WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prices at the pump are coming down even though this is the time of year when gas prices go up, according to a report from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Supply and demand are the main reason for the dip. After OPEC+ announced it’s increasing oil production next month by more than 400,000 barrels a day – much more than expected – the price of crude oil has been falling. Oversupply coupled with tepid gasoline demand is resulting in lower pump prices.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 8.49 b/d last week to 8.42. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 237.6 million barrels to 236.0. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 8.9 million barrels per day.
Today’s National Average: $3.22
One Month Ago: $3.08
One Year Ago: $3.61
Oil Market Dynamics
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose $2.77 to settle at $62.35 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 2.6 million barrels from the previous week. At 442.3 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 5% below the five-year average for this time of year.
EV Charging
The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 34 cents.
State Stats
Gas
The nation’s top10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.92), Hawaii ($4.52), Washington ($4.38), Oregon ($4.00), Nevada ($3.97), Alaska ($3.65), Illinois ($3.46), Arizona ($3.39), Pennsylvania ($3.38), and Idaho ($3.35).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Mississippi ($2.73), Tennessee ($2.75), Oklahoma ($2.77), Louisiana ($2.81), South Carolina ($2.81), Texas ($2.82), Kentucky ($2.84), Alabama ($2.84), Arkansas ($2.84), and Kansas ($2.87).
Electric
The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Hawaii (56 cents), West Virginia (47 cents), Montana (45 cents), South Carolina (43 cents), Tennessee (42 cents), Idaho (41 cents), Kentucky (41 cents), Alaska (40 cents), Louisiana (40 cents), and New Hampshire (40 cents).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (22 cents), Missouri (25 cents), Iowa (26 cents), North Dakota (26 cents), Nebraska (27 cents), Delaware (27 cents), South Dakota (28 cents), Utah (29 cents), Texas (29 cents), and Maryland (30 cents).
Drivers can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA TripTik Travel planner.
GOSHEN, Ind. – Recently showcased at the 2025 International Builders’ Show to enthusiastic crowds, Genesis Products’ EverPly is an innovative solution that redefines Thermally Fused Laminate (TFL) on plywood, according to a press release. In addition, Genesis featured its Surface Synergies program, a comprehensive decorative surface solution that simplifies the process of matching multiple surface materials.
Designed to meet the needs of premium manufacturers, EverPly offers a virtually void-free core that ensures smooth lamination and superior performance. It provides a durable yet lightweight alternative to composite panels like particle board and MDF, making it ideal for applications in kitchens, closets, furniture and more, the release stated.
EverPly is engineered for strength, stability and efficiency. Its proprietary construction minimizes core voids, reducing scrap rates and improving overall production efficiency. The material resists swelling and environmental fluctuations, ensuring consistent performance in variable conditions. EverPly is available in a wide range of designer finishes, with over 70 TFL laminate options, including smooth finishes and four realistic wood textures, allowing manufacturers to achieve premium aesthetics without sacrificing durability.
EverPly can be enhanced by Genesis Products’ Surface Synergies program, a comprehensive decorative surface solution that simplifies the process of matching multiple surface materials. With over 38 color options and offerings such as EverMatte, the program ensures seamless coordination across various components. EverPly can also be paired with Genesis Products’ new Quartered Oak Collection or a range of solids and woodgrains to complement any design vision.
Genesis Products continues to push the boundaries of innovation in decorative surfaces and component manufacturing. EverPly represents a significant step forward, providing manufacturers with a premium, differentiated product that enhances efficiency and expands design possibilities.
The Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa last week was a strong event for manufactured housing heavyweight Champion Homes, according to John Tuyo, the company’s director of park model sales.
John Tuyo, Champion Homes director of park model sales
”We partnered with Sun Outdoors on three units in one part of our display. In another display, we partnered with Winterhaven RV,” Tuyo explained. “They were giving away a golf cart with every unit purchased at the show. And we actually had five units, so we sold the three units that were there plus two additional units that needed to be ordered for communities in the state of Florida. That was a tremendous few days based on weather and history. That’s a strong showing for Champion park models and cabins along with our partnership with Sun Outdoors.”
“And traffic was strong,” he added. “Weather was a very formidable adversary, but it worked out great. I didn’t think we had any issues with the weather. Our units were strong; they were heated, so that helped a bunch. At one point, I counted 24 potential buyers in a park model – that’s 399 square feet – at one time. And that would probably be the most we’ve ever had flowing through during a show.”
He noted that Champion was one of only two park model builders with displays at the SuperShow this year and the other builder, Gulf Coast Atlantic, brought just one model.
“It’s crazy how we went from eight or nine units last year to just six,” he said, since the park model business in Florida is solid. “We have permitting issues across the state post hurricanes, but generally the business is looking up for 2025. From all indications of what we’re seeing from our large corporate buyers, 2025 seems to be setting itself up for a strong fall during the buying season as long as we can continue to work through the permitting process with our retail partners.”
And the park model market, he said, while down from the COVID surge, is normalizing.
“Our market’s down as we know it from a partner model perspective overall for the country,” he said. “But it had to normalize itself pre- and post-COVID and we’re at that point now, so inventories are getting to a manageable level and our capacity and our deliverability of the units is back to a normal zone also. So, today we’re generally eight to 10 weeks out, which is a workable time frame. During COVID, everybody – including us – got out 10 months to 13 months and that’s really hard from a business perspective to put your numbers together and do what we want to do. All that is now normalized back to what is a workable level. Our retailers are loving it. The communities are loving it. We actually have two new communities in the state of Florida that are being built right now for RV resorts and that’s tremendous. And one of them will open this year.”
Ground has already been broken on what Tuyo described as a “huge project” and he’s hoping to have units there in time for the fall selling season. He would identify the location only as south central Florida.
On the product side, Tuyo said, Champion exhibited an all-new unit at the Glamping Expo in Aurora, Colo., in October.
“We presented a product (an Athens Park “Sonoran” model) that has a two-story rear porch observation deck along with a front porch that was extremely well-received in the marketplace,” he said. “It’s more for your mountainous areas or your beach resorts so that you can have a visual of the landscape of your community from an 18-foot by 10-foot observation deck above your lower porch.
“That was spectacular,” he added. “The other item we’re working on now is for the resort and hospitality industry,” he continued. “We’re working on a new version of an A-frame, a mostly glass model that will put us in a position as a company to continue and be in the forefront of what’s happening in certain geographic areas – whether you’re at the beach or you’re in the mountains or in the desert – it just brings the outdoors in with the amount windows and the amount of light that’s coming through.”
Tuyo said that model – just now headed for prototyping – will be unveiled at the Campground Solutions Summit West in Reno, Nev., an all-new conference for park owners and operators planned April 1-4.
The photos below show the new Athens Park Sonoran.
TAMPA, Fla. – Park model RV builders and park operators at the Florida RV SuperShow say that the market for their more residential-style PMRV’s is normalizing following a surge when new units couldn’t be built fast enough and a softer year in 2024.
“I feel like we are back to a more steady pre-COVID sales climate,” says Heather Taylor, regional vice president for Sun Outdoors, a publicly held resort operator affiliated with more than 600 resorts. “I mean, we’re still growing. We still have wait lists for people who are waiting for them to come in, so the business is still quite booming.
“Our homes run anywhere between 399 square foot to up to 500 square foot,” Taylor added. “They have all the full-size amenities a normal home would have. A lot of people are looking for smaller economical homes, so this is exactly what they’re looking for.”
However, Michael Pozar, park manager and resort manager for Sun Outdoors Lakeland (Fla.), said he has seen a shift in demographics. “Where it used to be pretty much a 55-plus market, now it’s an all-age market,” he said. “I mean, we’re selling things to college kids. It’s a first home. It’s a starter home. It’s equity in something as a young adult or a small family getting ready to have their first kid. That demographic shift has helped us tremendously.”
Joe Gibbons, managing partner of relative newcomer Gulf Atlantic Cottages, a park model builder launched a year-and-a-half ago, explained his company was a custom home builder and saw a need for a higher-quality park model and is seeing strong demand.
“The response has been overwhelming,” he said. “Just last month we sold five, and the show has been fantastic. I mean, we can’t keep up with the folks coming in here. And I think now that we are through this election season, I see the real positive vibes coming around that. And not only that, here in Florida — we’re based right here in Tampa and build them here – we have a huge affordable housing crisis, and I think this is going to really help out with that.
“We’re getting a lot of people 55 plus, but we’re getting a lot of younger folks, too.”
Another factor that could drive demand for his units involves zoning issues.
“The state of Florida is really helping out with the different municipalities and trying to educate the municipalities on the fact that we build this just like a single-family home.” Gibbons said. “It just happens to be on a chassis that has axles that can be taken off. So, our company is working diligently with a few different municipalities on helping them get educated on the fact that this is a house – to be set up as a house.”
He added that Gulf Atlantic Cottages are green certified with spray-foam attics, level-four drywall finishes and residential quality builds. The units are RVIA-certified and come with a seven-year warranty. “That’s what we strived to do when we started this company, we wanted to build homes,” he said.
Skyline Homes and Champion Park Models also had units on display at the SuperShow.
TAMPA, Fla. – Italian-based B-van builder Wingamm unveiled its eye-catching Oasi 540.1 Wednesday during the Florida RV SuperShow.
What sets the Wingamm USA apart among other things is its dual-layer, one-piece fiberglass monocoque shell, which, the company reports, is completely impervious to water intrusion.
Part of the big news for Wingamm, which has been in the U.S. market for three years now, includes the fact that it’s now available here on a Dodge ProMaster 3500 van showcased at the Tampa Show for an MSRP of $185,000.
Previous versions – as well as all current European models – have been built on the Fiat Ducato chassis. (Both Fiat and Chrysler/Dodge are subsidiaries of global automotive giant Stellantis.)
The front-drive chassis is powered by the Chrysler Pentastar 2.6-litre V6 gas engine. The shell is manufactured in Verona, Italy, and shipped to the U.S. for final assembly.
The diminutive Oasi is 17 feet, 10 inches long and 7 feet, 5 inches tall. The interior appears roomy for the size of the unit with a pull-down bunk in the front, a bath in back and a mid-coach dinette. The design allows for a fairly roomy exterior storage bin in the rear – a relatively unusual Class B feature.
Flooring is two-inch dual layer with polyurethane insulation and warmed with Truma Combi-heated air.
Just as noteworthy, according to Tony Diamond, Wingamm director and CEO, is the company’s new approach to sales here in the States. Wingamm currently has two dealerships in the U.S. – in Salt Lake City and Nashville – plus service centers in Dallas and St. Louis. And more dealerships and service centers, located in city centers, are to be added as market share grows
“We believe we’re starting with motorhomes that are best-in-class and we wanted to extend that to our sales model and dealership network,” Diamond said. “Most dealerships are not in the city center. They’re 30 minutes to an hour outside of city center, so they’re not convenient to get to. And once you get there, you are met by a commission salesperson, which is a process that we believe nobody enjoys.”
He also said the current dealership model involves different models and brands whereas Wingamm offers franchise dealerships with expert staff.
“Once you get there, you’re are immersed in the Wingamm and you’re greeted by a customer specialist, not a commissioned sales person,” he told RVB. “Our display areas are being patterned after Apple stores; we offer an elegant, modern, sophisticated experience at our dealerships.”
In a move taking a page out of the Tesla marketing model, Wingamm also plans to have displays in high-end shopping malls across the U.S.
“That is being done for a number of reasons,” Diamond said. “First, again, it’s about convenience. So these are in city centers, and then it’s also about creating a pleasant experience as opposed to being outside, which is how most stores are. You’re now inside. You can shop. You can have lunch and see a Wingamm, all in the same place and it’s five minutes from your house.”
Diamond also believes there is a much larger, untapped addressable market for the Oasi 540.
“We hope to capture that market,” he said. “We want people who currently drive large SUVs, but all of their daily needs are not being met by those large SUVs. We believe there are a lot of daily pain points that that can’t be solved in a Range Rover, but can be solved in a Wingamm.
“Let’s say you’re a family of four,” he added. “Saturday morning, you’ve got one kid’s soccer game, then another kid’s softball game, and you got grandma’s house at the end of the day, right? So today, it’s hop in the SUV. With a Wingamm, you can, while one kid’s playing soccer, the other kid’s napping. While one kid’s playing softball, the other kid’s doing their homework, and everyone can shower and change and head to grandma’s without ever having to go home.”
Both units on display at Tampa were sold with other potential customers placed on a wait list.
TAMPA, Fla. – Upbeat would probably be the best way to describe the mood Thursday during the Florida RV SuperShow at the Florida State Fairgrounds east of Tampa – one of the nation’s most significant retail RV consumer venues.
While chilly temperatures in the 50s and 60s may have dulled the street-level enthusiasm to an extent among OEMs, suppliers, consumers and social media influencers, most everyone on hand at the show seemed eager to poke around the hundreds of new units on display and get a good look at some of the latest gadgets the industry has to offer.
Dave Kelly, executive director of the Florida RV Trade Association, which organizes the event, reported that 13,100 consumers walked through the turnstiles on Thursday, down from 2024’s Thursday attendance of 15,915.
Mike and Jennifer Wendland
“We haven’t counted exactly, but I think it’s our 14th Tampa Show,” said Mike Wendland, a co-creator with his wife Jennifer of the “RV Lifestyle” newsletter and YouTube channel. “The show seems a little slower, not quite as exciting as it usually is. But I think that’s just a reflection of the weather.”
In fact, the good news, according to Wendland, a respected voice within the industry’s consumer ranks, has to do with the general retail mood he sensed in Tampa.
“I think there’s a buying atmosphere here more than I’ve sensed before,” he continued. “I know that in one of the displays – I went in early yesterday (Wednesday), opening day — there were three or four people who were writing deals in the first 20 minutes. I think people do a lot more research than they’ve ever done before and know what they want. Everybody I’ve talked to who’s either a dealer or a manufacturer seems to be thinking this is looking better for 2025 than they thought it would be, frankly. I think they really are saying, ‘Well, maybe we’re going to turn around a little bit.’”
Kyle Kwasny, president of THOR Industries Inc. brands Heartland, Cruiser and DRV, confirmed Wendland’s assessment.
Kyle Kwasny, Hearland, Cruiser, DRV
“The traffic’s been really good. I mean, I think that the response for Wednesday was really solid,” he said “We had a lot of activity yesterday afternoon on display. The weather’s a little tough, but I think for the most part, everyone’s pretty optimistic about the industry, about where we’re going. And I feel pretty good, honestly.”
He also believes consumer sentiment is pretty good “I think if you look at what this lifestyle provides, it’s still affordable, it’s still family-oriented,” said Quasny. “I think there’s a lot of interest among people that have done it and want to do it, and I think the industry’s really healthy.”
Curiously, he added, consumer interest in his product lineup is coming at both ends of the price spectrum.
“Our entry-level business has been really robust because of affordability,” Quasny added, “and then I think there’s been a lot of activity in the higher-end segments, probably more so than we’ve seen in the last couple years. I think it’s based on demographics, as people are simply retiring. And then I think there’s been a lot of those folks that have a lot of equity in their homes and are in a pretty good financial position to take advantage of buying a big fifth-wheel or big motorhome that they’ve dreamed about it for a long time.”
Jarod Lippert, Lippert Components Inc. chief marketing offers, poses at the Lippert display as consumers check out the new Furrion Chill Cube air conditioning unit.
Spirits were high in the supplier building as well. For instance, Lippert Components Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Jarrod Lippert reported good traffic and eager consumers at his company’s booth in Supplier Building A.
“Inside our booth I can say there’s a lot of interest for some of the things we’re showing right now,” he said. “And people are definitely here to buy accessories and parts. I’m hearing a 50/50 both, ‘I’m shopping for a new RV and looking for stuff of yours that’s on it that’s cool and new and exciting.’ And then I hear a lot of, ‘I’m just looking to upgrade the one I have.’ So a little bit of both. So it’s a lot of interest in our Chill Cube air conditioner though, and a lot of interest in our suspension system that we’re showing.”
He also said his staff was driving consumers to OEMs who are using Lippert products. “We’re telling them, ‘Hey, if you like the suspension system, go see this guy or that guy, and they’ve got it on units out there.’”
And while traffic was decent, Lippert said that consumers were not averse to spending. “For example,” he continued, “we’re selling our ATK Chill Cube air conditioner right now. That’s the featured product here. And when I tell people the price ($925.00), they don’t even bat an eye. And they’re like, ‘Okay, we’re going to go buy it.’”
He added that Lippert was selling a significant amount of furniture as well. “People are here to spend money, for sure,” he said.
Lisa Schoder, Camco
“It’s been such an incredible show, constant traffic,” said Lisa Schoder, Camco’s chief marketing officer. “We’re really excited about just engaging with consumers. Just having this opportunity for that face-to-face contact is so critically important for a marketer. … I’m getting information right from the people who are in the lifestyle and living it every day, because that’s the best source of information for consumer insights.”
Traffic was constant, moreover, despite cloudy skies.
“We’re giving away free product samples of our TST Pro, (toilet treatment), which has been an incredible engagement opportunity,” noted Schoder, “and people are excited to try a new product. So, we’ve been really pleased with how everything has been going.”
At the Dragonfly Energy booth, Wade Seaburg, chief revenue officer, also report good traffic and tons of interest in his company’s industry leading Battle Born lithium batteries.
Wade Seaburg, Dragonfly Energy
“We’ve had really good traffic,” he said. “I just got in today, and it seems really good. I even went out and visited a few of our OEMs, and traffic seemed good out there and they seemed upbeat about the show. So, yeah, every one of our techs that’s in the booth has been occupied the entire time.”
And he believes an RV industry market upswing may be in the cards for 2025.
“I think I saw one headline that said ‘Cautiously Optimistic,’ said Seaburg. “I think that’s pretty accurate. Everybody’s figuring out what this new normal from the demand side is going to be within the RV industry. Units are changing, but the fact of the matter is, people still want to go and camp and enjoy nature and the outdoors. So, I think the health of the industry is very strong. It’s just how much volume is going to return, and is it going to be consistent?”
Sara Dover, brand manager for RV for supplier Dometic’s Land Vehicle American division, was overseeing a booth in the General RV parts area as well as an education display in Building A for Dometic, which is currently celebrating its 100th year in business.
The Dometic team, from left, Mitch Loge, trade show manager; Rober Neild, Go Power! sales rep; Brian Noble, director of marketing; Paul Hill, product manager; and Sara Dover, brand manager for RV for Dometic, land vehicle American division.
“We’ve had a lot of traffic in both spaces,” she said. “I think the general space is up a lot from last year, so that’s great. We have our traditional RV stuff, obviously like toilets and AC’s, but then we have our Dometic GO furniture. We have our new soft-sided coolers here as well. We always have the Juggernaut CFXs, the power coolers. Those always do really well.
“And then we have our partners with Valtera, which is now getting ready to be called Dometic Sanitation. They’re here as well as our partners at Go Power or Mobile Power Solutions. We’re kind of in the middle of transitioning names for Valtera and Go Power.
At the other booth, new displays were built, “to really give more of an educational relevance to some of our products, and so that booth focuses a lot on stuff that’s coming. We’ve got new FreshJet VII AC. We’ve got a really cool sound dome over there so people can see how quiet the AC is. That’s the struggle with ACs. That one over there is super low profile. It’s only eight inches tall. It’s the most powerful. At only 48 decibels, it’s one of the quietest on the market.”
That booth also was showing Dometic’s water heater which offers “less weight and less wait,” she said.
A new, feature-rich roof fan’s scheduled to debut in the summer, offering a port feature which allows users to connect solar panels, Wi-Fi or other accessories on the roof. “It’s got dual arms,” added Dover, “so it’s going to be stronger in the wind. It’ll have a hood on so you can drive in the rain and you won’t get any water in. That fan is going to be a game changer for the market.”
Pictured is a 1924 REO, which was on display at the Prevost exhibit. This unit is a precursor to what would become the Prevost chassis.
TAMPA, Fla. – Cautious optimism would be the best way to describe the mood so far at this year’s Florida RV SuperShow, sponsored by the Florida RV Trade Association.
As North America’s largest retail RV show, Tampa has long been understood to be a barometer for industry activity in the upcoming model year.
On Wednesday – the first day when consumers were welcomed – crowd sizes were not record-breaking, but Dave Kelly FRVTA executive director and show director, said “I was pretty happy with the crowd, actually, I mean the public parking lot was pretty full and we’re hearing people were happy with the first-day results. We’d like more, but it wasn’t a horrible day for dealers and we’re hearing they’re pretty happy with what they got, but it’s not like they’ve had in the past.”
Total attendance was just over 17,000, a slight 2% decline over; last year’s tally of 18,111.
Dave Kelly at a previous Florida RV SuperShow. (RVB file photo)
He said overcast conditions sometimes affect attendance because as consumers wake and see clouds, they’re concerned about the potential for rain.
Another factor affecting opening-day attendance, he pointed out, was that for the second year, the senior citizen discount was extended to cover Wednesday through Friday. Previously, the discount was only offered on Wednesday.
This, he said, tends to spread out senior citizen visits over all three days.
But, “Overall, I think everybody was pretty happy with yesterday,” Kelly said.
John Ferrando, Blue Compass founder, president and CEO, visited the Foretravel display on Wednesday.
Dealerships were engaging with consumers on opening day and deals were being written, and while it was a bit too early to draw any conclusions, John Ferrando, Blue Compass RV Founder, CEO and President exuded a sense of confidence in his company’s prospects.
“We’re excited,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s a great way to kick off the year. We brought the largest team we’ve ever had, and probably the best talent from across our store network.”
That network includes 107 stores in 33 states with more than 15,000 units in inventory.
“We got a great product lineup across the board,” Ferrando added. “Airstream, Jayco, Forest River, Alliance, ForeTravel, Thor, Geneva. It’s really a phenomenal lineup of great products, and we are well positioned for a record show.”
Casey Tubman, president of Newmar, the Nappanee-Ind.-based builder of luxury motorhomes, said he believes the current market is “on the verge of what’s going to be positive.”
He said many people in the in the industry feel the same and pointed to some signs to support that conclusion.
Casey Tubman
“October’s retails came back out, revised as positive. November was negative, but we believe the revised will come back slightly positive,” he said. “That’s kind of the start of momentum. This show will be the signal for the year that says, ‘How well are we going to do?’ Presidential election’s over, so that helps. Interest rates have been already impacted a couple times. That just gets people feeling better. Even if it’s not changing a ton in the bottom line, it gets them feeling better about buying. So, I think we feel pretty good about what’s coming.”
He noted that the high-end luxury segment is, “a little bit insulated, so we feel good.”
He also added that on the product side, Newmar was showing it’s all-new smaller Super C model, the Grand Star which debuted at the Elkhart Open House in September.
“We’re showing it to the public for the first time, but we showed it to the dealers back at open house, and we’ve had real positive reactions. Lots of orders came in for it. So we’re expecting those to do real well. People have talked to different folks, our sales team, myself and others, saying, ‘Oh, I’m coming to see the Grand Star.’ We sold a couple pieces already this morning, that (Grand Star) might’ve been one of them. So we’re starting out good.”
Tubman, who came to Newmar just as the COVID boom was winding down, noted that the average age of RVers since then has fallen from the 50s to the 30s.
Alliance RV Co-Founder Coley Brady poses with an Alliance Delta travel trailer on display at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa.
“Now, that’s going to be more probably the entry-level product,” he explained. “But in general, we’re seeing our customer as well come down in age. So again, each generation’s going to be different, but what we know is the younger generation now is about the environment, sustainability, getting out into the outdoors. There’s study after study that says it’s better for your health. They’re all listening to that, right? That’s that generation. And we’re seeing that come into play in our business as well.”
Coley Brady, co-founder of Elkhart-Ind. towable manufacturer Alliance RV said his firm has adjusted to current market conditions and believes those adjustments will be borne out in the coming market year.
“The biggest thing is meeting the demand now, for what dealers and customers are going to want. And you’re seeing a shift, too, in the product,” he said. “There are some brands that are emerging, and I feel like we’re one of those emerging brands. And there are other companies that are emerging, too, but it feels pretty good right now, with where we’re at. I feel good. I mean, I think the RVIA projection is maybe a 10-ish percent increase overall as far as shipments go, and retail probably a similar number. And our goal and our plan is to do more than that and grow market share,” he said.
Jason and Abby Epperson (seated) with, from left, Sabre team members Nate Gerardot, product manager assistant; Michele Kay, interior designer; and Shirley Cartwright, product manager.
TAMPA, Fla. – Jason and Abby Epperson, stalwarts of RV social media and creators of the RVMiles and America’s National Parks podcast and related YouTube, Instagram and content, were at the Florida RV SuperShow Tuesday to have a look at their new Sabre 377RVMILES fifth-wheel.
The 377RVMILES is the result of a collaboration between Jason, Abby and Forest River’s Sabre production team.
The relationship with Sabre started several years ago, Jason explained.
“We were brand ambassadors for them in their 37 FLL floorplan, and that was back when we were full-time RVers. We’re not full-time RVers anymore. We’ve been off the road full-time for about a year-and-a-half now, and we call ourselves just normal RVers. We go out for week and weekend trips,” he said.
So, for the last couple of years, the Eppersons and their three sons – ages 11, 14 and 17 – have been camping in a 25-foot travel trailer.
“And that was great. Served its purpose; was a great off-road rig,” Abby said. “But when you have three teenage boys, a 25-foot travel trailer gets a little crowded and cozy awful quick, especially when one of your kids is 6-foot-5.”
“That 25-foot travel trailer was great, but way too small for our family of five,” Jason added. “It served its purpose. We took it from Baja to Alaska.”
The Eppersons knew they were looking for something else and kept in touch with the team at Sabre.
“They wanted to get us into one of their floorplans and there just wasn’t one that was perfect for us,” Abby said. “The thing that was perfect for us doesn’t exist, and we’ve learned that through the design process, but they said, ‘Well, we’ll build you what you want. Let us know what you want and we’ll build it. And let’s do a collaboration and let’s put something out together. It’s a win-win.’ We get the floorplan we want, and they get a floorplan that is something that RVers like us want.”
The living room offers a sectional sofa, fireplace and big-screen TV.
Next came the process of figuring out what the floorplan might look like. When they started out, Jason and Abby envisioned something much smaller.
“We were talking about doing a mid-size fifth-wheel and, over the course of the design process, we realized we really were happiest with our three kids in a really big fifth-wheel with lots of space,” Abby said. “And they were amazing partners to make that happen.”
Enter Forest River’s Shirley Cartwright, product manager for the Sabre line.
She outlined the win-win, where her brand ambassadors get the floorplan they want and Sabre gains valuable insights into what like-minded consumers are looking for in a new unit.
“Yes. This is something that’s going to appeal to a lot of big families or even the couple that maybe has the in-laws come with them or another couple comes with them,” Cartwright said. “You’ve also got a desk back there. So, it can be a remote office that’s basically not only a bunk room, but a flex room. So, yes, it’s going to be a floorplan that’s going to be a win-win for Sabre as well, because a lot of people are going to be drawn to this floorplan.”
Another plus for Forest River is the exposure of brand ambassadors who are at the top of the RV social media food chain.
Two bunks wrap over the flex room which holds a fold-away desk.
The Eppersons started the RVMiles podcast in 2017. Just competing its 346th episode, the podcast – in audio and video versions – enjoys approximately 20,000 downloads each week. The couple’s American National Parks podcast, an audio-only production, also sees 20,000 weekly downloads and the RVMiles YouTube channel has 113,000-plus subscribers.
“So, a pretty healthy reach across social media, along with Instagram and Facebook and all the places you have to be these days,” Abby said.
From Cartwright’s perspective, “They’re going to get us a lot more outreach and get to a bigger community than what we get to on our own. And their experiences, their adventures, all their cool camping trips that they’ve got planned coming up so people can envision themselves actually going out and doing all these fun things. It gives them another perspective and shows just how much fun RVing can be. That’s what we achieve with them.”
Cartwright characterized the collaboration with the Eppersons as a positive experience.
“It really was a lot of fun. Like, they were saying they really wanted maybe a 30-foot unit. So we tried to put everything that they had on their wish lists into a 30-foot unit,” Cartwright said, grinning. “And then they said, ‘That’s not going to work.’ Okay, how about 34 feet? 36 feet? So, we’d go back to the drawing board and try again. The next thing you know, we bring them back something that they love. But as you can see, it’s not the footage that they were looking for, but it does give them all the things on their want list that they’d given us that makes the camping experience wonderful for not only them, but other campers as well.”
Jason and Abby Epperson on the sundeck.
Michele Kay, interior designer on the project said, “It really started almost with a paper napkin, drawing some pictures, and it just kind of turned into this magnificent unit. From front to back and side to side, the Sabre Sundeck was a huge part of everything. Everybody loves it. The bunk room or flex room can be used so many different ways – an office, schoolwork, kids, grandparents, you name it.”
Abby recalled, “It was really this sundeck. It really changed a lot of our perspective about what we wanted when we saw this at Open House.”
“Shirley was saying we could keep the sundeck and expand out the RV and it would be 43 feet, or we could look at removing that and getting it smaller,” Abby added. “And I had fallen in love with this so much, I thought, ‘Well, honestly, what’s the difference at this point between 39 and 43?’”
Jason said the Sabre team “was very kind to give us the time and patience to let us dream and figure out all the things that could be problems. And I think we came up with lots of good compromises that are what we want in terms of being able to have our larger children, have a good road access and lots of different places to store stuff, a good chef’s kitchen. And it’s something that is not so niche that’s just for us, but other buyers will be interested in, too.”
Abby added, “It was really important to us to make sure that we weren’t just designing for Jason and Abby of RV Miles, but that we were also considering what another RV buyer might also like and that this would appeal to them. … That’s why it was so great working with them because we all had the same kind of goal in mind, like a real true partnership. And that same goal always carried us through as we continued to develop this and figure out what was going to work.”
Abby shared a story about the plant manger at Sabre. When the Epperson family came into the plant to look at the prototype, their 11-year-old son climbed up into the bunk. Afterward, he quietly asked his dad if he thought they could put a handle up on the wall to make it easier to get into the bunk.
“And so Jason went over to the plant manager and said, ‘Hey, Henry had this idea,’” Abby explained. “And the plant manager, rather than talking it through with Jason, went up to our son and said, ‘Hey, Henry, come show me what you’re talking about. Tell me what you need to be able to enjoy this RV.’”
Abby said she tells that story to “anyone who will listen to it because I think it is such a great example of what we need to do more of – listen to the really diverse voices that are all a part of RVing.”
The three-slide unit features a front bedroom with a camper king bed and bath with a full-sized shower, The kitchen houses a wraparound counter with a dinette across from its residential-sized appliances.
The Sabre 377RVMILES is 43 feet long with a UVW of 13,183 pounds, a carrying capacity of 3,052 pounds and a hitch weight of 2,235 pounds. MSRP is $114,749.
FRVTA Executive Director Dave Kelly in his office at the Florida State Fairgrounds, site of the 40th Annual Florida RV SuperShow.
TAMPA, Fla. – Expectations are running high for the 2025 edition of the Florida RV SuperShow, an annual event that has historically served as a bellwether for the RV industry’s prospects in the upcoming model year.
Held each January, the event – in its 40th year – is sponsored and organized by the Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) and takes place at the Florida State Fairgrounds on I-4 northeast of Tampa.
The public portion of what has become the nation’s largest consumer-facing retail show, runs Wednesday through Sunday, with Tuesday earmarked as Industry Day – a time for credentialed RV Industry personnel to put finishing touches on their exhibits and have a look around the show grounds.
Dave Kelly, FRVTA executive director, said Monday the show was just about ready to go.
“We’re about 95% moved in and just doing come cleanup and some last-minute details today and we’ll be ready to open for tomorrow.”
He said the show will play host to approximately 1,300 RVs – from teardrop travel trailers to luxury Class A motorhomes and everything in between – along with 27 dealerships.
The weather mostly likely will not cause any problems, with high temperatures predicted from the mid-60s to low-70s under partly cloudy skies, with only a couple of slight chances for rain during the show’s six-day run.
“The whole week looks like it’s going to be fantastic. A little on the cool side, which is never a problem out here,” Kelly said.
Another precursor for a solid show is the level of supplier interest, which Kelly said is strong, with space sold out well in advance.
“I wish I had another a hundred thousand square feet I could sell. Everything’s sold out from the booths to the manufacturer space,” he said.
And while Kelly hadn’t yet spent a great deal of time talking to OEMs, dealers and suppliers, he noted an overall positive vibe so far around the show grounds.
“To me, I just feel like there’s just an air of optimism about opening,” he said. “The uncertainty over the election is behind us. We’re starting a new year with a new administration coming in and I get a feeling of maybe cautious optimism. It’s definitely better than what we’ve seen in the last couple of years going into the show.”
He also is anticipating robust attendance.
“I really think we are going to have a good crowd. I mean, we’ve had more of our social media influencers participating this year than ever before,” Kelly said. “I think we’re close to 200 of them. We got our meet-and-greet schedule all lined up for them and they’ve been out promoting. I mean, every time you turn around someone’s posted something about being at the SuperShow and coming to meet them. And we’re getting a lot of inquiries, a lot of advanced ticket sales. So yeah, everything’s pointing to a big week.”
Show hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is $15 per person for a two-day pass. Children under age 16 are free. Senior citizens get $2 off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. First responders and military get $2 off every day.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – More than 150 vendors gathered Monday and Tuesday for the 2024 Keller Marine and RV East Coast Show at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort.
And by all accounts, the vibe at the show – which happened to coincide with a divisive election day – was positive.
“I am really, really excited about the people here,” said Lori Morrow, Keller co-owner and marketing director. “The people are very upbeat. I have heard nothing but positive comments. No negative. Which is really uplifting to me as well.”
She noted that influencers Kevin and Patrice McCabe of the Discovery Channel TV show “RV There Yet” were on hand to talk about the show and present a planogram of products.
“Whoever buys the most of those products at this show will be the one that will get a seminar done at their show. So people are excited about that,” she said.
Further, the McCabes’ appearance helps connect with the generation of RVers.
“I’ve talked to several different dealers about, will that help us reach out to the younger consumer?” she said. “Because I know a lot of these younger people love to watch those type of TV shows, and I think it’ll make the lifestyle attractive to them because if you don’t know much about it, if you watched people RVing, it kind of teaches you a little bit about it. So I’m excited about that.”
The show also featured seminars on new Furrion air conditioners, products from SoftStart and other vendors which were well received by show-goers.
The show rotates annually between Florida and Pennsylvania, giving all Keller customers the opportunity to check out the latest and greatest from vendors.
And Mike Keller, company president, made a point to stress just how important those vendors are to Keller Marine and RV.
“One of the things that I would want to make sure we communicate is that we really are about supporting vendors,” he said. “We are not a private label company. We don’t go overseas and take the brands of our vendors – and we could. We know where the factories are in China. We know where most of the stuff is built. But it’s just not our M.O. to take business like that because we feel these are our partners in this building right here. And it’s cool in an industry when it tightens up to watch, you either hang together or you hang separately. And I feel these guys are really hanging with us. And this show, from a dealer’s perspective as well as from the vendor’s perspective, it’s really about that – hanging together.”
Mike Hesse, CEO and chairman of Hesse Enterprises, the parent company of hitches and towing manufacturer Blue Ox, was pleased with the show.
“Mike (Keller) does a fantastic job with everything,” Hesse said. “We’ve seen a lot of major gains this year with new customers coming on board with Blue Ox products. So this is our second distributor show of the season. We’ve had very similar results so far and they’ve both have been really honestly fantastic.”
But Blue Ox’s show traffic has been more a function of a gain in market share as opposed to a turnaround in the market, Hesse explained.
“Blue Ox is a little different right now because we are in the process of capturing a lot of market share. So our growth is through new acquisitions, just having more customers,” he said. “I would argue that the industry hasn’t seen a bottoming out effect yet. However, we are close. So we’re getting closer. I’m calling Q1 of next year the bottom before we start moving higher.”
Keller explained a new technology that is currently in beta testing on the Keller Marine and RV website.
Called “K-Market,” it allows Keller customers to upload products they have in inventory that they want to sell.
“Technology-wise, what we’ve done is we’ve started a product for our dealers – a thing called K-Market – which is where the dealer can now list his own stuff,” Keller said. “He can show what he has available and he can search other dealers based on OEM and aftermarket. So, we’re beta launching this right now. The program’s written, but we’re logistically working through a small test market to try this concept. All the dealers we talk to about it are really excited. Because what happens is one dealer’s junk is another dealer’s treasure. We’re trying to help them move their obsolete parts or the slow-moving OEM parts as well as the stuff they buy from us.”
Keller Marine and RV started in 1957 by Mike and Lori’s father in the marine sector. Their father was building boats and suggested that his son get into the distribution business, Lori explained.
“So that’s how we started. And then in around the mid ’70s, our father was distributing Starcraft boats and then he got into Starcraft campers, and that’s what led him into campers. People started looking for the parts. So that’s how we got into the RV parts side of the business,” she said.
The company currently employs approximately 70 people in two warehouses – one in Thonotosassa, Fla., and another in Port Trevorton, Penn. The company handles up to 48,000 SKUs from brands that represent a Who’s Who of the marine and RV sectors.
The company’s growth and success, Mike Keller believes, flows from a client philosophy which was on display at the show.
“I believe as independent people in this business, it’s so important that we come together in a venue like this where we can just talk and see product, but more importantly, be on the same team,” he said. “It’s not an easy market right now, so if you’re not hanging together – as I said earlier – you’re hanging separately. I feel good about the energy. I feel good about the people being here. And I feel good energy on the vendor side as well.
“Because you see our labels out there. Those are vendors in this industry for a long time and their name means something to us. And we’re not out here saying, ‘OK, let’s take a product that sells really well for us and put a Keller name on it and buy it cheaper somewhere else’ like Amazon does. We’re about helping build their brands and being a part of that. And I think that’s really a huge deal.”
, the program ensures seamless coordination across various components. EverPly can also be paired with Genesis Products’ new Quartered Oak Collection or a range of solids and woodgrains to complement any design vision.
