Michael Rheinheimer

Time is running out to register for Liquified’s Free RV Giveaway. Registration will close at midnight on May 31.

Even though the entry window closes at midnight on Saturday, May 31, entrants will need to be patient. The winner – who will receive an Alliance RV Delta SE ML206 travel trailer – will not be announced until Monday, June 2. To celebrate the giveaway, the announcement will be made during a community open house at Liquified’s warehouse and distribution center at 5309 Beck Drive in Elkhart, Ind.

The open house will last from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., and feature free lunch, a chance to meet the Liquified team and tour the warehouse, and a live call to the grand prize winner.

Liquified Founder and Owner Matt Foxcroft is looking forward to the party.

“We’re inviting everybody in the RV Industry to come out to our open house,” he said. “Meet us, say ‘hey.’ To the outside world it looks like we’re a toilet treatment company, but people don’t realize we’re in the beginning stages of building the largest D2C (direct-to-consumer) business the RV industry has ever seen.”

Foxcroft said this giveaway plays a major part in reaching that goal, since registration can only be done on LiquifiedRV.com.

“The reason why we’re giving away the RV is not necessarily to encourage people to buy Liquified, but to encourage existing customers to buy Liquified from our e-commerce website directly,” he said. “We believe that data is power. The more of a database of RVers that we have, the better it’s going to be when we go to market and we launch new products. It’s a better way of connecting with our customers.”

But Foxcroft says buying Liquified products is not the only way to register. Those interested can earn one entry for every one dollar spent on the website, or gain five free entries by filling out a survey.

Co-founder and President of Operations and Sales Wil Knowles is also excited for Monday’s giveaway. Like those entering the raffle, he’s eager to find out who will win the RV.

“Something that’s always been front of mind is to be able to take the business that we’re building and give back,” he said. “Even though it’s only one person or one family being affected, it’s going to have a big impact on their lives.”

Foxcroft says Monday’s RV giveaway will also be livestreamed on YouTube for anyone who wants to watch.

To register for a chance to win the grand prize, visit LiquifiedRV.com and click on the “RV Giveaway” tab at the top.

The post Time’s Running Out on Liquified’s Alliance RV Promotion first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

When the new ground monitoring interrupters (GMI) become standard on all newly built RVs in 2026, it will not just impact RV manufacturers. Campground owners should also know what to expect and how to prepare, said RV Industry Association (RVIA) Vice President of Standards Bryan Ritchie.

Speaking during a Zoom meeting hosted by the Canadian Campground and RV Association (CCRVA), Ritchie said that now is the time to prepare. Ritchie says the advice comes from RVIA’s discussion with electricians on the matter.

Together, they have three main pointers for campground owners.

To start, park owners should evaluate their maintenance plans and their electrical grid to get an understanding of what they have at their park for power distribution.

Secondly, they should perform electrical inspections. Ritchie suggested that it might be a good idea for campgrounds to bring in a licensed electrician to help during this evaluation.

“(Look at your) transformers, distribution panels, circuit breakers and pedestals,” Ritchie said. “A lot of its connections – wear and tear on those 30- and 50-amp receptacles – could affect readings that this device will be looking at. During maintenance and inspection by electrical contractors or your staff, they can test your connections and ensure stability and integrity of your system.”

Finally, Ritchie said it’s important for campground owners to keep risk mitigation in mind during this process. It may seem overwhelming, but safety for the campers, and campground staff, is paramount.

“All these things will help prepare parks to have a seamless experience at your park while these devices are protecting their users,” he said. “You would expect to see these devices (GMIs) mid next year.”

But Ritchie says some suppliers are already making the devices available to RV manufacturers. He says this means there could be some that make it onto some 2025 or 2026 model year units.

“There is a potential that we could start seeing these even on new coaches, probably mid-summer to late fall of this year,” he said.

That makes early preparation for campgrounds even more important. To help park owners, manufacturers are expected to produce portable test devices. However, the current products on the market might not be enough to tell campground owners everything they need to know about their grid.

“It’s like a GFCI tester… and it’s more checking the proper connections,” he said. “It’s just making sure the ground is there.”

Some are hoping for a more robust tester that will tell more about how prepared a pedestal, and campground, are for the new GMI-equipped RVs. Ritchie says those devices will be a topic of discussion in June during RVIA’s “RVs Move America Week” in Washington, D.C., and he expects more information on them to come out at that time.

GMIs are designed to improve safety by preventing electrical shock or “hot skin” situations, in which the exterior of an RV becomes electrified. GMIs are designed to kill power to the vehicle if it discovers a problem with the receptacle it’s plugged in to.

“Any wiring issues – it’s going to pick up on that,” Ritchie said. “So if they have hot-neutrals or ground in the wrong position, it’s going to pick up on that and it’s not going to let power through to the vehicle.”

The requirements for the ground monitoring interrupters are included in the 2026 Edition of the National Electric Code, or NEC. It is expected to be published later this year, with RVIA adopting it in May of 2026. Enforcement begins September 2026.

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ELKHART, Ind. – Speaking to nearly 1,300 of the RV industry’s top leaders, nationally-known author and economist Dr. Peter Morici told the crowd at this morning’s RV Power Breakfast there are good times ahead, despite recent headlines.

The policy and economics expert offered commentary on major issues, including tariffs and migration, saying things are better than they might seem. He urged patience, saying 2026 should bring the same optimism that was felt by many at the start of this year.

“Just about everything that we’re going through, we’ve been through before – as a species, as a civilization, as the American people,” he said. “The way you move an issue [in Washington] is by screaming the world is coming to an end… Put your stock in America, because history is replete with fools who have sold us short.”

On migration, he said his feeling is that as more new come into the economy, they will become more American, and want to see more of their adoptive home. He said this will lead to greater opportunity for the RV and recreation industries.

He also spoke on artificial intelligence and what it could mean for the economy and the RV industry.

“We’re about to unlock in America fantastic growth potential,” Morici said. “Where they had automation [in the fifties and sixties], we will have AI. There are a lot of little companies developing… [AI agents].”

Morici also offered thoughts on President Trump and the tariffs.

“We have the tariffs and that’s very disturbing,” he said. “It is a bad thing – economists don’t like tariffs. In a perfect world we shouldn’t have tariffs, but in a perfect world we shouldn’t have armies either.”

Morici’s appearance was made possible by Wells Fargo. He is also the author of 18 books and has been featured on broadcast programs around the world. He is professor emeritus at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

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NAPPANEE, Ind. – Gulf Stream Coach Inc. has a lot to be excited about and wants to share that feeling as over the next few weeks team members will be hosting dealers during a spring showcase at company headquarters at 503 S. Oakland Ave. in Nappanee.

President Phil Sarvari says the event is a perfect example for how Gulf Stream relates to its dealers

“They’ve asked us to put something together so they can come in and see some of the new products,” he said. “And it’s a perfect example how we listen to our customers and we respond.”

Sarvari says there’s a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace, but there’s something dealers can count on.

“We are not increasing our prices,” Sarvari said. “So if they want to come here now and buy at the great prices we already have, it gives them an opportunity to do so. To coin a phrase, we answer to Main Street, not Wall Street.”

National Sales Manager and Product Manager for the Lightweight and Laminate Division Tim Dennig says dealers need to attend.

“We totally rejuvenated the entire lineup,” he said. “From the graphics on the exterior to new features, new options, and even a new footprint inside on some of the floor plans. We learned from our dealers and customers – they said ‘Move this over here and move that over there.’ So we did, and we do that because being the largest family-owned RV business in the country, we can react on a dime.”

Metal-Sided Division Product Manager Pete Nottoli added to Dennig’s point, saying there are many new products for dealers to see up close and personal.

“We have about six new floor plans, three décor pilots, some stuff that’s going to be coming offline in the next week or so,” he said. “We want opinions from dealers on the décor pilots to see what direction we should go for model change.”

Nottoli says dealers should be excited about what Gulf Stream has to offer for the current market.

“We’re starting to see an uprise, but it is a relatively soft market,” he said. “Everything that we carry, you should be excited about seeing because we have every segment that you could possibly need in price points… Every segment you need in what your market is seeing right now to get the customers in the door and turn a profit, we have to show you.”

Motorized Division General Manager Matt Buckman is excited to showcase the new additions to the tried-and-true Conquest Class C Motorhome.

“We’re really excited about the fact we’re bringing out products that can provide dual A/Cs,” he said. “In the sunbelt down in Florida – down in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona – it’s almost imperative.”

One of Gulf Stream’s other iconic lines, the BT Cruiser, is also getting some new features.

“We’ve done some nice things in terms of aesthetics,” Buckman said. “We have a new paint job that we brought to market. It really follows today’s current trends. We’ve manipulated the floor plan and improved the functionality.”

One of the first dealers to visit was Tony Sines. The owner and founder of Tony’s RV in Bryan, Ohio, was glad to make the trip to Nappanee to spend time with the Gulf Stream team.

He’s been exclusively selling Gulf Stream RVs since 2018 for a simple reason.

“[It’s a] family owned business,” Sines said. “If I ever need anything, I get ahold of who I need to and they always take care of me. Tony’s RV is family owned, too, so it’s family owned meets family owned. I love that.”

The post Dealer Partnerships Drive Gulf Stream’s Spring Showcase first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Jim and Jourdan Hansen are embracing the future. The brothers behind Jimbo & Company Transport in Middlebury say they have decided to put AI to work for them.

Far from being swayed by recent trends and tech industry buzzwords, the pair are early adopters. They started using artificial intelligence, although in a smaller way, five years ago.

“It’s grown significantly since then,” said President & CEO Jim Hansen. “Initially it was just creating the load board for the drivers, and then we fed off that. Our whole company runs off that load board. So as you’ve got that data (the AI) starts to read it and put things together. Once you have the data, you can start issuing commands and then it pretty much knows what you’re doing.”

Hansen says the A.I. is taking care of small and tedious tasks formerly handled by office staff, such as calculating payroll or tracking driver habits. It also helps track driver safety.

“Before, we would have to check to make sure that the driver was legal to take [a shipment],” Hansen said. “Now, it’s telling us, ‘Hey, this guy is able to take this, or he’s not able to take this.’ It’s giving us red flags right away.”

Hansen says the newfound efficiency from the A.I. creates a trickle-down effect. Quicker order processing and quicker driver means quicker deliveries and an expanding business with more opportunities for growth.

“Getting the order placed with us, to picking it up from the factory to put I our yard, to getting the paperwork done on our end, to getting a driver used to be a two-day process,” Hansen said. “Now you can get it done in half a day, and that guy’s on the road.”

The next frontier for the A.I. has to do with optimizing a driver’s time and earning potential.

“A lot of stuff that we’re currently working on is trying to figure out where you’re at and then what do we have available,” Hansen said. “Say a guy delivers in Missouri, there might be something in Missouri and it’s letting him know, ‘Hey, there’s a unit in Missouri if you want it.’”

While some are concerned about A.I. and the disruption it’s already causing, Hansen has a more optimistic view.

“A.I. doesn’t have to be a scary tool,” Hansen said. “It actually can be helpful… Don’t be afraid of it taking away jobs. I would say embrace it – learn it. You can utilize it. It’s a tool to use. You’re not going to get away from having a human anytime soon.”

Jimbo & Company Transport hired outside experts to build a custom A.I. for the processes they need. To maintain a competitive edge, Hansen did not disclose the name of the programs used.

James says using A.I. has helped the company save on overhead, allowing them to put resources into expansion. Jimbo & Company Transport plans to add 100 contractors during the second quarter.

James is sharing credit with his younger brother, Jourdan, who serves as the company’s Vice President and COO. Jourdan’s future-focused approach to tech has helped the brothers’ business stay ahead of the curve.

“He has a lot of the creativity. He wants us to be on that [A.I.] bandwagon,” Jim said. “Some people can’t grow out of the old school ways, but eventually we do get rid of the pay phone. If you don’t grow with it, eventually it won’t be there for you.”

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Thirteen years ago, Don Sheliga started working as an engineer for Coachmen RV, a Middlebury, Ind.-based division of Forest River Inc.

Twelve years ago, he got the news that changed everything. That’s when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

But Sheliga is not alone in his fight. His wife, Linda, has been by his side since day one. He credits her with giving him the fighting spirit that’s on display at Rock Steady Gym.

Sheliga said his wife was watching CBS’ “Sunday Morning” after he was diagnosed. The show had a story on Rock Steady Gym’s original location in Indianapolis. Inspired by how the training was helping patients slow the progression of their Parkinson’s symptoms, the pair began driving to Indianapolis for boxing classes. Classes, Sheliga said, helped manage his symptoms.

But driving back and forth to Indianapolis started to take its toll.

“After about six months I said, ‘You know, maybe we can do this up here.’”

So Sheliga took the initiative and, along with several others, started Rock Steady Gym Michiana in 2016. They now have two locations to serve the community. The Elkhart gym holds classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The South Bend gym holds evening classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from six to 7:30, and at 9:30 on Saturday mornings.

Though less than a decade old, Rock Steady Michiana has seen steady growth. Sheliga says there are about forty people at the South Bend gym, plus another 30 regulars at the Elkhart classes.

While the work is rewarding, running two gyms is not an easy feat. It’s taken a village to help keep the lights on, and his employers have been a big help.

“Forest River has been so nice,” Sheliga said. “This year, they actually gave me a $500 check donation. I’d like to challenge the other manufacturers and vendors to meet it or beat it.”

The chance for manufacturers and vendors to meet or beat that $500 donation is coming up at the end of the month.

A fundraising gala will be at 5 p.m., April 26, at Morris Park Country Club in South Bend. It will include a silent auction.

Sheliga’s goal is to raise at least $75,000 for Rock Steady Boxing in Michiana. He’s hoping donors will feel called to help.

“Boxing has all the things that people with Parkinson’s lose – balance, mobility, agility, movement,” Sheliga said. “The program works. Our goal for everybody is to slow down Parkinson’s… so that the quality of life gets better.”

To purchase tickets to the fundraising gala, or bid on silent auction items, visit RockSteadyBoxingMichiana.com.

Don is also thankful for the support from Forest River’s management team.

“Forest River has been so nice,” Sheliga said. “They’ve accommodated me with my certain issues. If I need time off, they give it to me within reason. They let me leave early if I’m having a bad day, let me come in late if I’m having a bad day. They’ve just been super. Zach Eppers and Bob Dumm – I mean, I couldn’t think more highly of two people.”

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Hosted by the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds, the Regional Knowledge Summit will be held later this month, and MARVAC President and CEO John Lindley hopes to see you there.

The first of the two Regional Knowledge Summit sessions will be April 22 at Suburban Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi, Mich., while the second one will be April 23 on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University, 7400 Bay Road, Saginaw, Mich. The program on both days runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On the agenda for both days are three talks. First, attorney Bonnie Mayfield will speak on new employment laws, including Michigan’s new Earned Sick Time Act. After lunch, Lindley wills speak on the new state legislature and regulatory landscape. Finally, Curtis Hemmeler will speak on the new Ground Monitor Interrupter (GMI) requirements going into effect in 2026.

Hemmeler, who is the executive director of the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) and senior vice president of standards for the RV Industry Association (RVIA), is working to spread the word about these new requirements.

The GMI devices will serve a simple, yet potentially life-saving purpose. Once installed, they will protect RV owners from “hot skin,” which can happen if an RV’s electrical system is plugged into an improperly grounded receptacle. “Hot skin” refers to when any metal item, including an RV’s metal exterior, becomes electrified, raising the risk of shock or fire.

Hemmeler explained that a bad electrical ground can “energize” the whole RV. To counteract this, RVs built in 2026 will be required to have a GMI device installed on the unit. “So, if there’s any kind of issue with a campground’s pedestal, it’s going to trip the GMI on the RV.” (For further background see: “Grounding Monitor Interrupters on RVs Coming in 2026”)

The RV industry is looking to educate as many people as possible – including RV dealers and campground owners – about the new GMI requirement. Hemmeler’s talk will cover industry standards, inspections, and how the new ground monitoring devices will work. Also on the agenda, tips for how campgrounds can prepare for the new equipment. This will include guidance on maintenance plans, electrical inspections, and risk mitigation.

Hemmeler says the independence of the RV industry is maintained by its self-regulation, adding that’s a perk they don’t want to lose. But the biggest goals are consumer safety and campground readiness, he said.

“The whole idea of the change is for safety,” Hemmeler said. “The second piece would be to make sure the campground is ready – make sure the consumer doesn’t have any problems when they try to hook up, so that the consumer has a good experience. If they don’t have a good experience, they’re less likely to continue to recreate or camp, and they might choose an alternative. Obviously, our goal is to try to keep them in the RV world, so that they can continue to purchase within the industry, but also so they can create those family memories that are very positive versus being an unhappy experience.”

Lindley agrees with the importance of safety and a good customer experience.

“At the end of the day, user experience and user safety are as important as any other factor when it comes to the industry and the industry’s success,” he said.

Lindley says registration for the Regional Knowledge Summit is easy. You can do so by calling MARVAC at (517) 349-3300, or emailing [email protected]. Registration costs $50 for members, and $150 for non-members, with $100 credited toward a MARVAC membership if joining within seven days of the event. He’s hoping to see a good turnout at this year’s summit.

“These events provide a great opportunity for colleagues to get together with colleagues,” he said. “Those are truly extraordinarily valuable conversations that members of the association have with each other that we’re able to facilitate.”

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Even though selling and repairing RVs is what keeps the lights on, the Veurink family believes in going the extra mile for their neighbors in need.

That’s why this summer, Veurink RV Center (VRV) is spearheading a donation drive for Streams of Hope food pantry in Grand Rapids, Mich. The “2025 Pantry Pile-up” is being supported by Midway RV Center, Dutchmen RV, KZ RV, and RVBusiness.

“The actual donation period will be June 2 through the 21,” said VRV Creative Marketing Director Mollee Veurink. “We kind of thought, ‘Hey, this is when we’re going to get customers in our door just to bring awareness of even what’s happening in our own community.’”

Veurink said the hope is the more awareness from customers, the more donations there will be to Streams of Hope. Even though it’s a food pantry, Veurink said they do more than provide meals to those in need.

“If you’re going through a rough season of life, they’ve got that resource for the spiritual side,” she said. “We fully support that ministry.”

Streams of Hope is asking for many items to meet the growing need for help. Not only do they need canned goods, they will also accept cereal bars, cereal, dry pastas, hygiene products and baby products. Veurink says there’s a big need for diapers and baby formula, since those tend to go quickly when needed by a family.

Those wanting to give to the collection will be able to do so at both of Veurink’s locations. Its center in Grand Rapids is located at 7144 Division Ave. S., while the Newaygo branch is at 8669 S. Mason Dr.

Midway RV Center is also serving as a drop-off location. Its address is 5590 Division Ave. S. in Grand Rapids.

Veurink said the pantry is just about a mile from their Grand Rapids location, and about two miles from Midway. For the pair of businesses, charity begins at home.

“One kind of cool thing we like to do is invest in the community,” said Veurink. “When our customers invest in us, we’re able to invest back into the community. Whether we’re employing people right in our own neighborhood and we’re able to provide jobs, but also if someone’s in need we’re able to kind of hear that and be intentional with helping them in any way.”

This summer’s donation drive is being run by the company’s REACH team, the all-volunteer force made up of Veurink RV’s employees. It’s a labor of love, that usually gets 20 to 25 employees to lend a hand for any given project. Veurink said the employees are always happy to help out, and even many new hires sign-up for projects shortly after their start dates.

Veurink credits that volunteer spirit to family business’s culture, carefully crafted by her father, Tim Veurink. Even though his son and her brother, Matt, is now the general manager, she said their dad handles the behind the scenes “visionary-type stuff.”

“He said it’s easy to write a check, but it’s cool to be able to see a different perspective and it opens the eyes of the team,” Veurink said. “We do more than just sell and fix RVs.”

Once the donation drive is finished, all the items will be driven to Streams of Hope – hopefully, Veurink said, inside of campers.

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