MESA, Ariz., – Backstock announces two new partnerships with Zodiak Transportation and Logistics Solutions (Zodiak TLS) as the company’s preferred U.S. transportation provider and Transport KMC as its preferred Canadian transportation provider. Zodiak TLS and Transport KMC provide the highest level of quality service and communication for all of your towables and drive away needs, wherever the location, according to a release.
Backstock is streamlining their website for viewers’ ease as they will be adding Zodiak TLS and Transport KMC “Quick Quote” buttons so customers can take advantage of efficient one-stop shopping and shipping across the country and into Canada. These buttons will connect you directly to Zodiak TLS or Transport KMC for a transportation quote on any unit that you are considering purchasing.
” I couldn’t be more excited to partner with two companies that mirror our values on customer service and our passion to serve this industry. If our dealers use this portal the way we believe they will, it will pay for their already low monthly Backstock subscription and put money back in their pockets to help offset costs in these tougher times for the industry,” said Ryan Beckmann at Dealer Backstock.
CEO of Zodiak TLS, Kristin Plautz added…. ” Zodiak TLS is honored to be a part of this amazing venture. Being a women owned business, we do things a bit differently and focus on customer service. Any customer purchasing through DealerBackstock, will receive a level of client relations so that they feel like an exclusive customer from the moment they are connected to one of our sales team until the moment the unit is delivered on premise. We want our integrity levels to shine and represent DealerBackstock in the highest way possible so that customers keep coming back for more.”
Beckmann recently announced the partnerships at an ORVDA meeting and it was met with rave reviews.
All Backstock customers that move units through the portal will receive a customer loyalty rebate from Backstock. To receive more information, please reach out to [email protected].
EDITOR’S NOTE: Now in its 14th year, the RVBusiness Top 50 program celebrates those North American RV dealerships that, in the eyes of an esteemed panel of independent judges, best exemplifies dealer excellence in customer and community service. Winning dealers will be recognized during a presentation Nov. 13 during the RV Dealers Convention/Expo at Paris Las Vegas.
RVBusiness will publish a profile of each Top 50 sponsor leading up to the RV Dealers Convention/Expo.
Wells Fargo Inventory Finance is honored to be a founding sponsor of the RVBusiness Top 50 Program. The honorees of the Top 50 represent those who are fully invested in elevating the RV lifestyle and have a strong focus on the customer experience. They consistently seek excellence in the industry and are the benchmark in best practices.
“It is with great pride and gratitude that we stand as an inaugural sponsor of the RVBusiness Top 50 program, a testament to our enduring support for the RV industry. This partnership not only acknowledges the excellence of RV dealers, but also honors our cherished relationships with RVDA and RVBusiness. We are thrilled to celebrate these achievements and continue fostering our long-standing connections,” says Chad Lyon, managing director, inventory finance.
“We take immense pride in the long-term relationships we’ve built across the industry and are always looking for ways to complement our core inventory finance product. Our role as a stable, long-term source of funding for the OEM/dealer community, with a legacy exceeding four decades, remains steadfast,” Lyon says. “Being part of Wells Fargo Bank has enabled us to introduce a wider array of financial solutions to our customers. With our industry engagement, we are optimistic that additional enhancements will be offered in the near term. Our dedicated and specialized approach to the market is tailored by design to provide the right financial solutions, market data, analytics and peer benchmarking to improve businesses and maximize customer profits.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the latest list of RV recalls compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Per strict NHTSA protocols, manufacturers will next notify its dealer partners of the recall notice. Each notice will include details of the affected vehicles as well as the appropriate remedy.
Outdoors RV Manufacturing (Outdoors RV) is recalling 340 2025 20BD, 21MKS, 21RWS, 23BCS, 24KRS, 250RDS, 250RKS, 25DVS, 260KRS, and F28RKS travel trailers. The cooktop flame may invert when the stove and furnace are operated at the same time. Dealers will install a panel to separate the furnace and cooktop, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2024. Owners may contact Outdoors RV at 1-541-962-1866 ext. 222.
Forest River, Inc (Forest River) is recalling six 2025 East to West Alta travel trailer vehicles. The inverter may be incorrectly wired to constant “hot” on the second battery, causing the wire to be unprotected from the battery. Dealers will rewire the inverter to the breaker side of the second battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 11, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-264-6664. Forest River’s number for this recall is 501-1859.
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling 288 2025 Vibe and Cedar Creek travel trailer vehicles. The stove may detach from the cabinet. The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 11, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-367-3314 for Vibe owners, or 260-593-4000 for Cedar Creek owners. Forest River’s number for this recall is 59-1860.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. (Winnebago) is recalling 5,313 2020-2024 Winnebago View and Navion recreational vehicles equipped with certain Lippert Metallarte door assemblies. The door assembly may have been manufactured with incorrect window adhesion, causing the window to loosen or detached. Remedy is under development at this time. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 30, 2024. Owners may contact Winnebago customer service at 1-800-537-1885. Winnebago’s number for this recall is 191.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. (Winnebago) is recalling 11,982 2014-2018 Sightseer, Itasca Sunova, 2016-2025 Forza, Vista, and Itasca/Winnebago Sunstar, 2015-2025 Adventurer, 2015-2024 Commercial Vehicle, 2015-2028 Itasca Suncruiser, and 2016-2017 Itasca Solei recreational vehicles. The hood bracket adhesive may have been incorrectly applied which can allow the bracket to detach. The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 30, 2024. Owners may contact Winnebago at 1-800-537-1885. Winnebago’s number for this recall is 192.
KZRV, L.P (KZRV) is recalling 14 2025 Sportsmen 303QBSE travel trailers. The driver’s side door slide-out actuator is located too close to the tires, which can cause the actuator to contact the tire. Dealers will install taller equalizer suspension components, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 30, 2024. Owners may contact KZRP customer service at 1-800-768-4016. KZRV’s number for this recall is KZ-2024-001.
Jayco Inc. (Jayco) is recalling eight 2024 North Point and Pinnacle travel trailers equipped with certain GE air conditioners. The air conditioner soft start device may fail and overheat. The remedy is currently under development. As an interim measure, owners should have the ICM870-16A-BH5400 soft start removed from their air conditioner. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 3, 2025. Owners may contact Jayco customer service at 1-800-283-8267. Jayco’s number for this recall is 9901615.
Shawn Moran, president of Brown & Brown’s RV F&I makes a presentation for dealer representatives during the Brown & Brown F&I school at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Nev. (Photo by Travis Pryor/RVBusiness)
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – When Brown & Brown held its first F&I school 10 years ago, 22 representatives from RV dealerships attended.
This year, as the event expanded to two and a half days ahead of the RVDA Convention/Expo, more than 200 were in attendance to learn about strategies, products and new ideas to enhance F&I profitability.
And judging by some of the questions and comments from those attending at the Horseshoe Casino, there was plenty to learn – especially as the economy looks poised to take off and many new products were being unveiled.
“On the first year, it was just straight F&I training,” said Shawn Moran, president of Brown & Brown’s RV F&I. “We worked on how to present it and some basic compliance. Somewhere around Year 2 we decided to involve a lender or two. What we learned right away was when the dealers came and they learned more inherently about the lenders and how to get the paper bought, the F&I department grew for the dealership.”
But more than just education, the F&I school has a lot to do with creating relationships and finding ways to protect the customers and keep shops busy.
Moran said an important part of what happens at the school is helping dealer representatives understand what paperwork the lenders need and don’t need.
“It has been a very prosperous relationship for the dealer, the lender, Brown & Brown on all sides of the fence because we educate them more and the dealer principals are happy because they are getting more of what they want,” he said. “Now Brown & Brown is seeing product sales coming out of it. The third part is protecting the customer. There are more options, more revenue for their shop.”
Dealers and their representatives listen intently to a discussion of products from OneSource. (Photo by Travis Pryor/RVBusiness)
The relationship part comes after the classes when attendees and lenders network and get to know each other, making them more than just a voice on the other end of the phone line.
Moran said he can’t say monetarily how much those relationships are worth, but they help the industry grow and help the dealers prosper.
Still, education is the main point of the event.
Even long-time dealers or GMs in attendance are sure to learn from the presentations.
For the 2024 events, presenting partners included Alliant Credit Union, Aqua Financial, One Source Financial, Menu Metric, Source One, Merrick Bank, BMO, Medallion Bank, Camp Assist, M&T Bank, Marine One, U.S. Bank, Bank of America, Truist Bank, 50 State DMV and 700 Credit.
Plenty of variety and new offerings for dealers of all experience levels.
“In the past lenders were so rigid. If a loan didn’t fit in whole, then forget about it,” said Scott Krenek, president of Krenek RV Supercenter in Koloma, Mich. “Now lenders are more relaxed and that’s a regular trend for all of us. Half of the business is getting quality buyers. The other half is getting them financed. There is much more for dealers here than ever before. It’s an excellent resource. There’s a lot to be recommended.”
“Any time there’s a school or an even with information about different ways of doing things you can always take away some little thing to make your dealership work better,” said Nathan Baker, sales manager for Bankston Motorhomes in Huntsville, Ala. “It’s been full of great presentations and a lot of good answers.”
Phil Imbery, CEO of MenuMetric discusses his company’s offerings. (Photo by Travis Pryor/RVBusiness)
Even Moran, who works with the lenders on a regular basis said there is something new that he learns at every event.
“Do I expect the dealers to come here and learn something new? Oh yeah,” he said. “It’s crazy how many new announcements we heard yesterday. We see a lot of industry-firsts come out of here. It’s a great way to spread the news very quickly to a great audience and people who are going to use it.”
Moran said if he had one goal for dealers to take away from this year’s event, it would be for them to stop pitching products and find a more personal way to approach customers with F&I products.
“It’s hard to relate to an RVer until you’ve lived the lifestyle,” he said. “We work hard to immerse them into the lifestyle so when they turn to the customer they stop telling them about the things they offer and cover and instead they learn more about the experience and how the consumers will use the product and the excitement they have and how they define vacation. When we make presentations to them, we’re telling them how our products are going to support those adventures they want to have. That’s a much different avenue. It makes it an elevated experience within the dealership.”
The Brown & Brown F&I school wraps up at 1:15 p.m. today.
SUMNER, Texas – Load Trail, located in Sumner, Texas, and Cross Trailers, Elkhart, Ind., two leaders in the trailer manufacturing industry known for quality and innovation, announced a joint acquisition of Stealth Trailers, a prominent name in the enclosed trailer market. This acquisition combines expertise and expands both companies’ product offerings, further solidifying their commitment to providing versatile and reliable solutions for customers across North America.
Stealth Trailers has a well-earned reputation for innovative designs in the enclosed trailer segment, making it an ideal addition to Load Trail’s and Cross Trailers’ existing lineups. “We’re thrilled to welcome Stealth Trailers into the family,” said Jake Thiessen, CEO of Load Trail. “This acquisition allows us to offer even more value to our customers, with a broader range of products that meet the diverse needs of the trailer market.”
Kelly Rose, former owner of Stealth Trailers, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition: “This partnership brings together companies that value quality and innovation as much as we do at Stealth. I’m confident that with Load Trail and Cross Trailers, Stealth’s legacy of excellence will continue to grow, bringing even more cutting-edge solutions to our loyal customers.”
This strategic move underscores the shared vision of Load Trail and Cross Trailers to be the preferred choice for trailer solutions across multiple categories. The acquisition of Stealth Trailers enables both companies to enhance their product portfolios, providing more variety for dealers and end-users alike.
Edwin Marroquin of Renogy Systems of Ontario, Calif., along with Miriam Torres, begin setting up in the Exhibition Hall.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – RV dealers are expected to begin gathering today at the Paris Las Vegas as registration begins for the RV Dealers Association’s annual Convention/Expo.
The schedule is fairly light, with both the U.S. and Canadian boards of delegates holding their annual meetings before an evening dedicated to vendor networking events.
The event gets going full stride on Tuesday with educational workshops beginning, the keynote speaker addressing the group and the Expo hall opening as well as a number of Partners of Progress meetings.
New to the Convention/Expo this year is a designated Fixed Operations Day on Wednesday with a number of educational sessions set specifically for fixed ops professionals.
The program closes out Friday morning.
The 2024 RV Dealers Convention/Expo is sponsored by RVDA of U.S., RVDA of Canada, and the Mike Molino RV Learning Center. The convention allows North America’s top dealership personnel to forge valuable connections with peers, industry leaders, and potential business partners in the Expo. Dealership professionals can expand their network and gain insights from the best in the RV industry. The dealer-organized RVDA Convention will provide an in-depth look into the current sales landscape. Attendees will have access to valuable resources to optimize all departments within a dealership, including fixed operations.
Schedule at a Glance
Monday, Nov. 11
9:00 am – 5:30 pm Registration Desk Open
11:30 am – 2:30 pm RVDA of America Board of Delegates/Board of Directors meeting
10:00 pm – 5:00 pm RVDA of Canada Board of Directors lunch and meeting
3:30 pm – 7:30 pm Open for private/vendor networking events
Tuesday, Nov. 12
7:30 am – 7:00 pm Registration Desk Open
8:00 am – 11:45 pmRVDA Leadership Development Course: “Giving Feedback,” additional fee
8:15 am – 2:15 pm Tracked Education Workshops / Vendor Training +Plus
EDITOR’S NOTE: The full article can be found in the November/December issue of RVBusiness, the print edition of which should be arriving in subscribers’ mailboxes this week. Click here to read the digital edition.
Manufacturing — in any industry — is usually fueled by a new player coming in with the professed ability to produce and deliver a product faster, cheaper or better than anything else available. Those that score the proverbial “hat trick” by meeting all three objectives tend to find quick acceptance; even hitting two of three often gives companies a foothold.
Focusing on just one, though, is a gamble — which makes the performance of Brinkley RV all the more impressive.
Established less than three years ago by a handful of veteran industry executives who have collectively spend decades in the RV industry — Nate Goldenberg, Micah Stanley, Ryan Thwaits and Bill and Ron Fenech — the startup was founded upon neither speed nor cost. Instead, it was intent upon building “better” — combining new concepts coupled with a drive towards eliminating many of the design drawbacks the partners were all too familiar with while working at other RV companies.
That intent was encapsulated first in Brinkley RV’s Model Z fifth-wheel, which earned a spot among finalists for the RVBusiness 2023 RV of the Year, and again last year, when it’s Model G fifth-wheel toy hauler was one of just 10 RVs considered for the 2024 honor. And since no startup company had previously witnessed its first two models ranked among the RV industry’s best, it’s a safe bet that none has ever followed up in quite the manner Brinkley has with its Model I travel trailer.
The Brinkley RV Model I travel trailer is, by wide acclaim among the RVBusiness staff, the 2025 RV of the Year.
“Until now, our focus has been fifth-wheels and higher-end trailers; this gets us into the ‘meat’ of the market, allowing an average buyer to get into a Brinkley,” said Thwaits, who led the Model I’s design team. “Because of the way we build our product and the quality of the equipment we use, we’re never going to be the cheapest, but it serves as our ‘entry level’ product for campers that want to get into a lightweight or have had a laminated trailer and want to step up to one with nicer amenities.”
PHOENIX – Cove Communities announced today that the organization appointed James R. Goldman as Chief Executive Officer on Sept. 29. Goldman joins Cove with more than 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry and expertise in niche real estate sectors including manufactured housing communities.
Most recently, Mr. Goldman served as Chief Executive Officer of Goldman & Company, a real estate advisory company serving family offices, institutional investors, and real estate owner/ operators in the manufactured housing community, RV resort, marina, and parking sectors. From 2003 until mid-2018, Mr. Goldman served as Vice Chair (since 2009) and Chief Investment Officer of Green Courte Partners. Green Courte’s portfolio company in the manufactured housing community sector, American Land Lease, owned 59 communities with over 19,000 home sites when it combined with Sun Communities in 2014.
“At the conclusion of an extensive search process, we are extremely excited for Jim to join the Cove Leadership team as Chief Executive Officer. Jim’s extensive experience within the manufactured housing community sector, combined with his acquisitions, operations, capital markets, and strategic planning expertise, will be greatly valued as Cove positions itself for future internal and external growth,” said Murray McCabe, Managing Partner of Montgomery Street Partners (“MSP”). MSP is Cove’s General Partner.
Prior to his career in real estate private equity, Mr. Goldman served as an investment banker with Alex. Brown & Sons, PaineWebber, and others; a corporate & securities and tax attorney with Piper & Marbury (now DLA Piper); and a certified public accountant with Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young).
Mr. Goldman attended the University of Virginia, earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Old Dominion University, and earned a Juris Doctor from William & Mary Law School.
Cove was founded in 2017 to acquire and operate a best-in-class portfolio of manufactured housing communities and RV resorts. Since its founding, Cove has aggregated a portfolio comprised of 38 properties with over 13,000 sites in the United States and Canada.
OHI, the member-driven national organization dedicated to serving and advancing the RV parks, campgrounds, and glamping resorts that shape the Outdoor Hospitality Industry, has announced an integration with Spot2Nite to revamp and power instant bookings on its proprietary campground database, GoCampingAmerica.com, according to a press release.
For the past 60 years, OHI (formerly National ARVC), has equipped outdoor hospitality owners, operators and their teams with a community, resources, discounts, professional development, marketing tools and legislative advocacy, as well as exposure to millions of campers researching places to stay on the OHI-produced website, GoCampingAmerica.com, which is also the engine for finding a campground on GoRVing.com.
As part of OHI’s continual effort to maximize exposure and profitability for its active membership of 3,300 and growing throughout the U.S. and Canada, they have selected Spot2Nite, a software designed for seamless outdoor accommodation reservations, to power the booking engine behind GoCampingAmerica.com.
While this website has always provided a database to help campers research RV parks, campgrounds, and glamping resorts, this integration with Spot2Nite now provides instant booking capabilities – lowering the barrier of entry to campers by avoiding website redirects and offering the most efficient way to find and instantly book the perfect RV site, lodging, tent site, or glamping rental, while simultaneously driving revenue for listed OHI-member properties.
Spot2Nite’s technology leverages application program interface (API) connections with top property management systems (PMS) to display real-time campsite availability and pricing, as well as advanced search preferences, including filters for RV equipment, amenities, and experiences – all of which will be available on the revamped GoCampingAmerica.com.
OHI member properties utilizing a PMS that is integrated with Spot2Nite, including Checkfront, Firefly Reservations, Good Sam Campground Solutions, Indio, MYSites, Newbook, Premier Campground Management, ResNexus, ResortForward, RezExpert, RMS, RoverPass, and Staylist, can now receive instant bookings directly on GoCampingAmerica.com. OHI member operators utilizing a PMS that is not integrated with Spot2Nite can continue to drive traffic through a website redirect.
“Our partnership with Spot2Nite enhances the GoCampingAmerica.com experience, making bookings easier for campers while driving revenue for our members,” said Paul Bambei, OHI President and CEO. “This integration supports our mission to help member parks thrive and offer campers seamless access to our member parks when they are planning their next outdoor adventure.”
For more information on GoCampingAmerica.com or to claim your listing, visitohi.org/gocampingamerica.
FREMONT, Calif. – Pebble, a California-based startup defining a new way to work, live, and explore from anywhere, announced the appointment of Chi Miller as Chief Financial Officer. With over three decades of experience in financial leadership and a proven track record with tech industry giants, Miller will lead Pebble’s financial strategy as the company pioneers a new standard for sustainable, tech-enabled RV travel with the Pebble Flow, according to a release.
Miller brings extensive experience from Apple, Intel, Ampere Computing, and most recently as CFO at Merlin Solar, where he drove topline growth and led a Series B funding round. As a founder of Ampere, he served as both CFO and COO, raising foundational capital and establishing scalable infrastructure. During his over two-decade tenure at Intel, Miller provided financial leadership for large-scale manufacturing, scaled a software business, supported dozens of Intel Capital investments, and ultimately oversaw finance of the Platform Engineering Group, which develops cutting-edge semiconductors. At Apple, he served as Senior Director of Finance for product development.
“Chi’s exceptional track record of scaling operations and driving strategic growth in the technology sector makes him the ideal financial leader for Pebble as we continue to scale,” said Bingrui Yang, CEO and Founder of Pebble. “His experience in managing complex supply chains combined with his deep understanding of hardware development cycles will be essential as to the next phase of our business.”
In his new role, Miller will drive financial strategy and capital initiatives to support Pebble’s continued expansion. He will oversee all aspects of the company’s financial operations, including fundraising, investor relations, financial planning and analysis, and other business functions to accelerate Pebble’s growth in the electric RV market.
“The RV industry is at an inflection point, and Pebble is perfectly positioned to lead its transformation,” Miller said. “What excites me most about Pebble is its potential to open up the outdoors to a broader audience through a combination of advanced technology, refined design, and sustainable living solutions. Having scaled multiple hardware companies, I’m excited to help build Pebble into the defining company for modern RV travel.”
About Pebble
Pebble is a California-based startup defining a new way to live, work, and explore with a 100% electric, hassle-free RV. Built by a team of experts from Apple, Tesla, Rivian, and Zoox, Pebble combines electrification with cutting-edge automotive technology for an RV experience that removes the hassles RV owners have struggled with for decades. Learn more at pebblelife.com.
