CareerCo, a partner with the RV Dealers Association, has been helping dealers find the right job applicants for several years through a pay-per-applicant model that allows dealers to access qualified people who have applied for jobs through the CareerCo online portal.

But a new program, unveiled during a Vendor Training Plus+ seminar during the recent Convention/Expo in Las Vegas, launched an enhanced service that dealers can take advantage of to broaden their searches without becoming swamped in a deluge of applicants who may or may not fit the bill.

The new Applicant Tracking program is just one part of CareerCo’s suite of products dealers can access through the RVDA’s Careers tab on its website.

Using Applicant Tracking, dealers can not only find applicants from CareerCo, but can place help-wanted ads on sites such as Craigslist and still use CareerCo’s methods of filtering that use a set list of questions to help eliminate candidates who are not qualified for the open job.

“With the Applicant Tracking program, they’ll be able to message candidates on the dashboard that we give them,” said Maryelen Adams, director of association partnerships with CareerCo. “They’ll be able to set appointments for the candidates and really save some time and money by deploying forms out to them for employer references. We can also integrate if they currently have a background check company or motor vehicle checks, we can help them integrate with that.”

The system also allows dealers to track where the best applicants are coming from, so in the future they can make better use of their search processes by eliminating websites that have not proven productive in finding the right candidates.

Adams said this is particularly helpful to smaller dealers who may not have the resources to commit to extensive searches, but still want to find the right employee.

“We have other industries we work with, but we’ve launched this in RV because there’s a real need – especially with the need for technicians and others to fill positions quickly and not waste time or money,” she said. “I would say about 95 percent of the dealers I work with don’t have dedicated HR departments, so these tasks fall on the owner or the department managers. Let’s face it, they have other things they could be doing.”

RVDA President Phil Ingrassia said about 70 RVDA member dealers have taken advantage of CareerCo’s pay-per-applicant program, and he sees potential benefits for dealers in the Applicant Tracking program, as well.

“They’ve got a lot of experience and can provide a real value for dealers who want to take advantage of that new program,” he said. “They are very responsive to questions that dealers may have, and we expect that to continue.”

Adams said that another important part of the Applicant Tracking program is that CareerCo will manage a dealership’s online careers pages.

“A lot of dealers don’t have careers pages on their websites. It’s a lost opportunity for them not to have it,” she said. “The first thing a job-seeker does if they see an ad is go to your website. You want to have a careers page that will keep job postings updated on there. People will be able to apply with the link right there on your own site. Dealers also will know if somebody applied through their site or not. It’s something we can design and manage for them. It will look like it’s living on their site, but it will be managed by CareerCo.”

But the overriding benefit of Applicant Tracking, Adams said, is the ability to make a search more efficient by posting the right ad and asking the right questions to eliminate unqualified candidates up-front, thereby saving the dealer and his team time and effort in sorting through piles of applications that often result from online ads.

“We encourage them to do all the things they can up-front to make better hires,” she said.

For more information, email RVDA@careerco.com.

Hanwa Surfaces will be showing its products at the 2016 National RV Trade Show, set for Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in Louisville. The company will be highlighting the Stratum Collection from its Hanex Solid Surfaces line of products, as well as from its signature HanStone Quartz brand at Booth #334.

“The RVIA Show is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the endless possibilities of our Hanex Solid Surfaces and to introduce our new, on-trend HanStone Quartz styles to the expanding recreational vehicles market,” said Stephen Becker, Hanwha’s vice president of sales and marketing. “There is so much innovation in this industry and we have designed our products to live up to the demands of modern RV design.”

HanStone Quartz is easy to maintain, eco-friendly, stain resistant, durable, nonporous and heat resistant. HanStone’s innovative approach enables the company to deliver the most consistent quality of product on the market today. Offering beauty tough enough to stand up to everyday life, with classic hues and movements, HanStone Quartz celebrates the natural world around us, while being on trend and appealing for all interior aspirations. To learn more about HanStone Quartz, visit www.hanstone-quartz.com.  

 Erwin Hymer Group North America has made some changes to its sales team in order to accommodate the large growth over the last few months and into the foreseeable future.

Paul Cassidy, formally the vice president of sales and service for towables, has been promoted to senior vice president of business development and will be leading the way for any new business ventures, aftermarket sales development, and strategic growth ideas that will help expand the company’s product line and position it for success. Cassidy also will remain in EHG’s key Director positions at both the RVIA and the CRVA.

Mike Snell will continue in his role as vice president of sales and service, but will now be in charge of both motorized and towables and will lead the sales teams for all brands.

Reporting to Snell are the newly appointed directors of sales who will cover the North American market. Ken Mitchell is now the director of sales for Southwest United States; Len McDougall is the director of sales for Eastern United States, and Eastern Canada (except Quebec); and Marcel Champoux is the senior director of sales for Northeastern United States, Western Canada and Quebec.  



Erwin Hymer Group North America also has expanded its regional sales managers to accommodate the growing dealer network for both the Roadtrek and Hymer brands.    



“We have one of the best sales teams in the industry and its exciting to be able to promote within our team and grow the group with other great sales professionals who know the business as well as we do.” said Jim Hammill, president and CEO of Erwin Hymer Group North America. “We have seen enormous growth over the past year and have more than doubled the amount of dealers in our network for our strong new and existing brands, and structuring the network of sales team ensures we are meeting the demands of our growing business.” 

The RV Dealers Association reports that a federal judge has blocked the U.S. Department of Labor's (USDOL's) overtime rule from taking effect on Dec. 1. Agreeing with arguments posed by concerned states and an array of business groups, the judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing the rules from being implemented on a nationwide basis.  

RVDA was among the business associations that urged the federal agency to consider regional income differences and modify the proposed rule's formula for updating overtime thresholds.   

The Fair Labor Standards Act says that employees can be exempt from overtime if they perform executive, administrative or professional duties, but the rule “creates essentially a de facto salary-only test,” wrote U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant.

The fate of the overtime rules is now uncertain, according to a statement by the labor law firm Fisher Phillips.   

"The Trump administration will take over the USDOL in less than two months' time, and the incoming administration has repeatedly indicated that it wants to eliminate unnecessary regulations hampering the business community. Unless an appeals court reverses course in the next several weeks and breathes new life into the rules, it is quite possible that the rules will be further delayed, completely overhauled, or altogether scrapped once President Trump takes office," the law firm stated.  

For more information and legal arguments surrounding the judge's decision, click here.

Aliner introduced what the company calls “the lightest, easiest towing, fully-equipped travel trailer in its class” recently, announcing the model in a news release recently.  

The Ascape measures 13 feet long, and is designed to be aerodynamic to slip behind smaller vehicles. It weighs just over 1,350 pounds.

The Ascape comes packed with standard features and is built with the lightest materials available, the company said. The walls are constructed with an .030 exterior aluminum skin and high-tech Azdel composites.

This low-profile trailer features a unique drop-floor design that provides just over six feet of interior headroom, while keeping the exterior height just under seven and a half feet. The Ascape was designed with a rear-entry door that allows for a smart, convenient floorplan that couldn't be achieved with a side-entry.  

"The Ascape is a progressive product that we are sure will not disappoint. For such a small trailer, the space inside is very welcoming," said Brett Randall, president of Aliner.  "Working together with the team members at Aliner, we feel this will truly please that market that has been waiting for a lighter concept."

The graphics of the Ascape are unique and modern. Bright bold green waves grace the sleek silver background making this trailer a showstopper. Mark Tait, president at RRG, Llc., collaborated with Aliner on the design concept and says, "The design on this innovative trailer is very unique.  We would like to thank all the crew at Aliner for working hard to bring this special RV into existence."

The Ascape will debut at Booth 2230 at the RVIA Louisville show next week.

In an effort to dial in the technical training courses offered at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., next week, the Tech Academy will offer fewer sessions more focused on demand from students.

“We went ahead and narrowed our focus and refined the offering, so that we had the most well-attended from last year available,” RVIA’s Tammy Holland said. 

Last year, students pre-registered for 417 Tech Academy classroom seats, but 30 percent remained empty at roll call. By focusing on more in-demand courses and adding instructors to increase attendance caps, Holland is hoping to reduce that attrition rate.

Currently, all 362 seats for this year’s training lineup are spoken for, but there’s still hope for late-registering attendees.

“I’m anticipating some cancellations, so people should show up early to registration, and they still may be able to get into some of these classes,” Holland said.

This year, a pair of RV manufacturers join the course lineup, marking a first for the Academy. Forest River will host a converter/inverter course, and Keystone RV will cover electrical systems to dealers of the company’s products.

Holland said that the she hadn’t requested RV makers join the courses, but she’s interested to see how it turns out as a potential offering at future shows. 

“This may be a whole different arena that we step into for next year. We’re just going to see how it goes,” she said.

Notably missing from this year’s Tech Academy are the product overview courses.

“There are other options for suppliers and manufacturers to showcase their new products, and that would be in the New Product Showcase,” Holland said. 

The RVIA team selected the lineup for this year’s event using last year’s top courses, taking feedback from attendees and input from in-field Technicians In Training reps, according to Holland.  

In addition to the pair of RV manufacturer courses, Tech Academy features new topics that include the Basic Systems class, which looks at the basics of propane, electricity and fire and life safety.

A new course from AquaHot will allow attendees to obtain certification from the supplier at the conclusion of the 8-hour course, and joins a troubleshooting course hosted by Gary Bunzer, who is known as the “RV Doctor”.

For more information about this year’s Tech Academy lineup, click here to view the complete schedule of courses, or inquire at the show for waitlist options.

Dometic is not a brand new company and its wide variety of offerings don’t feature a new brand name, but the supplier of mobile living products is embarking on a concerted rebranding effort to ensure consumers and dealers alike recognize the consistency of quality and utility of the products it offers.

Dometic’s new marketing plan unifies its array of products under the slogan: “Mobile Living Made Easy”.

To many, it may only be obvious that Dometic products are just that – Dometic products. However, when there is such a broad selection of products available – many of them coming from companies that Dometic has acquired over the years – it became apparent to company executives that there was a need to harmonize those products under the Dometic umbrella to build that awareness through “Mobile Living Made Easy”, which was introduced at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky.

“The idea is to own this category,” says John Primm, vice president of aftermarket sales for Dometic. “If you look at all the great products we make, they are designed to do just that – to allow people to go where they want to go and stay there as long as they want to stay and have our great products to make that happen and to enjoy family memories and longstanding relationships.”

 A Multitude of Product Offerings

Dometic’s rebranding is not just about throwing some new colors and a different logo on a package, although that is part of the change. More than that, it is an effort to make sure that all parts of the company – whether making coolers or awnings or toilet products – are operating at the same levels of engineering and design and promoting their products as a family.

“As we’ve gone through many, many years of Dometic being in business, we’ve continued to grow through innovation and so forth and one of the ways we’ve done that is through acquisition,” says Trey Miller, director of marketing – Americas. “Through acquisitions, we have a lot of legacy sub-brands. Now we’re bringing all of those sub-brands into what we call ‘One Dometic’, so it’s an overarching global Dometic brand.”

Even the creation of the rebranding was a global effort. Miller credits Peter Kjellberg, Dometic’s chief marketing officer and formerly senior vice president of marketing for Thule Group, the Swedish-based maker of popular bike racks and carriers and other outdoor equipment, with creating the Dometic rebranding.

After about 18 months of work on the project, the right balance was achieved.

“He’s really been the driving force behind this and started from the ground up,” Miller says of Kjellberg. “He’s brought in quite a few people that helped him go through the same process at Thule. It was a very successful rebranding for that company. He’s taken a lot of those elements and is doing it with Dometic as well.”

Unity is important in Dometic’s case, given the international nature of the company and the fact that its products are not just used in the RV industry. Primm notes that Dometic brands are used in RVs and by outdoor enthusiasts, but also in the marine industry and by many over-the-road truck drivers.

“With our growth from acquiring other well-known brands and products – the overall intent of this is that whether it’s an RV user or truck driver or whomever – when they see that Dometic brand, they’ll automatically have a connection with it,” he says. “This harmonization will do exactly that. It’s the one global brand that will be recognized whether you’re in the United States or Europe or Australia or wherever, when you see this brand, you’ll know that’s Dometic.”

Bringing the different products together, as well as acquired brands such as Atwood and Fantastic Vent, requires determining a common denominator, however. For example, how does a company tie together a stove or induction cooktop (introduced at the Louisville show) with a gravity-flush toilet or an air conditioner?

That’s where the idea of “Mobile Living Made Easy” comes into play.

Primm says Dometic’s products can be broken down into three categories: food and beverage, hygiene and sanitation, and climate.

Dometic then finds ways to apply those categories to the appropriate mobile market.

“If you stop and think, if you’re on the beach or outside on your deck or on a family picnic, we have products to provide conveniences for each of those categories,” he says. “We truly hone in on those and make people enjoy their event and enjoy the lifestyle of being out and active and stay there as long as they wish and still have the comforts of home.”

Although all of Dometic’s sub-brands will be brought together under the parent company’s name, that does not mean the legacy of those products will not remain an important part of their history.

People who have long been loyal to the other brands before Dometic bought them will continue to recognize the quality and features they are accustomed to, according to Miller.

“We’re not in a position where we say we’re just going to scrap all of that legacy know-how and innovation,” he says. “What we’ve done is we’ve just brought that into the fold of Dometic. … We continue to build on that. We’ll continue to do that with all of the sub-brands, not only in the U.S., but globally. We have 22 manufacturing facilities all over the world. We sell our products in over 100 countries under so many different names. Now we will be bringing all of those together under this Dometic umbrella and really showing we’re a cohesive global powerhouse in this mobile living market.”

December RV PRO Online Now

To read the complete story about Dometic's rebranding effort, read RV PRO's December issue online now.

Other highlights from this issue include:

• Diesel C’s Gaining on Gas
• RV Fridges Built for Rigors of the Road
• Q&A with CRVA’s Shane Devenish

Jameel McGee and Andrew Collins shared a story of fate, faith and forgiveness with about 200 gathered at the annual RVI Prayer Breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Wednesday morning.

A near-capacity group attended the 7 a.m. event to hear the story from McGee and Collins, who conveyed the role that faith has played in bringing them together as friends after a decade-long journey of misdeeds and imprisonment.

In 2006, Collins wrongfully implicated McGee in a drug bust, resulting in McGee spending four years in prison for a crime he hadn’t committed.

McGee, who was taken away from his newborn son to serve a ten-year sentence, was understandably angry.

“I set a goal for myself and that goal was to harm him ... I need to avenge this hurt,” McGee said of his early years in prison.

The case was one of several in which Collins falsified evidence in his young career as a Michigan police officer. Eventually, the crimes caught up to Collins, and after pleading guilty to drug possession charges, he was sentenced to federal prison and McGee was exonerated.

“Three years into my sentence, I go to my room, and there’s a Bible sitting there. ... I said, ‘Today I’m going to start reading the Bible.’

“That’s when God said, ‘Hey, listen to me.’ And I got a message of ‘Let it go. Just let it all go.’ ” 

Years later, the two men wound up working at the same faith-based community program, testing McGee’s faith and forgiveness.

I said ‘Man I’m so sorry,’” Collins said. “He said, ‘You’re forgiven.’ ”

Today, the two share the story as friends and colleagues, promoting faith and forgiveness.

“It’s amazing all that’s going on in the RV industry, but these RVs will rust,” Collins said. “At the end of our lives, I doubt any of us will be sitting there saying, ‘Man, I wish I would have sold just one more RV.’”

Don’s RV Center is set for expansion following the Stanislaus County Planning Commission’s recent approval of the center’s plans to create an additional RV yard, the Turlock Journal reports. 

“We’ve simply outgrown the space we’re in,” said owner Don Clark. “We’re expanding because the economy is good, and all the signs are good.”

The 4.87 acre parcel, located adjacent to the existing RV center at 4872 Rohde Road, east of Highway 99 in the Keyes area, was approved to be designated from Medium Density Residential to Commercial in order to allow for the expansion at the planning commission’s Nov. 17 meeting. The expansion will take place in three phases, and when completed will bring an additional 101 RV parking spaces to the business.

Phase One, proposed to be completed within 18 months, includes 30 new RV spaces along the frontage of Rohde Road, fencing and landscaping of the perimeter, a new driveway, two new gates, parking lots lights and additional surveillance. Phase Two of the project will be completed within 30 months and includes 71 additional RV spaces. Phase Three, which will be completed within 36 months, will pave the new RV spaces.

Campers Inn RV announced the acquisition of Tom Stinnett Derby City RV in Clarksville, Ind. Campers Inn RV is excited to serve the Louisville RV market, and it plans to retain Derby City RV staff and integrate its operations into its corporate infrastructure. 

“This is a very proud day for myself and the Campers Inn RV organization,” said Jeff Hirsch, President-Owner of Campers Inn RV. “We are aligning with one of the premier dealers in the US, as well as an industry titan. We are extremely excited about the opportunity to further our quest westward with this acquisition. As we continue our expansion efforts, we look forward to developing more Campers Inn RV stores in the Midwest.”

Tom Stinnett founded Tom Stinnett Derby City RV in 1978. Since then, it has grown into one of the premier RV dealerships in the Midwest, and it boasts the largest interior showroom in the US. RV Business honored the dealership with a Top 50 award in 2014, and it has received numerous Top Dealer awards from a variety of manufacturers. Stinnett has served as Chairman for the RVDA and RVAC, and he has been a member and Co-Chairman of GoRVing.

"I am extremely pleased to be adding Tom Stinnett Derby City RV to the Campers Inn RV family,” Stinnett said. “Their culture, integrity and business model are a perfect fit for our dealership and our employees. I look forward to assisting Jeff and his team at Campers Inn RV in reaching their expansion goals.”

Co-Owner Paul Cunningham, a long-time RV salesperson and manager, partnered with Stinnett in 2010. Cunningham will serve as the General Sales Manager for the new dealership. “With Tom, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside a great partner and a true force in the RV industry,” said Cunningham. “I’m looking forward to continuing working with Tom, as well as the Campers Inn RV team, who are another group of industry leaders.”

This dealership will become the 16th location operated by Campers Inn RV. The new store represents the company’s ambition to grow its dealerships beyond the East Coast, as well as expand the network of resources available to customers traveling the country.

The dealership will be under the direction of Regional Director Ed Unger III. “I am excited to be working again in the Midwest RV market,” Unger said. “I am looking forward to helping Tom Stinnett Derby City RV join the Campers Inn RV family. I have always held Tom Stinnett and his team in high regard.  Tom has built a fantastic dealership, and he has been a great leader in the RV industry for many years.  This is a great location to continue to build the Campers Inn RV brand, and it will help us to achieve our goal of being the trusted resource in the marketplace.”

Phil Ingrassia, president of the RV Dealers Association will address the industry’s top salespeople at Sobel University’s Advanced Comprehensive Sales Course on Dec. 7.

Enrollment is already over 120 of the top managers and sales people in the industry. Many of these professionals are too busy in the season to see all the benefits that RVDA provides them as an industry.

“We are excited to have Phil, with his more than 20 years supporting RV dealers, share what RVDA does for them in the trenches,” Sobel University President Randy Sobel said.  “With RVDA at the forefront of dealer-manufacturer issues, as well as state and federal legislation this will an incredible opportunity for our students.”

Pre-registration is required. To learn more visit sobeluniversity.com or call 253-565-2577.

The RV Dealers and RV Industry Associations joined a group of about a dozen outdoor industry organizations to request a meeting with President-Elect Mike Pence’s transition team. 

The group represents a coalition of outdoor industry groups that have banded together over the past year to work toward a common interest, according to the letter. 

“This past year, leaders of outdoor industry associations made an unprecedented move to join forces and strategically work together for the benefit of American outdoor recreation as a whole,” the letter said. 

The coalition hopes to work with the new administration to establish an “Outdoor Recreational Business Roundtable” as a White House-level advisory group to “address sector specific opportunities and select executives that collectively represent the interests of the outdoor recreation industry,” the letter said. 

The group also looks to discuss infrastructure needs and funding for the Federal Lands Transportation Program and the Federal Lands Access Program“to pay for the completion of all surface transportation projects in and leading to federal public lands and waters before the end of your first term.” 

Other issues discussed in the letter include workforce development and recexpansion of recreational access at federally managed lands and waters. 

In response to strong demand for its products, Keystone RV Company, a subsidiary of Thor Industries announced that it has broken ground for the construction of two new manufacturing plants, the company announced in a news release Wednesday (Nov. 30).   

The two plants, which will total 200,000 square feet, will be located on the south side of Keystone's Goshen campus. Working in conjunction with local contractors to enhance the speed of the construction process, Keystone expects the new facilities to be completed during the early first half of calendar 2017 –  months ahead of the usual construction time.  Once fully staffed, the new plants will employ 250-300 additional workers.

According to Keystone RV CEO Matt Zimmerman, the addition of these new manufacturing plants will help the company stay ahead of growing demand for its products while maintaining rigorous quality standards.

"We have seen tremendous growth in demand for our travel trailers and fifth wheels over the past year, driven by our relentless pursuit of innovation in each of our product lines," he said. "Our dealers have been doing a tremendous job of attracting new buyers and generating repeat sales for Keystone.  To meet emerging demand, we have decided to approach our capacity needs in a way that ensures we can produce the high volumes the market demands while maintaining the high level of quality that Keystone is known for. This sizeable investment in manufacturing capacity and in our people will help ensure that we are prepared to deliver the products our dealers need, when they need them, at the quality our customers expect." 

With the addition of these two new plants, total Keystone RV Company Northern Indiana employment will be approximately 4,800, a record high for the company.  Add to this approximately 700 employees at the Company's facilities in Pendleton, Oregon, and total Keystone RV Company employment is about 5,500. Keystone will now have 40 total production and support facilities with 32 of those facilities located in Indiana. 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Buoyed by sustained growth and record shipments, strong traffic in exhibits and reports of strong sales set an upbeat start in the opening days of the National RV Trade Show.

The show, which began with training sessions on Monday, followed by exhibition opening Tuesday, concludes today (Dec. 1).

“The buzz on the show floor is a good indicator of the success of any live event,” said Liz Crawford, RVIA Senior Vice President, Trade Shows and Events. “This show represents the industry. The optimism, and the true international representation play an important role in defining a trade show’s success. Nowhere else will you see this wide scope of key players, new players, and media in attendance.”

“It’s been a great show,” said Lindsey Reines, Reines RV Center. “I’m way behind because there’s so much to see. I thought we could do it in two days, but there’s so much, it’s just not possible.”

“Our new products have been well received,” said Bob Wheeler, Airstream. “Traffic has been very strong in our booth this year.”

“The show has quite a different feel this year,” said Debbie Brunoforte, Little Dealer Little Prices. “I’ve loved the changes to make it more entertaining and interactive. I’ve enjoyed the show, and others have too.”

“Louisville is a true industry showcase,” said John Sammut, Newmar. “It’s the only place where the whole industry comes together to show what we are.”

“It’s been very good for us,” said Scott Degnan, Winnebago. “We were a little concerned coming in because we had our biggest Open House ever, but we’ve been writing a high number of orders. Our dealers are positive. We’re very happy.”

The National RV Trade Show runs through Thursday, December 1 at 1:00 PM. Buyer attendees are encouraged to stop by the Go RVing Exhibit in the South Hall Atrium at noon on Thursday for the VIP Kentucky Derby prize giveaway sponsored by the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. All buyer attendees are eligible but the winner must be present to win.

Attendance numbers will be released when the post-show audit has been completed.

Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance has expanded its lineup of dealer services, adding its CDFconnect to offer the company’s partners access to business services, according toTim Hyland, president of Wells Fargo CDF's RV Group.

The program includes process improvements, training, market insights and succession planning, encompassing existing CDF services such as Dealer Insights, to add training, support and consulting to customers.

“We listen to our customers, and try to find out what they need,” Hyland explained in an interview at the National RV Show this week.. “As an example, succession planning is something that is a key topic for dealers right now, so we put together some information on succession planning: how they can think about it, how they can prepare for it and what they need to do today to prepare.”

The program leverages various CDF resources, data and economic analysis, in an attempt to help business owners make decisions about the company through one-on-one consulting, training sessions, webinars or tradeshow roundtables.

“Really, it’s about a relationship that we have with our customers, and them in partnership with us, talking about what they need to run their businesses and us helping to develop the ideas with the information and the content that they need to address the what their issues are,” Hyland said.

For more information, visit cdf.wf.com/cdfconnect. 

Members of the Public Affairs Committee of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (arvc) joined forces with two other industry groups, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), to ask Members of Congress to support the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act (Outdoor REC Act). The act was passed by both houses of Congress by unanimous and bipartisan votes in November.

The Outdoor REC Act directs the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, to conduct an assessment and analysis of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States and the effects attributable to this segment of the economy on the overall economy of the United States. The Act was passed by the United States House of Representatives on Monday, November 14 and by the United States Senate on Monday, November 28.

Members of arvc’s Public Affairs Committee and their coalition partners from RVIA and RVDA traveled to Capitol Hill this past summer to ask members of Congress for their support of the bill, which was introduced a year ago by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH and Senator Cory Gardner, R-CO. The Outdoor REC Act is expected to be signed into law by President Obama before the end of the year.

In the U.S., the outdoor recreation economy is a major driver of job creation and growth. However, unlike other major sectors in the U.S. economy, the federal government currently does not track the contributions of the outdoor recreation sector to economic growth. The data gained through the newly-authorized assessment and analysis will be crucial to help quantify the economic importance of outdoor recreation and to help inform the decisions that affect businesses and millions of RVers who recreate outside each year. It will also provide tools elected officials can use to make more informed policy decisions and to gain a better understanding of the role the outdoor industry has on the nation’s overall economic health.

Al Johnson, arvc Public Affairs Chairman stated, “It is imperative for arvc to work with our industry partners and present a unified voice to our lawmakers on legislation like this that will quantify the RV park and campground industry’s impact on the U.S. economy. This bill provides the way for outdoor recreation to receive the consideration it deserves in Congress.” 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Winnebago President and CEO Michael Happe gave dealers and other show attendees a candid assessment of how the RV manufacturer is performing today and areas where it still needs to improve during a short presentation on Wednesday.

Happe made his remarks during what the RV maker billed as “Winnebago Talks” with key executives during three separate sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday at Winnebago’s booth at the National RV Trade Show. Other executives to make presentations on Tuesday were Scott Degnan, vice president and general manager of the towables division, and Brian Hazelton, vice president and general manager of the company’s motorized division.

Happe told the audience he was hired by Winnebago’s Board of Directors in late 2015 with a mandate to make changes in three key areas: rebuild and strengthen the company’s core motorhome business, make the business relevant in towables, and identify new ways to strengthen and diversify the overall company’s overall portfolio.

“So, we went to work ... to see what blend of the old and the new was necessary to achieve those goals and ensure Winnebago has a rightful place as one of this industry’s best manufacturers,” Happe said.

He emphasized that the RV manufacturer has many strengths, including the most recognized and preferred brand in the industry, good overall financial health, and a dedicated team of veteran industry professionals who Happe said are dedicated to doing right by its customers.

“But we also need to be honest with ourselves about what was not working as well as it could be,” he said. “Our brand is aging. It’s a respected leadership brand, relevant with some of our most loyal customers, but not as relevant as it should be with some of our future generational customers. Our product vitality – that is, our combination of innovation and value – has decreased relative to some of our competitors.”

Meanwhile, dealer relations could be improved and operational complexity in some of the RV maker’s motorized product is too high, which prevents the business from being as nimble as it should be, according to Happe. Additionally, Winnebago previously wasn’t providing its towables business with “the support and commitment it needed to fully reach it’s future potential,” he said.

Happe said Winnebago has since made leadership changes in its motorized and towables divisions, it has re-started its dealership council, it has increased manufacturing capacity at its Iowa facilities and it has allocated resources to make sure its new manufacturing facility in Oregon will be fully operational in late 2017. Winnebago also has stepped up product value in its Class A gas offerings, he said.

Still, Winnebago’s biggest move thus far since Happe was hired in December 2015 has been its acquisition of towables business Grand Design in October. Happe called the decision a “bold, $500 million move that ultimately strengthens Winnebago Industries culturally, strategically and financially. The industry’s most iconic brand welcomes the industry’s fastest-growing brand, ever.”

Happe noted that the Grand Design acquisition has already grown the RV maker’s towables business from 10 percent to 35 percent as a percentage of total company sales and he said that the move signals to dealers, customers and competitors that “Winnebago will compete for relevance and share in the towables segment.”

Still, Happe told audience members that Winnebago still has much work to do in 2017, including more talent changes, more operational improvements, more upgrades to products, and a clean, successful integration with Grand Design. He said Winnebago also will develop a three-year strategic business plan that includes growing profitably in the RV arena and possibly into complementary outdoor industries. 

CURT Manufacturing, a manufacturer of USA-made towing products, has developed new testing capabilities at its engineering facility in Wixom, Mich., the company said in a news release Friday (Nov. 2).  

This multi-faceted, three-axis, real-time test allows us to prove the safety of our hitches like never before and is setting a new standard in the towing industry in North America.

Based on testing developed by European manufacturers called the Carlos TC (Car Loading Standard, Trailer Coupling), this new test is designed to simulate towing in the real world. It does this using three actuators and varying loads. While many tests today apply load pressure up and down, we are able to simulate actual driving conditions by pushing, pulling, lifting and pressing at the coupling point. These forces are applied in varying combinations and degrees, to mimic the behavior of a real trailer in tow. 

“It is important that we are testing our products to the state-of-the-art, and the Carlos TC test and our latest North American industry work are important steps in furthering that goal,” Robert Krouse, director of R&D and Testing and Wixom Engineering said. 

To learn more about testing capabilities in Wixom, check out this video. 

Equalizer Systems Division Manager Jason Loose announced promotions to the company's sales team in a news release Friday (Dec. 2).  

“There have been some great changes in the industry and we are very pleased to have a great sales team to keep up with the changes.’’  Jason also added, “Our whole team is available to service our industry and our individual consumer.”  

Jamey Lehman has been named the new R&D Manager/OEM Sales.  Jamey started at Equalizer Systems a little over three years ago, starting as an Inside Sales Representative. Although Jamey has been with the company only a short time he brings over thirty-two years of experience to our industry, and is very knowledgeable with all the systems and parts Equalizer Systems has to offer.

Nick Godfrey was promoted to Outside Sales Representative. Nick has been working hard since he was hired six months ago as an Inside Sales Representative.  Nick has over fourteen years of experience in the industry. He has been eagerly learning the Equalizer Systems parts and systems and looks forward to working with Equalizer Systems customers and consumers.

Daniel Trevino has been promoted to Inside Sales Representative.  Daniel has been with Equalizer Systems for five months as a service and installation technician.  He has firsthand knowledge of the parts, systems, and the proper installation techniques.  He is ready to answer the phone and answer any questions customers have.

Jason Loose Equalizer Systems Division Manager, concluded in saying, “We are so pleased with our whole team at Equalizer Systems, and are here for all the needs that fit our ever growing industry.” Equalizer Systems is a division of Days Corporation and has proudly been serving the horse trailer, motorsports, commercial, and RV markets for twenty-six years.

New data suggests it's been a strong year for the RV aftermarket and feelings are generally positive for 2017, according to an RVAA member survey conducted last month.

• 96 percent of all respondents report their 12-month net earnings (after taxes) in the RV aftermarket were higher, or about the same, compared to the previous year. The majority (64 percent) reported higher net earnings, and 32 percent reported being flat. Only 5 percent indicated a decline. 
• More aftermarket suppliers (73 percent) than distributors (60 percent) reported higher net earnings in 2016.
• Looking ahead to next year, nearly 7 in 10 respondents believe business conditions will be about the same in 2017, while about a quarter feel things will be even better. Five percent believe conditions will be worse over the next 12 months.
• Distributors are slightly more bullish about 2017, with 40 percent of respondents in that category indicating they expect next year to be even better, compared to 20% of suppliers who feel the same.
• Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of suppliers, and 60 percent of distributors, believe 2017 will be on par with this year. 
• The majority of all respondents (54 percent) are uncertain about whether conditions are right to expand their business over the next 12 months, but about one-third believe they are.  Only 9 percent are certain conditions are not agreeable to expanding in 2017.