The 2024 edition of Camp Winnebago, the OEM’s annual rally for its RV owners, was July 15-18 at the company’s sprawling grounds in Forest City, Iowa.
The RVBusiness Featured Video is sponsored by Curt, a Lippert Brand.
The post OEM Showcase: Highlights from ‘Camp Winnebago’ Rally first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
There were 35,014 retail registrations recorded in June 2024, which is a 20.7% decline compared to the 44,170 total in June 2023, according to Statistical Surveys Inc., the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based sub subsidiary of Trader Interactive that monitors retail and consumer data for the RV industry.
Year to date, there have been 188,843 retail registrations in 2024, which is a 11.2% decrease versus the 212,691 total for the same period in 2023.
For comparison, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) reported 25,308 wholesale shipments in June 2024 and 178,596 units shipped year to date.
UNITED STATES
CANADA
The post SSI: Retail Registrations at 35,014 in June, Down 20.7% YOY first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
RVing in New England,” the weekly Facebook Live show hosted by the New England RV Dealers Association (NERVDA), this week talks offers a “Mid-Season Checkup” for its viewers.
Co-hosted by Bob Zagami and John DiPietro, tonight’s show airs at 7 p.m. ET.
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WIXOM, Mich. – With up to 150 full-time jobs with an average salary of $65,000 available at its new Salisbury, N.C., location, General RV Center will host a two-day community hiring event Aug. 14-15, according to a release.
General RV representatives will meet and interview candidates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn at 1001 Klumac Road in Salisbury. Jobs available include sales associates, technicians, service advisors and parts representative positions.
In August 2023, General RV, the largest family-owned RV dealership in the U.S., broke ground on its first North Carolina location, just outside of Charlotte. The 71,000-square-foot facility will offer a wide range of RVs, in addition to outdoor products and accessories. With more than 30 service bays (including a six-bay body shop) and enough space to house 700 RVs on the lot, it will be the largest family-owned dealership within approximately 400 to 500 miles in the state.
“The Salisbury workforce is known for their high level of skill and strong work ethic,” said Tari Krupinski, Director of Recruiting at General RV. “We are excited to tap into this talent pool and welcome new team members to our GRV team as we prepare for the fall opening.”
To learn more about jobs available, go to generalrv.com/hiringnc. Sign-up is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome to attend.
About General RV
Founded in Michigan in 1962, General RV Center is one of the nation’s premier RV dealers. The company currently operates full-service dealerships in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Utah and Pennsylvania. Each location offers a large selection of RVs for sale, RV service facilities and retail RV parts and accessories. In 2023, General RV broke ground on a second location in Utah (opening early 2025) and its first-ever location in North Carolina (opening in fall 2024) bringing its nationwide network to 20 locations. Visit GeneralRV.com for more information.
The post General RV to Host Hiring Event for New Supercenter in N.C. first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
BERNARDSVILLE, N.J. – Spacious Skies Campgrounds has named Logan Miller to the role of president of the 15-campground collection, effective immediately. Miller was most recently director of finance of the fast-growing, three-year-old organization.
“We are abundantly proud to add Logan to the top tier of our management team, and we are confident that he will continue to strengthen our company with his solutions-oriented leadership style, enhanced by his comprehensive understanding of how all the elements of our business work together,” said Ali Rasmussen, co-founder of Spacious Skies Campgrounds. “We simply wouldn’t have achieved half of what we have without Logan, and we trust him implicitly as we forge our path through this rapidly evolving space.”
Miller was recruited as employee No. 1 of Spacious Skies Campgrounds in June 2021, first as acquisitions associate and later, director of finance. In those roles, Miller oversaw the company’s expansion from one campground to a portfolio of 15, wearing many hats along the way by contributing to everything from hands-on site design to promotional strategies, in addition to his official finance-related functions. Throughout the duration of his tenure thus far, the company’s revenue has grown by nearly 54 percent.
“I am honored and excited to lead Spacious Skies through its continued evolution as the premier provider of easy-to-access outdoor hospitality,” said Miller. “The Spacious Skies brand is poised to lead a new era of growth and innovation, and we will continue to embrace new opportunities, elevate our standards and create memorable experiences for our guests.”
Ali Rasmussen and her husband Eric Rasmussen co-founded the company in March 2021. Since the company’s establishment, Eric has served as president of the company and will now be taking a step back from the day-to-day functions while continuing to maintain investor and lender relations, as well as overseeing a new Rasmussen venture – a shaved ice franchise called Rainbow Snow.
About Spacious Skies Campgrounds
Spacious Skies Campgrounds is a fast-growing owner and operator of RV campgrounds with RV, tent, cabin and glamping sites across 15 locations from Maine to Georgia. The company’s mission is to offer a fun, relaxing and authentic campground experience in destinations with abundant outdoor recreation and attractions. Spacious Skies Campgrounds is executing a regional growth strategy while at the same time improving amenities at all properties to provide guests consistent and reliable accommodations, service and access to the great outdoors. For more information, visit www.spaciousskiescampgrounds.com.
About Rainbow Snow
Rainbow Snow is a new shaved-ice franchise launching in the summer of 2024. Potential franchises can learn more about franchise opportunities here.
The post Spacious Skies Campgrounds Names Logan Miller President first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
RENO, Nev. – Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: DFLI), an industry leader in energy storage and manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, today announced a strategic partnership with Stryten Energy, a leading North American battery manufacturer, for the licensing of the Dragonfly Energy’s Battle Born Batteries® brand of lithium-ion batteries. The agreement, with a potential value of up to $30 million, grants Stryten Energy a license to market and distribute Dragonfly Energy’s Battle Born Batteries globally. Stryten Energy plans to leverage its vast distributor and customer network to introduce Battle Born Batteries branded products to new business-to-business (B2B) markets, including military, automotive, marine, power sports, lawn & garden and golf carts.
“At Dragonfly Energy, we’re incredibly proud to see the Battle Born Batteries brand take this leap forward into new end markets,” said Dr. Denis Phares, chief executive officer of Dragonfly Energy. “The love and trust our customers have placed in our products has been humbling, and the potential to see our lithium batteries on shelves at major retailers, alongside other leading brands’ components, not only is a testament to their enduring quality but makes them more accessible to consumers nationwide. We believe that Stryten Energy’s extensive reach and shared commitment to innovation will make this agreement the beginning of a truly mutually beneficial relationship, and we’re confident it will unlock increased growth for both companies.
The partnership between Dragonfly Energy and Stryten Energy will focus on battery design, contract manufacturing and licensing of Battle Born Batteries products for new B2B end markets where the Company does not currently have a presence in. Dragonfly Energy will continue its independent operations in existing markets such as recreational vehicles (RV), off-grid properties, heavy-duty trucking, stationary storage, and oil and gas. The potential value of the licensing agreement is $30 million, comprised of an upfront payment of $5 million to Dragonfly Energy and subsequent mid-single digit royalty payments based on Stryten Energy’s product volume using the licensed branding, with a tiered structure reaching up to an additional $25 million, at which point Stryten Energy will be required to pay a nominal annual license fee. Additional fees will apply for battery design and contract manufacturing services outside of the licensing agreement and are expected to provide additional revenue to the Company.
Stryten Energy is a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of energy storage solutions, providing advanced lead, lithium and vanadium batteries to customers across the transportation, industrial, military and government sectors. With a workforce of over 2,500 employees and ten manufacturing plants, Stryten Energy is a respected supplier in the energy storage market. Through a nationwide customer base of automotive aftermarket retailers and battery distributors, this exclusive business-to-business licensing deal is poised to expand brand awareness and market reach of Battle Born Batteries while offering Stryten Energy’s customers reliable, trusted and powerful lithium-based power solutions.
“At Stryten Energy, we’re focused on providing premium energy storage solutions to our customers,” said Mike Judd, chief executive officer of Stryten Energy. “This partnership with Dragonfly Energy will allow us to expand our transportation product portfolio and provide our customers access to the well-known Battle Born Batteries brand of quality lithium batteries. We’re excited about the market potential this collaboration holds and look forward to continuing to explore future opportunities as we grow our relationship with Dragonfly Energy.”
To ensure the same high level of quality customers expect from the Battle Born Batteries brand, Dragonfly Energy will initially contract manufacture all batteries distributed by Stryten Energy at the Company’s facility in Northern Nevada until Stryten Energy establishes its own domestic manufacturing footprint. This partnership will encompass a mix of existing Battle Born Batteries products, with a strong focus on the development of new battery models specifically tailored to Stryten Energy’s target markets. This approach will allow Stryten to leverage the proven performance of Battle Born Batteries while offering unique solutions to its diverse customer base. Dragonfly Energy remains committed to providing exceptional technical support for all Battle Born Batteries products and will continue to grow their support team along with increasing demand.
“The impact of this partnership with Stryten Energy for the wider proliferation of the Battle Born Batteries brand cannot be understated,” said Tyler Bourns, chief marketing officer at Dragonfly Energy. “We believe this agreement not only allows us to expand the brand into a wider range of previously untapped markets, but also leverages Stryten Energy’s vast retail and distribution customer network to significantly increase our brand awareness. We believe this is a major step forward in our mission to make Battle Born Batteries a household name across North America.”
For more information about Dragonfly Energy, visit DragonflyEnergy.com. To learn more about Stryten Energy, visit Stryten.com.
The post Dragonfly to License Battle Born Batteries with Stryten Energy first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Dyrt, the No. 1 app for camping availability, photos and reviews, has announced the Top 9 for K-9s: The Most Dog-Friendly Campgrounds in The U.S. for 2024. Camping is for the dogs, and we mean that in the best way possible. According to The Dyrt’s 2024 Camping Report presented by The All-New Toyota Tacoma, more than half of campers (53.7%) brought their four-legged friends along with them in 2023.
The Dyrt also found that 46.8% of campers list RVing as their primary camping type. If you think about it, it’s a perfect match. All the comforts of home and your best buddy, or buddies, traveling comfortably alongside you. No surprise then that five of the nine campgrounds in the Top 9 for K-9s cater primarily to RVs.
Speaking of being catered to, the No. 1 campground this year is 4 Paws Kingdom Campground & Dog Retreat in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Yes, “Dog” is right there in the name. This property truly prioritizes pampering pooches, right down to not allowing any humans under the age of 18 for optimal relaxation and minimal fur tugging. 4 Paws is set on nine acres and some of the individual campsites even have fenced-in yards.
“People love camping for a lot of the same reasons that dogs love camping,” says Sarah Smith, founder of The Dyrt. “You get out of the house, immerse yourself in nature, explore, see some wildlife, sit by a fire, sleep in the great outdoors. When we take Brandy (aka The Dyrt Dog) camping with us, I know she’s having as much fun as we are.”
Top 9 for K-9s is the official close to The Dyrt awards season, which started with The Glampys and was followed by the Best Places to Camp Regional and National awards, presented by Toyota Tacoma, and the Best Places to RV presented by State Farm.
Using AI to sift through The Dyrt’s millions of user-generated reviews, photos and tips of U.S. campgrounds, we identified campgrounds that were not just dog-friendly, but dog-welcoming. They are ranked based on reviews, photos, accommodations and amenities offered. Here’s to the dog days of summer! Who wants to go for a ride?!
All nine campgrounds earned positive reviews from The Dyrt campers, a group which is becoming more proactive in seeking out campgrounds that meet their needs as pet owners. The 2024 Camping Report found that when it came to adding amenities, the only things property owners added more than dog parks were Wi-Fi and pickleball courts.
“We’ve never been to a park like this one and highly recommend it if you can get in,” says The Dyrt camper Gabi B. about top-ranked 4 Paws Kingdom. “We’ll be back for sure!”
About The Dyrt
The Dyrt is the most comprehensive camping resource with millions of user-generated reviews, photos and tips for every RV site, cabin, glamping and tent camping location, including all public, private and free camping areas in the United States. The Dyrt is how campers search, save and book camping of any type anywhere in the U.S. With The Dyrt PRO, campers get reservations at sold-out campgrounds, advanced maps, discounts on camping and more. The Dyrt is the No. 1 camping app and receives more than 30 million visits from campers each year because The Dyrt has it all. www.thedyrt.com
The post The Dyrt Lists the 9 Most Dog-Friendly Campgrounds in 2024 first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
Elvis Presley’s 1962 Lockheed L-1329 JetStar has spent most of its existence unused by the original buyer himself, who died just a few months after his purchase. After spending decades collecting dust in New Mexico, a YouTuber named Jimmy Webb bought the vehicle for $260,000. Webb bought the aircraft, which lacked engines and cockpit controls at the time he purchased it and hoped to fly it again. However, he was disappointed to find it was hardly possible as the parts needed were not in production. Refusing to give the JetStar a repeat of the past few owners, Webb decided to do something interesting. He got to work and converted the jet to a recreational vehicle (RV), all while sharing the process with his subscribers on YouTube.
The post Video: Elvis Presley’s Famous JetStar Gets Converted into an RV first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
The RV Technical Institute opened registration today, Aug. 6, for its Level 3 Electronics Workshop, which will take place Sept. 17-18 at RVTI’s facility in Elkhart, Ind., according to a News & Insights report by the RV Industry Association (RVIA). The course covers everything needed for the Level 3 Electronics Specialist Upgrade, with suppliers teaching the following:
The RV Technical Institute’s Level 2 or higher certification is a pre-requisite to attend this event. A $50 non-refundable registration fee required. Failure to meet the certification level pre-requisite will forfeit the registration fee and registration will be cancelled.
The RV Technical Institute’s Level 3 workshops focus on five different specialty areas for RV technicians who are interested in further developing their knowledge of RV systems and components. Specifically, Level 3 teaches students to perform advanced diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repairs on one or more of the following systems: electrical, chassis, slide-out, electronic, and appliances. Technicians who achieve certification in all five specialties earn their Level 4 Master Certification.
To make it easier to get all the training needed to achieve Level 3 and ultimately Level 4, the RV Technical Institute has been hosting Level 3 workshops throughout the year, with each week focusing on one of the five specialty areas. Each week covers ALL training hours needed in the specific specialty area. After successfully completing the training, each participant will have accumulated enough hours to earn their Level 3 Specialty in that category. For those attending all five, they will earn their Level 4 Master Certification.
Not able to attend these training courses? No worries — additional Level 3 courses are still being offered year-round through the RV Technical Institute’s authorized supplier trainings.
For questions, more information, or to be added to the wait list, please contact the RV Technical Institute at 574-549-9080.
Register here for the Electronics Workshop
The post Registration Opens for RVTI Electronics Workshop in September first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.
NORCROSS , Ga., – EasyCare has announced a full suite of F&I products, services, and solutions designed for RV, marine, and powersports markets under the EasyCare brand. This announcement follows the acquisition of National Auto Care (NAC) in January 2023, RV and marine agency Relentless Dealer Services in August 2023, and powersports agency and provider Rider’s Advantage in July 2024.
These acquisitions demonstrate EasyCare’s commitment to dealers in the adventure channel, including RV, marine, and powersports. The merging of solutions offered by EasyCare, NAC, and Relentless Dealer Services, along with the renowned Rider’s Advantage brand positions EasyCare as a dynamic provider, offering comprehensive protection products, outsourced financial services for dealers, a consumer membership club, and extensive sales, F&I, compliance, and fixed ops training to dealerships.
“The launch of EasyCare is an incredible milestone that creates more opportunity in the RV, marine, and powersports space,” said Tony Wanderon, CEO of EasyCare. “With our products, services, and training, EasyCare is a strategic guide that helps dealers in the adventure channel thrive.”
“Our recent acquisitions have allowed us to unify our adventure solutions under the EasyCare and Rider’s Advantage brands, delivering a complete solution for dealerships,” said Courtney Hoffman, EasyCare’s Chief Revenue Officer. “We’re excited to continue our rapid growth in this channel, leveraging our expertise and dedicated teams.”
To accompany the launch of the combined EasyCare adventure portfolio, a new web experience showcases the adventure F&I products by channel, plus services, and solutions to help dealers succeed. Adventure Club, our complimentary consumer membership club, is featured prominently as a Why Buy Here value proposition for RV dealers. To learn more visit https://easycare.com/adventure/.
Dealers can connect with EasyCare and Rider’s Advantage at industry events in the remainder of 2024, with booths at RV Hall of Fame in September, RV Dealers Association (RVDA) in November, and Marine Retailer’s Association of the Americas (MRAA) in December.
About EasyCare
Since 1984, EasyCare has helped some of the most successful dealerships in the nation drive results in their stores with a full suite of F&I products, forward-thinking training, dealership development, dealer wealth building, and a best-in-class claims experience. EasyCare has the only F&I products named a “MotorTrend Recommended Best Buy” for franchised, RV, marine, and powersports dealers and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. EasyCare is part of the APCO Holdings family of brands, which has protected over 24 million customers, paid over $3.7 billion in claims, supports over 12,000 dealers, and has over $1B in dealer wealth under management. For more information about EasyCare, please visit easycare.com.
The post EasyCare Finds ‘New Heights,’ with Full Suite of F&I Solutions first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.