 feet by 19 feet. The mat is reversible and made from high-quality virgin polypropylene, a recyclable substance that is eco-friendly. The mat’s woven structure is durable and breathable, keeping it from harming grass and wooden decks. The mat is UVresistant to prevent colors from fading and dries quickly. Loops at each corner secure the mat using stakes. The mat includes a carrying bag. mingsmark.com

Campfire Industries

The Wolf’em Stick features a new five-piece Plus Accessory Pack. The pack includes the Big Bad Wolf biscuit attachment, the S’more Betta marshmallow attachment, two Wolf’em Extenders and an extra-large carrying bag. The biscuit attachment uses an entire piece of Grand biscuit dough to make a cup three times larger than the original attachment. The S’more Betta’s inverted spiral shape roasts two marshmallows at once. wolfem.com

RV News | April 2022

*Apr 22 RVN Book 5.indb 68

rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:18 PM

FlagPole Buddy

FlagPole Buddy’s Starlink Satellite Dishes pole mount kit enables RVers to locate a Starlink dish above the RV and away from ground obstructions. The mounting system and a 2-inch diameter aluminum pole enable consumers to angle the pole into the upper mount from the ground level. The pole comes in two 4-foot sections and is secured in two places by swaged tube connections and spring buttons. The kit does not include a Starlink dish. ﬂagpolebuddy.com

Hessaire Mar 22 Ad Approval.indd 1

20’

3/17/22 7:16 PM

SEWER HOSE KIT

Outer Bead for Superior Hose Protection!

Includes Free Drip Caps!

Fireside Outdoor

Fireside Outdoors’ Pop-Up Fire Pit features a 24-inch x 24-inch burn area. The Fire Pit weighs 7.8 pounds and includes a 500-square-inch cooking area. The fire pit features scalloped aluminum sides and a stainless-steel mesh base to ensure 99 percent ash containment. The fire pit includes a heat shield made from aluminum and fiberglass and heat-resistant hook and loop straps. The Pop-Up Fire Pit includes a carrying case and sets up in one minute. firesideoutdoor.com

• Super tough 25 mil TPE material • 100 mil protective outer beading • Rotating fittings prevent kinks • Spring back crush feature • 20’ kit includes two 10’ hoses & a 90° clear Universal Sewer Adapter www.valterra.com

rvnews.com

*Apr 22 RVN Book 5.indb 69

Valterra QP Apr 02 Ad Approval.indd 1

3/26/22 1:19 PM April 2022 | RV News 69

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The Best Of > CAMPING ACCESSORIES

DuoForm Plastics

The RV Screen Door Protector features a custom-blended plastic material to attach to RV screen doors. The material prevents pets from damaging or breaking through existing screen doors. The RV Screen Door Protector can be cut with scissors to fit and installs without hardware. The Protector includes a paw print design and measures 24 inches by 27 inches. duoformplastics.com/duo-pets

Southwire Co.

The Elite 500-watt portable power station features 515 watts of pure sine wave power. The power station includes a lithium battery and recharges in as little as one hour, 40 minutes. The Elite power station lasts 1,000 life cycles from fully charged to fully depleted. Power stations include an AC and DC charging adapter and can be charged four or eight separate ways depending on the model. southwire.com

Caframo

Pecos Outdoor

The Pecos Outdoor Table is 34 inches high with aircraft-grade aluminum legs extending 1.5 inches. The cutting surface measures 20 inches by 30 inches. The table weighs 25 pounds, has a 3,500-pound weight capacity and can stand in winds up to 60 mph. The table features orbital feet, a non-slip surface, a patented leg storage system and a built-in handle. pecosoutdoor.com

RV News | April 2022

*Apr 22 RVN Book 5.indb 70

The JOI Lamp uses a tea light candle to power eight LED lights. The LED lights provide 100 times the light of a tea light candle. The lamp can be extended and angled. The JOI Lamp weighs five pounds and measures 6.75 inches long by 6.75 inches wide and 9.5 inches tall. Built in Canada. joi.caframobrands.com

rvnews.com

3/28/22 5:18 PM

Xgimi Technology Co.

The new Halo+ FHD Smart Portable Projector includes Android TV and full 1080p HD image resolution. Intelligent Screen Adaption technology provides the ability to set the Halo+ up from almost any angle. The projector will focus automatically and optimize screen size, avoiding obstacles on a wall such as light switches or pictures. The projector boots within 10 seconds and has a two-hour playtime with a fully charged built-in battery. The projector weighs 3.5 pounds. Orders can be placed by emailing andres.gomez@xgimi.com. xgimi.com

Truma Corp.

The Truma Cooler C96DZ Dual Zone portable refrigerator/freezer includes two zones. The zones can be set to different temperatures. Each zone can range from minus-8 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees. The cooler includes 304-grade stainless-steel hinges, reinforced corners and a steel-reinforced body. Features include a reversible lid, digital display and two bottle openers. Connections for 12-volt and 24-volt power are on both ends, a USB port charges devices and the cooler can be controlled through a Bluetooth app. truma.net

Enviro-Log Co.

The KFCs 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog, created in partnership with Enviro-Log Co., provides easy-to-ignite fuel while smelling like KFC fried chicken. The fire log burns for up to three hours. The KFC log weighs 4.3 pounds. Enviro-Log Firelogs are made of 100 percent recycled materials and provide 50% more heat per pound than wood. enviro-log.net

Magma Products

The Crossover Series is a portable cooking system that operates as a stove, grill, pizza oven, griddle or plancha. The Crossover Firebox is built with 304-grade stainless steel and cast aluminum. A 15,000 BTU burner heats the grill and pizza to over 700 degrees. The heat provides searing on the griddle and plancha. The Crossover Firebox ignites with a single-click start. Folding side tables provide food preparation space. The Crossover Firebox is available in single- or doubleburner configurations. magmaproducts.com

rvnews.com

*Apr 22 RVN Book 5.indb 71

April 2022 | RV News

3/28/22 5:18 PM

Coming in May • Winnebago Dealer Meeting • Go RVing’s New Campaign

• Electronics & Control Systems • Jacks, Lifts, Leveling & Ride Control

• Dealer Profile

If you haven’t checked out rvnews.com in a while, stroll over and sign up for the daily newsletter, packed with timely relevant information from the RV News team.

Advertiser Index Adjust-A-Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Airxcel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Antennas Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Auto Motion Shade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Blue Ox Towing Products . . . . . . . . . Belly Band Brown & Brown dba Reed Brothers . . . . . . . 57 Camco Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Dave Carter & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Dometic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Eq United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Eq United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Graphix Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Harmony Enterprises dba Earthkind . . . . . 52 Hessaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Icon Technologies Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Intellitec Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Kuma Outdoor Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Laurelhurst Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Lavanture Products Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 72

RV News | April 2022

*Apr 22 RVN Book 5.indb 72

Thank you to our advertisers for their ongoing support of RV News magazine

Lippert Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Lippert dba Curt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Marshall Excelsior Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 National Auto Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Newmar Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Ntp-Stag Private Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC TST, Truck System Technologies . . . . . . . 54,61 ProPack Packaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Rev Recreation Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Rieco-Titan Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Robert Weed Plywood Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 RV/MH Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Southwire Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Stromberg Carlson Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Transworld Business Advisors Of The Blue Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Ultra-Fab Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 United States Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Valterra Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 rvnews.com

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Icon Apr *Apr 22 RVN 22 Ad Book Approval.indd 5.indb 3 1

3/24/22 3/28/22 10:49 5:18 PM AM

ALWAYS BE READY FOR THE ROAD.

TIRE LINC® TIRE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE MONITORING SYSTEM Always be ready for the road. Upgrade your RV with the tire pressure and temperature monitoring system (TPMS), that sends you tire notifications directly to your phone.

• Monitors and alerts drivers of high or low tire pressure and temperature • Easy, do-it-yourself installation • Works with OneControl ® app on iOS and Android devices • Kit includes 4 sensors and can also monitor up to 20 tires simultaneously Download the Lippert OneControl app via the Apple App Store or Google Play and take control of Tire Linc technology.

Apple and App Store are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

WHENEVER, WHEREVER, WE MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE BETTER. | lippert.com

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RV News April 2022

Articles inside

Rev Group Raising the Bar

A Stable Future Q&A with Jeff Rutherford