When the deadly Hill Country floods hit Kerr County, several people sprang into action to save lives, according to KHOU.
Lorena Guillen and her husband ran to every RV they could in their park to alert people to the danger they were in on the morning of July 4.
Now, one of the families the couple saved is back in Ingram at their campground, looking to help in any way they can to restore the beloved campground when the time is right.
Two weeks after the deadly July 4 floods, the damage left behind — water in the campgrounds and nearby search crews — is hard to grasp.
“God, this was so beautiful. All of the green grass was right here where the water is right now. I can’t believe the water is so high still,” Abner said.
HOUSTON, Texas – PPL Motor Homes has announced a $15,000 donation to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country’s Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, supporting recovery efforts following the devastating floods that struck the region on July 4.
“As a native Texan and a father, my heart aches for the families in Kerr County whose lives were upended by the devastating floods,” said Juan Tejeda, CEO of PPL Motor Homes. “This tragedy struck on a day meant for celebration and reminds us how quickly life can change. At PPL Motor Homes, we believe in standing with our neighbors during their most difficult moments. Our donation is one way we hope to bring some relief and honor the resilience of a community that continues to show strength, unity, and heart in the face of loss.”
Founded in 1972, PPL Motor Homes is a Texas-based RV dealership with six nationwide locations and a proud legacy of community support and service.
ESSLINGEN, Germany – Hydrogen-based fuel cell systems are finding their way into a wide range of applications as part of the decarbonization of industry and mobility. Purem by Eberspaecher offers a customized exhaust air system that guarantees effective water management and compliance with applicable noise emission legislations, according to a press release.
Hydrogen-based fuel cell systems feature high energy density and emission-free operation. In comparison to other fuels, the hydrogen used is easier to store, allowing more energy to be released, even in compact spaces. Fuel cells are therefore especially suitable for long-distance trucks that cover several hundred to thousands of miles with heavy loads, as well as for stationary applications. Electrical energy is released through the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Water vapor is produced as a by-product and must be removed. The exhaust air system from Purem by Eberspaecher has been developed using expertise in exhaust technology and addresses precisely this issue.
Efficient water management The exhaust air system consists of several individual components that can be combined to form a complete system that matches the user’s requirements. To protect the compressor unit and ensure efficient operation of the fuel cell stack, the condensate produced must be separated from the anode and cathode paths. This is either eliminated or recycled for later use. The specially developed water separators from Purem by Eberspaecher are designed for high mass flows by ensuring low back pressure and high separation efficiency. They ensure efficient water management and thus optimized operation of the fuel cell system.
Acoustic solutions for fuel cell systems To reduce noise emissions and meet customer requirements, Purem by Eberspaecher develops special silencers for fuel cell systems. Based on expertise from exhaust technology, these are designed for use in intake and exhaust air systems of fuel cell vehicles and are resistant to high air humidity and water condensate.
Customized design The exhaust air system is designed for a wide range of applications for fuel cell systems with a broad performance spectrum. Depending on the customer request and available installation space, the individual components are combined and designed as a complete system.
Promising practical tests A reduction in noise emissions has been confirmed thanks to a simulation phase carried out over several months in collaboration with development service provider AVL. Silencers from Purem by Eberspaecher were installed in a demo truck and delivered impressive results during testing. On this basis, further trials are being planned for the test track.
AUSTIN, Texas and SURFERS PARADISE, Australia — A new report from Newbook, the leading property management software provider for RV parks and campgrounds, has found that today’s outdoor traveler looks different than even a few years ago. According to the just-released RV & Camping Consumer Insights Report 2025, a new wave of digitally savvy, convenience-driven guests is reshaping the RV and campground experience — from how they book to what they expect on-site.
The report, based on a survey of over 1,000 U.S. outdoor travelers, shows that demand for quick getaways, reliable connectivity, and clean facilities now rivals the draw of scenic views and classic campfires. Gen Z and Millennials are leading the charge, with evolving preferences that require operators to rethink everything from site amenities to booking flows.
“Today’s campers expect a seamless experience from start to finish,” said Shaun Cornelius, general manager of Newbook. “They want the freedom of the outdoors with the ease and speed of modern tech — and they’re rewarding the campgrounds that deliver both.”
Key Findings from the 2025 Report:
Online Booking Takes Over: 64% of travelers now book trips online, with Millennials (75%) and Gen Z (71%) driving adoption. Yet only 36% book directly with properties, signaling a clear opportunity for operators to grow margins and guest relationships.
Wi-Fi is Essential, But Not for Work: While 78% of guests expect high-speed Wi-Fi, most aren’t using it for remote work. Instead, they’re looking to stay connected for entertainment and social sharing. Still, younger travelers are open to extending trips if working remotely is an option.
Tent Camping Makes a Comeback: 39% of Gen Z and Millennials booked a tent camping experience last year—nearly 4x the rate of Baby Boomers. The appeal of unplugging (without disconnecting entirely) is strong among younger guests.
Cleanliness Outranks Connectivity: 71% of respondents ranked clean bathrooms as a top priority—more than any other amenity, including Wi-Fi. For 62% of travelers, cleanliness is the single most important reason they return.
Pets Are Part of the Plan: Nearly 1 in 5 travelers brought pets along on recent trips, with Millennials and Gen Z far more likely to prioritize pet-friendly accommodations than older generations.
Shorter Stays Dominate: 44% of travelers said their longest trip was just 1–2 nights. For operators, this means optimizing for frequent turnovers while also offering incentives for longer stays—especially to younger travelers who are more likely to stay 3–6 nights.
“We’re seeing more variety than ever before in how people travel,” said Cornelius. “Operators need to support solo Gen Z travelers, families with kids and pets, and weekend warriors — all at the same time. Flexibility and clarity are critical.”
The report also underscores the growing importance of property websites. Guests rank clear presentation of information, real-time availability, and authentic reviews as top features — suggesting that ease of use is directly tied to booking decisions.
At Newbook, a Storable company, we’re redefining property management for specialty real estate. Tailored for the RV & camping industry, Newbook provides the industry’s leading all-in-one technology platform. Our solutions integrate management software, reservation tools, online bookings, payments, and more to simplify operations, delight guests, and drive revenue growth. Dedicated to empowering RV & campground owners and operators, Newbook helps you win more every day. Explore our platform solutions at www.newbook.cloud.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a News & Insights report by the RV Industry Association.
Lightspeed’s Associate Director of OEM Business Development, Jeremy Johnson
As Lightspeed’s Associate Director of OEM Business Development, Jeremy Johnson is dedicated to building relationships in the RV sector and promoting Lightspeed’s technology solutions.
Throughout Jeremy’s career, he has focused on technology. “My career began in January of 2000, when I started at 50 Below’s Sales and Marketing, which was selling websites to dealers including Honda, Kawasaki, and Polaris Industries. So, I started calling dealers and selling websites.”
At the time, websites were a new concept to most of 50 Below’s clients. “Back in 2000, I was selling to people that had no idea what a website was, for the most part,” he recalls. “I sold many dealers their first websites, and I helped them register their first domain name.”
Jeremy gained valuable hands-on experience working with Polaris — conducting outbound sales and enhancing their dealers’ websites— before later taking on managerial-focused roles within 50 Below, which provided valuable experience for his career path. “I transitioned more into retaining our current customers and managing our retention teams,” he reflects. “And then I shifted my focus full-time on OEM program management, which means I worked to get endorsement of our products with manufacturers, received invites to dealer meetings, and sought out co-op opportunities. It was the beginning of what I’m still doing today.”
Eventually, 50 Below was purchased by ARI Network Services. For Jeremy, however, his day-to-day remained largely unchanged. “I had a new company name, but my title and responsibilities stayed the same,” he explained.
After 19 years with ARI Network Services, Jeremy later became employed at Digital Marketing Solutions, a startup that developed a website trade evaluation conversion tool , Trade Cycle, which increases customer engagement and generates more trade-in leads for the powersports, RV, and marine dealers. He then briefly moved into the automotive space, where he directed sales and business development for RideStyler (a wheel and tire visualizer), before becoming employed at Lightspeed.
“I was in Las Vegas at the SEMA Show when I got a call from Lightspeed, who was looking at expanding their business development,” Jeremy recalls. “They were calling me for a referral. As it turns out, I referred myself!”
Now, three and a half years later, Jeremy works closely with RV dealers and manufacturers to help provide technology solutions. On Lightspeed’s team, Jeremy is dedicated to the RV and trailer industries, while other members of his team focus on the marine, powersports, and the golf industries.
“Lightspeed’s been around for over 40 years,” he says. “We’re probably one of the first dealer management systems out there as a whole. Lightspeed began with a focus in powersports before expanding into the marine industry and, within the last several years, has started working more extensively within the RV sector. We are a market leader for dealer management systems for the powersports and marine industries, and we want to become the same in the RV industry as well.
In his role as Lightspeed’s Associate Director of OEM Business Development, Jeremy focuses on working with RV manufacturers and dealers, providing them with integration opportunities through Lightspeed’s Dealer Management System software.
“We have a Dealer Management System used by dealers. They’ll make sales and input the information in our system,” Jeremy explains. “Oftentimes they have to get a lot of this information in or out of manufacturer portals. Lightspeed’s Dealer Management System talks with their portal, cutting down on all the tasks with manual entry so dealers won’t have to redo it more than once.”
For example, he says, when a dealer buys a unit from a manufacturer to sell on their own lot, they receive a purchase order, which includes numerous lines of information (VIN, year, make model interior color, exterior color, axles, cost, etc.). “This is a lot of manual input they have to do,” says Jeremy.
Lightspeed’s Dealer Management System allows the dealer to obtain the information directly from the manufacturer. “Now, a dealer can go into the Dealer Management System and grab that list of information directly from the manufacturer,” Jeremy explains. “They may have to edit a couple of fields and add it to their inventory, then they hit save, and it’s done. So, something that probably took them 5-10 minutes in the past is going to take them 30 to 60 seconds.”
“We’re really trying to push technology with the RV industry,” he says. “We’re seeing a shift in both mindset and ownership — businesses are looking for technology to help them streamline operations and drive growth.”
Another example of Lightspeed’s technology is their recently-unveiled extensive VIN decoding support for units from Forest River, Jayco, Highland Ridge RV, Entegra Coach, Starcraft, Venture RV, Alliance RV, Brinkley RV and KZ RV. This means that dealers who have Lightspeed can use the VIN numbers from those manufacturers’ units to pre-populate accurate unit details across inventory, parts, service, and warranty workflows. This reduces manual entry, eliminates data errors, and streamlines operations from sales to service.
Additionally, Lightspeed recently worked with Alliance RV to launch parts pricing, meaning that Alliance RV dealers using Lightspeed’s platform will now have instant access to up-to-date parts pricing when adding items to parts orders or repair orders. This enhances operations and improves pricing accuracy, which is especially important amid shifting tariffs and supply chain conditions.
“Lightspeed is really trying to continue our momentum,” says Jeremy. “And the technology we’re sharing with the RV industry is similar to what we’ve shared with companies in the powersports industry, like Polaris, BRP, Honda, and Yamaha. The RV industry can use Lightspeed’s same technology,” Jeremy explains. “It’s the same reason why, for example, many people today use smartphones instead of flip phones. The improved technology just makes our lives easier.”
Even as Jeremy embraces technology, he also champions outdoor recreation in both his personal and professional life. “I love the outdoors. My wife and I live in Duluth, MN, and she works for Lightspeed as well. We have two children who are active in sports, and living in northern Minnesota means there’s opportunities for hunting, fishing, and camping, too. I like to get out and enjoy the outdoors as much as I’m able. I have a busy work schedule with travel, but we include the outdoors where we can!”
Jeremy’s dedication to the RV industry has sparked a deep involvement across the sector. He is a member of the RV Dealers Association’s Convention and Expo Committee. Additionally, he is connected with the RV industry’s trade press; most recently, he participated in a webinar with RVBusiness to discuss the latest developments with Lightspeed’s Dealer Management System.
Jeremy is extensively involved with the RV Industry Association. “As Lightspeed’s ‘face of RVing,’ I want to become involved with the RV industry as much as possible, because I really think the RV Industry Association’s efforts help Lightspeed’s customers: the dealerships using our product.”
He highly values the Association’s RVs Move America Week, which he attended earlier this year (his second year at the event). “Without advocating for and protecting the RV industry, there would be fewer places for people to camp and be active outdoors, as well as fewer dealerships. That’s not good for anybody,” he explains. “So, strength in numbers is great, as is working with the legislators. Being there, having a voice, and having people attend from so many different states is definitely helpful when sharing our legislative priorities.”
He also participated in the RV Industry Association’s Leadership Conference, which occurred during March in Phoenix, AZ. Lightspeed sponsored one of the event’s keynote speakers, Chris Duffy.
Along with attending the RV Industry Association’s events, Jeremy is a member of the Market Information Committee, which assists Association staff in supporting the gathering, analyzing, publishing, and distributing of wholesale RV shipment trend data.
As part of his mission to continue forging connections with the RV industry, Jeremy recently visited Elkhart, IN, the RV Capital of the World. “I had meetings with four different manufacturers,” he recalls. “We also went and toured the RV Technical Institute, where we met with Executive Director Curtis Hemmeler and other staff.”
Looking ahead, Jeremy anticipates that Lightspeed will continue to focus on dealer management system technology advancements and develop new ways to streamline technology within the RV industry. This includes the digitization of pre-delivery inspection forms, major unit receiving, and streamlining unit registration through Lightspeed’s platform.
Additionally, Jeremy plans to continue promoting Lightspeed’s brand across the RV industry by networking and developing key relationships. In part, this will entail attending RV shows, such as Open House and the RV Dealers Association Convention/Expo. Jeremy also intends to participate in relevant webinars, including an upcoming webinar with Garry Enyart, the retired Executive at Cummins and Onan Generators and a Past Chairman of the RV Industry Association, where they’ll discuss repair-event cycle time.
“We’re so committed to the RV sector,” Jeremy concludes. “We definitely want to be part of the overall RV community— not on the sidelines. And I think working with the RV Industry Association is one of the best things that we’ve done. We feel it’s important to get our voice out there and be involved with Association initiatives. We’re in lockstep with the RV industry.”
Retail sales rose 0.6% in June after declining 0.9% in May, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Sales in April fell 0.1%, pulled down by a steep drop in auto sales, after Americans ramped up their car-buying in March to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and car parts.
Excluding autos, sales rose/increased in June.
The retail sales report arrives amid a whipsaw frenzy of on and off again tariffs have that jolted businesses and households. For businesses, that has made it harder to manage supply and inventories. Americans are focusing more on necessities, when they do shop.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt of a regular feature from Huntington Private Bank. On a regular basis, Huntington officials publish a “The Three Things We Learned This Week” blog post on its website, with commentary by Huntington’sChief Investment Officer, John Augustine.
ZURICH – Queenply, the premium multiplex panel from PLATTENLADEN, one of the most famous German wood experts, will be on display July 26-27 at the Adventure Van Expo in Evergreen, Colorado. RRE Global distributes Queenply exclusively in the USA and will show it in the RRE Global booth. But what’s special about it?
Technical advantages over other finishing panels
Designed for van and RV interiors, Queenply combines lightweight strength with a clean, high-end finish. But that’s not all. Special technical key features make this panel the perfect panel for van interiors and even suitable for off-road use in any climate surrounding:
Queenply is developed by professionals for the finishing of superyachts and optimized for van conversions: extremely high-grade material of best quality. 4.9 out of 5 in Google rating.
More ply sections than similarly panels: excellent srew-hold and dimensional stability
Heat-resistant gluing: Thanks to a special PUR hotmelt gluing the surface doesn’t detach from the carrier panel during high temperatures in the van because of climate conditions outside or auxiliary heating inside the van. Up to approx. 275°F!
Moisture-resistant gluing: composite elements are suitable for kitchens, wet rooms, shower cabins
Additional calibration before leaving the production line: perfect gap dimensions, no tolerances, easy to machine
Design flexibilty and high variety of surfaces
In Europe, Queenply is also already very popular and well known for its numerous high-quality surfaces. HPL from anthracite to orange. Velvety soft surfaces. Real wood veneers and other stylish surfaces. Deeply colored, elegant tones and easy to combine with each other.
Some facts about the manufacturer and Queenply
PLATTENLADEN is known as a specialist for interior fittings made of wood in Germany and other parts of Europe. The team has more than 20 years of experience in the development of wood-bases materials for yacht interiors, furniture construction and now van interiors. In cooperation with RRE Global they now bring one of the best wooden materials for van conversion to the USA. Queeply is exclusively distributed by RRE Global. Ready to order in the onlineshop: https://rre-global.com/queenply-multiplex/
The wood for Queenply is not only processed to a higher quality, the manufacturers also pay attention to sustainable cultivation. The wood grows in the forests of Indonesia. The individual logs are harvested there by small farmers. Thanks to the fast growing properties, entire areas are never cleared. The surrounding nature is preserved. No monocultures, no chemials. The guys from PLATTENLADEN have been there twice and saw for themselves.
FAIRFAX, Va. – A webinar titled “Selling Smart: How to Maximize Wealth When Exiting Your RV Dealership” will take place on Thursday, July 31, at 1 p.m. Eastern. Those who are interested can RSVP here. The webinar will be hosted by the RV Dealers Association (RVDA), RV Assistance Corporation’s strategic partner Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley, and RVDA associate member Performance Brokerage Services.
For many RV dealership owners, more than 90 percent of their wealth is tied up in the business. However, some RV dealers are dissatisfied with the outcome when they sell – largely due to the lack of appropriate planning. Whether dealers are just beginning to think about retirement or actively considering a sale, this webinar will provide essential tools and insights to protect and grow wealth.
The webinar will be led by:
Brad Stanek, CFP, and Financial Advisor from the Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley who specializes in RV dealerships and has assisted hundreds of RV dealers with succession planning, estate planning and lowering taxes.
Jesse Stopnitzky, Co-Owner of Performance Brokerage Services, which is the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America and specializes in dealership exits, valuations, and exceptional customer service.
What dealers will learn:
How early planning can increase the value of the RV dealership and significantly reduce taxes.
How to calculate what the RV dealership is worth, the financial resources needed to retire, and tax implications.
Key steps to make a RV dealership exit-ready in the next 3–5 years.
“While we rarely approach our businesses with the end in mind, succession planning is one of the most important and inevitable stages that every business owner will face. It is the culmination of years of hard work, risk-taking and sacrifice. Preparing your business well in advance of a future sale is not just about maximizing value, but honoring your legacy, protecting all that you have built, and exiting when the time is right for you and your family,” said Jesse Stopnitzky, Co-Owner of Performance Brokerage Services.
If you drive a big rig, chances are you’re familiar with steering wheel feedback, rut tracking and sway from crosswinds or passing semis, according to a report by Bryan Rogala published by RV.com. Everything from large, Class A motorhomes to Class Cs and B vans can experience these issues, and while products like aftermarket antisway bars, trac bars, or suspension upgrades help, what you really need might be a steering stabilizer.
Kathy Doran, Executive Operations Manager at Safe-T-Plus, one of the leading steering stabilizer manufacturers on the market, says this remedy will help your RV feel less like it has a mind of its own. “You can go from driving two-handed, white knuckled, to having your cup of coffee in your hand and occasionally looking up at the pretty scenery you’re supposed to be enjoying,” Doran says.
A steering stabilizer is essentially an additional control system that combines a horizontal shock absorber and spring specifically for your steering. They typically have a vehicle-specific fit and are easy to install, and can work wonders at reducing wheel feedback, creating a firmer, more confident feel on the road. These three products are among the industry’s most popular.
