Jim Mac

RVshare, a major peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace, conducted its annual “What’s Next” webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 11, discussing the latest travel trends, data-driven insight, and forecasts for 2025.

Insights from the webinar (and related Travel Trend Report) can help educate planning and forecasting for RV OEMs, suppliers, dealers, and campgrounds, RVshare stated.

Jeremy Puglisi from The RV Atlas moderated the hour-long conference, featuring a panel of thought leaders, including Alyssa Ravasio, founder of HipCamp; Toby O’Rourke, President/CEO of KOA; Ali Rasmussen, co-founder of Spacious Skies Campgrounds; and RVshare CEO Jon Gray.

The roughly hour-long discussion covered everything from projected 2025 demand to the demographics of today’s campers to trends motivating travel.

Among the conclusions:

• Boomers are back following a COVID hiatus, but GenX and Millenials are here to stay
• While 2025 campsite bookings appear to be on par with 2024, lead times are shrinking, reverting to a more pre-pandemic pattern
• RV travel is perceived as a good value and more affordable for families
• Experiential travel is a thing, with concerts and events, food, history, and set-jetting (visiting locations of popular movies or TV series) as primary motivators
• For many campers, getting outdoors equals wellness
• The shoulder seasons—especially fall—are playing a more significant role, in some cases rivaling summer volume, and campgrounds are responding by opening earlier and staying open longer
• The number of non-white campers continues to experience “healthy” growth

With the presidential election behind us and the steady economy, panel participants were optimistic about the upcoming year.

The webinar followed the release of RVshare’s 2025 Travel Trend Report, predicting a year of growth and opportunity for the travel industry, particularly RV travel.

“We’re constantly exploring consumer attitudes across the travel industry to understand better what drives Americans’ decisions and desires,” said RVshare’s Gray.

“As we look to 2025 and the future of travel,” he continued, “we understand that quality reigns supreme. Rather than ticking off destinations, this year’s Trend Report illustrates that Americans are yearning for more intentional travel and captivating experiences — especially when it comes to road trips. It’s about cherishing time with loved ones, letting hobbies guide the way, and finding a balance between exploration and relaxation. Whether travelers are dreaming about indulging in a gourmet meal at a viral restaurant from social media, hiking a historic trail, or shopping for eclectic local finds, RVshare’s expansive inventory has an option for any road trip. We’re excited to fuel this new kind of adventure–where the journey itself becomes just as important as the destination, if not more.”

About RVshare

RVshare is the largest online community for RV renters and owners, with a diverse selection of vehicles for rent across the US, ranging from luxury motorhomes to cozy camper vans. With more than 5 million nights of sleeping under the stars booked, families and groups can experience a one-of-a-kind trip and create memories that will last a lifetime. For more information, visit rvshare.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @rvshare.

The post RVshare’s ‘What’s Next in Travel’ Webinar Identifies Trends first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Season six of The RVers will launch at 8:30 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 24, on Discovery’s Destination America.

The popular series will showcase some new cast members while taking  “a deeper delve into the captivating word or RVing” and feature some stunning destinations and incredible stories of the people they meet.

In the fast-paced world of television, six seasons is no mean feat (Friends, The Office, Breaking Bad, Grey’s Anatomy, and Game of Thrones ended on this milestone). However, producer and co-host Anthony Nalli doesn’t intend to call it quits anytime soon, as season seven and eight production plans are already underway.

RVBusiness spoke with Nallie about the show’s continued popularity and what we can expect this year.

“I think six is a pretty decent achievement—especially coming through COVID—but the job isn’t done yet. We intend to take it to season 10 and hopefully beyond,” stated Nalli.

When asked about the secret to the program’s ongoing success, Nalli explained, “I think interest in the subject matter has not waned. People love RVing. Although there is much good information and many sources, such as YouTube, the RVers is different in that we like to tell stories about RVs and places to go with your RV and share what other people do, especially through cast members and guests.

“What’s more, people can relate to those stories, giving them a sense of familiarity and camaraderie. I also think our program encourages people who have RVs and aren’t using them a lot to get out there and enjoy life more. And we can inspire those who thought about RVing to take the next step.”

Some highlights of Season Six include:

• Best of/Bloopers
• Introducing new hosts, the Willerses
• Brett (a high-end RV dealer), and unlikely full-time
• Learning how to stay connected with the help of Cherie and Chris of Technomadia
• The RVers creator, Nalli, opens up about his RVing journey and regrets
• Chefs Martin and Gail show how to prepare gourmet RV meals
• Overcoming apprehension and fear on a first-time tour to Mexico’s Baja

While Nalli’s program is directed at the RV consumer, he feels it also has a role to play with RV OEMs, suppliers, dealers, and campgrounds.

“It’s no secret that many people in the RV industry don’t actually RV. But if you don’t live the experience, I think it can be hard to understand how the product needs to evolve and adapt to fit the customer. Companies have marketing departments and research, but that’s not a substitute.

“Watching our program and hearing what our diverse group of hosts with many different lifestyles say could serve the industry well. For many RVers, an RV can affect your life from a joy and health perspective. I know it does for me. From this standpoint, I genuinely believe the industry is responsible for delivering the best experience possible.”

Season six of The RVers will debut Sunday, November 24 at 8:30 AM on Discovery’s travel-oriented Destination America network. The show will also air on PBS stations nationwide in various time slots.

You can also catch the show on Fun Roads TV, RVTV, and Wild TV in Canada. Seasons 1-5 are regularly airing, adding season six in early 2025.

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ReFresh RV, the Omaha, Neb.-based company with a proprietary solution to revitalize and protect RV exteriors, will introduce a dealer-direct program this month.    

Company president and co-founder Jason Grimm told RVBusiness that the timing is ideal as dealers look for more ways to boost income when new and used RV sales are depressed.

Until now, ReFresh was available only through company employees and subcontractors, severely limiting the number of customers the company could accommodate. “As word spread,” Grimm noted, “we were getting calls from RV owners across the country and from dealers asking if we could train their techs to do it for themselves.”

Under the new Dealership Participation Program, the ReFresh team will work on location with dealer service personnel, providing 3-4 training days. In addition, the program includes detailed, written procedures to cover every aspect of the process, ongoing tech support, and enough cleaners, restorers, protective coating, and tools to complete eight average-sized RVs.

“We can turn a dull, highly oxidized trailer or motorhome into a new or better-than-new looking RV with no buffing and little labor,” Grimm explained. “Our transformative solution restores color and cleans stubborn marks and old caulking without buffing. Plus, we will offer a three or five-year warranty.”

Grimm’s 30-year background in the automotive detailing business led him to start the company and collaborate with a lifelong friend, a “genius in chemistry,” to develop a nano ceramic-fortified clear coat that resists scratching and stain and keeps the exterior looking factory new.

Once trained, Grimm estimates, a service tech can complete a restoration in 5-8 hours, depending on the size of the RV, turning a profit of about $1,200 to $1,300 per unit. In addition, by running used units through the ReFresh process, dealers can expect higher margins. All told, the dealership will recoup its investment in just a handful of jobs.  

The company will also support dealers with a marketing program for the RV aftermarket and through print marketing materials and referrals.

“RV owners definitely have pride in ownership,” commented Grimm. “With ReFresh RV, dealers can help deliver that new RV look while making a handsome profit.”

For more information, call Dan Bennett, Sr., at 402-707-2148 or email [email protected]  ReFresh-RV.com

The post ReFresh RV Offering New Dealership Participation Program first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

GOSHEN, Ind. – On Sept. 11, opening day of the America’s Largest RV Show in Hershey, Pa., Keystone RV’s Fuzion brand will unveil its patriotically themed fifth wheel, according to a press release.

The 40-plusd feet toy hauler will feature bold, American flag-inspired graphics, a field of iridescent stars and a matte-grey on matte-black paint scheme.

“Although the concept for this unique exterior was born months ago, it seems fitting that this RV, which celebrates the spirit of our nation, will first be shown on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,” the release stated.

Company officials anticipate the stars-and-stripes Fuzion will be unlike anything at America’s Largest RV Show. “I think the American flag screams about what our customers are about and their passion,” commented Camm Nickell, National Sales Manager for Fuzion and Impact toy haulers.

So how did it come about? Nickell’s love for motorsports provided the initial inspiration. While riding the dunes at Silver Lake, Michigan, he noticed that virtually every dune buggy, bike, ATV, etc., displayed an American flag. “Once we started, our entire team – sales, engineering, production – got behind it,” Nickell explained.

“And when the first model rolled off the line, not just our plant but also guys from other plants came around to look at it. The way it came together, the final product, is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

According to Nickell, Keystone’s in-house paint facility helped make this unique exterior possible. The paint team’s exceptional skills and openness to suggestions allowed the product teams to achieve impressive results. For example, this Fuzion features a matte finish that gives it a distinctive appearance and makes it less likely to show dirt and grime from road surfaces compared to traditional glossy exteriors.

While the Stars and Stripes exterior is the showstopper, it’s one of many upgrades for 2025, changes the Fuzion execs claim will give the brand best-in-class bragging rights. “We’ve done an entire facelift, everything from storage and frame to interior and exterior. We’ve made major changes,” says Nickell.   

Among the most significant:

• Two full-body paint options offering matte or glass finishes available in multiple color choices
• Best-in-class pass-through storage capacity
• Best-in-class tank capacities of 173 gallons fresh water and 104-gallon grey and black tanks
• Best in class 8,000 pounds Dexter axles
• 12-inch I-beam suspension
• 17 ½-inch wheels with H-rated Cooper tires
• Dual fuel generator
• Adjust-a-track frame welded tie-downs with 38 points of contact

The post Keystone to Debut Stars ‘n Stripes-Themed Toy Hauler on 9/11 first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Back in January at the Florida RV Super Show, Keystone RV Company introduced the all-new Arcadia fifth-wheel, touting it as a “complete, from the ground-up reinvention of what it means to be a towable RV.” At the time, officials teased a travel trailer variant of the Arcadia would be forthcoming. Now, roughly 90 days following […]

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EarthCruiser, a globally recognized leader in expedition vehicles, today (April 26) introduced the EC Terranova, a 4×4 all-season over-cab expedition vehicle available on a Ford one-ton chassis with Chevy and Ram options coming in 2022. EarthCruiser describes the Terranova as “purposefully designed for multi-function living and unyielding in its ability to perform in town or […]

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EDITOR’S NOTE: According to influencermarketinghub.com, an influencer is “someone with the power to affect others’ purchasing decisions because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience.” Interestingly, many influencers today despise the term “influencer,” feeling that it has gotten a bad rap due to misuse and misunderstanding. Regardless, successful influencers have managed to leverage […]

The post RV Influencers Series Debuts with the Bennetts of RVLove appeared first on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Harvest Hosts, a membership program giving RVers access to unique RV camping options, today (April 6) announced that it has exceeded 2,000 host locations on its platform. This list includes more than 575 wineries, 500 farms, 241 breweries and distilleries, 390 golf courses, 338 museums and other attractions, all with scenic overnight RV camping options. […]

The post Harvest Hosts Members to Spend Over $40M Locally in ’21 appeared first on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Duo Form, the Edwardsburg, Mich., manufacturer of thermoformed products including OEM and aftermarket shower surrounds, skylights and PPE solutions, and contractor Nuway Construction broke ground Wednesday morning (April 1), on a 40,000-square-foot expansion. According to company officials, the new facility will enable Duo Form to consolidate all thermoforming equipment under one roof and help create […]

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With the traditional January Boston RV show a “no show” this year due to pandemic restrictions, the New England RV Dealers Association (NERVDA) hopes to help fill the gap this spring with a virtual event, one that officials said utilizes an RV-industry first web technology to deliver an immersive, interactive experience. Called the New England […]

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