EDITOR’S NOTE: In light of the sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs announced last week by President Trump – and the resulting retaliatory tariffs that have further escalated the current trade war – RVBusiness would like to know to what effect the RV industry feels it will be impacted.
Newmar certainly caught the attention of its dealer base – if not the industry at large – with this week’s introduction during its dealer show held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., of the Freedom Aire Compact C motorhome, the company’s first foray beyond its current Class A and Super C offerings.
Built on a Mercedes-Benz 4500 chassis, the Freedom Aire debuts with two floorplans – a twin-bed model as well as the 2515 prototype on display, highlighted by a slideout on the driver’s side offering a king-size Murphy bed over a dinette. Every inch of the coach is optimized to enhance livability and offers six distinctive exterior finishes. The optional solar package includes roof-mounted panels as well as Newmar’s first-ever external and movable solar panel option, increasing solar capacity by up to three times. This advancement empowers owners to venture further off-grid with greater independence.
Following the Freedom Aire’s reveal, Newmar President Casey Tubman spoke with RVBusiness about what the new product and new segment means for the company, the Nappanee, Ind.-based subsidiary of Winnebago Industries.
RVBusiness: Casey, we’re standing here and looking at your brand new, all-new Freedom Aire motorhome, which you are calling a “Compact C.”
Tubman: That’s correct. Some people reference B-Plus, but there’s no such thing as that class. We call it a Compact C.
RVBusiness: Newmar is known as a manufacturer of Class A motorhomes and, more recently, Super C’s. So, what does this new product and new segment means for Newmar as a company?
Tubman: Newmar has a great brand name for 50-plus years now – even in the past when we were producing fifth-wheels. We eventually moved into diesels and we became known as a diesel brand or a Class A brand. And, while we’ve brought in Super C’s and dabbled our toe in the water a couple of years ago, this year, we said, “We want to become known as a luxury brand.” Doesn’t matter if it’s a Class A, Class B, Class C, Compact C – whatever it is. We eventually want to have an offering for everyone that wants a luxury Newmar experience, best quality in the industry, best craftsmanship, all those industry firsts that we talk about. You buy a Newmar, that’s what you get.
RVBusiness: So, Let’s talk about some of the highlights of the Freedom Aire. Your VP of Sales, Matt Ellinger, said it has “Diesel DNA.”
Tubman: I call it “Newmar DNA,” but he likes to say “Diesel DNA.”
RVBusiness: From the side-opening baggage doors in the basement storage, to the integrated rooftop awning, to the rear caps – the whole thing truly looks like a diesel pusher, but on a 25-foot Mercedes Benz 4500 Sprinter chassis.
Tubman: And on the inside, because of the limited space, we wanted to make sure we made the most of it. But having the Italian leather theater seats with the full power recline, adjustable headrest – things of that nature – make it super comfortable.
I was joking with my wife the other day. When you get in those seats, it’s business class versus a coach class. When you’re flying, it’s business class, you have a flip-out tray, it’s real nice, it’s heavy duty. The comfort is all there, and you can recline back and take a nap. We wanted to do things like that. It’s a 25-foot unit and we put a king-size bed in there. Unheard of.
But we know our customers, and again, one in five of our Newmar owners are talking about downsizing because they’re aging out. We want to keep them in the brand; they want to stay in the brand. I had many people come to us at our rallies asking, “When are you going to bring something?” Or, “Can I go into one of your sister brands and still stay a member of your club?” And we just wanted to bring this product so that they would have that.
Something else we pride ourselves with is our craftsmanship. A lot of times we’ll say the Amish craftsmanship of Nappanee, Indiana. This has wood cabinets, hard surface countertops. It’s again, Newmar inside. We didn’t want to compromise on what the customer is buying. We worked on different trade-offs in weight because that’s always the question on these. And again, we’re going to end up right around that 750-to-800 pounds of carrying capacity, which when you add two people and all their stuff for camping, that’s about what it takes. And again, I would say that’s if not the highest, it’s probably the second highest in the industry for this one.
RVBusiness: And, as you said earlier, while what we’re looking at is a prototype and changes should be expected, but this will be a 2026 model and you’re expecting to go into production with it sometime this summer?
Tubman: This is a 2026 production model. It will go to production over the summer and then we will ramp up as the summer goes and be full running in the fall. We have two floorplans right now that we’re working on. And again, multiple exteriors that you can see there, including an available Onyx package.
One other thing I should mention is, it’s a Compact C, but what you probably don’t realize is those walls are built like all our other walls, 16-inch on center, aluminum stud walls, fully insulated, again, fiberglass cap on the back, fiberglass cap on the front and integrated awnings, you mentioned that, but it really is the Newmar construction here that you’re seeing, which again, no one else does
Newmar VP Sales Matt Ellinger offers an overview of the Freedom Aire.
RVBusiness: The Sprinter chassis was intentional, obviously.
Tubman: We wanted the Mercedes chassis because it represents a brand similar to Newmar. And it was a perfect fit for us. The 4,500 gives us an extra thousand pounds of carrying capacity for that customer.
Again, special things like that bunk doesn’t have a nursing home curtain to cover you up when you’re sleeping. It’s a nice blind or shade as we have in our other units. That’s what you’ll find in there. And what people talk about is those bunks get high. We pump AC into that bunk area separately where a lot of people just pump it to the end of the run and point it that way. We ducted it into the actual cab.
What else? We made sure the shower, that bathroom, porcelain toilet, glass saying, it feels like a Newmar. And the shower is big enough for our engineering lead, JP LaPorte, who is 6-foot-5. And then we put (VP Marketing & Strategy) Ryan Buursrta, the 6-foot-4 guy, up in the bunk because we want to make sure it’s usable for these people.
RVBusiness: You sound pretty pumped.
Tubman: Yes, we’re very excited. This is the first of what we want to do, expanding our brand to more areas. We want people to know Newmar is a luxury brand and this is the way we do that. Again, it’s the first of many.
Hearing the same customer questions while working at an RV dealership, Tony Barthel, together with his co-host Peggy Barthel, started the StressLess Camping RV podcast to help RVers get more joy out of their RVs. Today the StressLess Camping RV podcast celebrates its 300th episode.
With the goal of serving RVers at all stages of the RV life, the StressLess Camping RV podcast has hosted industry notables, talked about hidden camping gems, offered deals, discounts, hints, hacks and more. With well over half a million downloads the podcast has become a hit with its ever-growing core audience as evidenced by gatherings and interaction on various social platforms.
“We just have one simple goal – to serve listeners with useful information that will help them turn getting outdoors into StressLess Camping,” said co-host Peggy Barthel.
“Our initial intent was to take the questions I heard over and over at the dealership and create one resource where people could get answers,” echoed Tony Barthel.
As part of serving the audience where they want to be, the podcast added a video component which has seen notable growth as well.
In addition to the podcast the StressLess Camping website features hacks and hints to make the Great American RV Adventure into a StressLess Camping journey. There are curated deals and discounts, tips and tricks, maintenance reminders, and more.
One of the other unique aspects of the website are the popular recipes which stem from Peggy and Tony also having owned a bed and breakfast. It’s clear that this couple can’t sit still.
Also on the website Peggy employs her Masters in Geology to share stories about travel geology, finding unique adventures in the journey.
Tony has shared his experience in the RV industry as both an RV salesman and warranty administrator with his Honest RV reviews section which has also proven quite popular.
Of course there are whole segments of the StressLess Camping website that assist people in the RV buying process, in understanding their RVs, finding great places to take them, and even meal and recipe ideas. The StressLess Camping website is a positive look at the world of RVing and ways to make it more enjoyable and, yes, StressLess.
The couple continue to appear at a variety of conventions and gatherings with presentations on RV topics including boondocking, safety, technology, and more.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Newmar Corp. executives unveiled its 2026 model year lineup of Class A and Super C motorhomes, and at the same time said the company is poised to continue “Building on Our Legacy” – the event’s theme – through quality, customer experience and innovation.
President Casey Tubman said the Nappanee, Ind.-based, gas- and diesel-powered motorized manufacturer enjoyed market share gains in every segment the OEM has an entry, the Dutch Star was the No. 1 selling diesel motorhome for the third year in a row, and that Newmar will continue to keep its production pace in step with the retail market.
The company also on Tuesday premiered a redesigned King Aire and the all-new 600hp Summit Aire – its fourth Super C model – and was set to unveil another new product today.
“We want to be the best in quality without question,” Tubman said. “No one should be able to question it. It should be just known and you can see it.
“The second thing is, we want to be the best in customer service. And again, we’re already known for our customer service, so we’re proud of that, but we can always take it to the next level,” he continued.
2011 DAYTONA 500 champion Trevor Bayne, left, with Newmar VP Sales Matt Ellinger
“The third thing is product innovations,” Tubman added. “Newmar has been first to the industry with several things, and that’s something we pride ourselves on. So, as we go forward, how do we bring the first of something in the industry for market? We’re going to show you some of those again this week.”
Concluding this evening with an awards ceremony, Newmar is hosting its dealer partners at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event includes presentations from Tubman, along with Executive Team members VP Sales Matt Ellinger, VP Engineering JP LaPorte, VP Marketing & Strategy Ryan Buurtstra and VP Customer Experience Simone Silva, who was to deliver her session this morning.
In addition, 2011 DAYTONA 500 champion Trevor Bayne, who serves as Driver Consultant for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, shared how lessons learned on the race track can be applied to the business world. Bayne is a NASCAR veteran widely recognized for having been the youngest driver ever to win the DAYTONA 500 in the iconic No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing and for his work as an analyst at FOX Sports.
NewmarVP Sales Matt Ellinger
In his presentation, Ellinger laid out many of the changes, upgrades and new floorplans to the 2026 model year lineup. Among those were:
Many new color, cabinetry and other interior decor and exterior graphic options.
Woven vinyl in slideout flooring, replacing carpeting.
Onyx package available on all models.
Artisan Series graphics on select models for truly one-of-a-kind coaches.
Victron components on all models.
Control system from American Technology Components, Elkhart, Ind.
A more subtle “Refined” décor option on the King Aire to complement the classic “Regal” selection.
Supreme Aire SE and the Supreme Aire XT are to be built on the Freightliner Cascadia chassis.
The Artisan Series deserves additional mention, as it “reflects the overwhelming desire to own a truly customizable coach that reflects our customer’s unique tastes, and that cannot be duplicated,” said Ellinger. “Not only can customers select this option, but dealers can as well. They can select from an exclusive catalog of Artisan series graphics that will be forever archived. Making this coach truly one of one.”
“If you have a motorized mentality, we want you to lean into Newmar today and this week. We’re a proven winner in this space. And guess what? We’re only going to get better,” Ellinger concluded.
Newmar VP Marketing & Strategy Ryan Buurtstra
For his part, Buurstra shared some target audience research conducted with IPSOS – the same agency that produced the recent Go RVing RV Owner Demographic Study – that is informing many of Newmar’s decisions going forward, one of those being people who ascribe to “Stealth Wealth,” which means they prefer understated luxury. The study also helped to identify the consumer profile that is within the OEM’s wheelhouse, but also pinpointed other segments that represent growth opportunities.
“Newmar will continue to lead in our current strongholds. That’s not going to change. But we are also focused on expanding into new customers and new segments while remaining true to the Newmar brand,” Buurstra said.
LaPorte used his presentation to introduce himself – he succeeded the late Paul White, who died unexpectedly last year – as well as share his excitement for the future of Newmar
Newmar VP Engineering JP LaPorte
“For a company to be great, there’s two fundamental pillars that have to exist,” he said. “You have to have great product and you have to have a great brand. Newmar has both. That is the No. 1 thing that attracted me and made me want to come here. The No. 2 thing is the amount of just unbridled opportunity that’s out there for the product. If you look at the technologies that are out there in the different spaces, we just have a huge growth opportunity and it’s exciting.”
In addition to the awards ceremony tonight, the second day will include sessions that highlight how Newmar is “driving customer loyalty through consumer experience,” from VP Customer Experience Simone Silva, as well as a presentation on how tariff and other regulatory updates are impacting the company.
Return to RVBUSINESS.com for further updates from the Newmar Dealer Meeting.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Newmar Corp.’s 2025 Dealer Meeting gets underway today at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. The three-day event opens this morjgn with presentations from President Casey Tubman, along with Executive Team members VP Sales Matt Ellinger, VP Engineering JP LaPorte, and VP Marketing & Strategy Ryan Buurtstra.
In addition, 2011 DAYTONA 500 champion Trevor Bayne, who serves as Driver Consultant for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, will join the event as a special guest. Bayne is a NASCAR veteran widely recognized for having been the youngest driver ever to win the DAYTONA 500 in the iconic No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing and for his work as an analyst at FOX Sports.
Throughout rest of the day, dealer partners will get an opportunity to review the new model year coaches from Newmar, a Nappanee, Ind.-based subsidiary of Winnebago Industries.
The second day will include sessions that highlight how Newmar is “driving customer loyalty through consumer experience,” a presentation on how tariff and other regulatory updates are impacting the company, as well as a discussion on how service influences customer retention. Later that evening company officials will host its annual dinner, awards and champagne celebration.
Once again, get an intimate look at the OEM’s complete 2026 lineup, including the brand new Grand Star Super C and the entirely reimagined King Aire — plus the reveal of a jaw-dropping new addition.
Return to RVBUSINESS.com for updates from the Newmar Dealer Meeting throughout this week.
Given the current political climate, advocacy efforts on behalf of the RV industry can best be described as quiet discussions in the hallways – and that strategy is beginning to pay off, according to the men and women who lobby on behalf of the RV industry and the greater outdoor recreation arena.
“A straight frontal assault is going to result in us being in the wilderness on every single thing we want in California. And so, I would recommend that we stay relatively quiet publicly on what we’re doing, but privately we are pushing as hard as we can,” said Cliff Costa, who as the vice president at California Advocates Inc. in Sacramento is a key figure in advocating on behalf of the RV industry in the Golden State.
Jason Rano, left, and Mark Weller.
Costa was part of a panel discussion during the 2025 RV Industry Association (RVIA) Leadership Conference, held March 3-6 at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Ariz., Titled “Navigating Change and Advancing Policy Priorities,” the panel also included Jessica Wahl Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), Mark Weller, shareholder at Polsinelli Law Firm, and Jason Rano, RVIA’s vice president of Government Affairs who served as the moderator.
Based in Washington D.C., Weller advocates for variety of the RV industry’s federal initiatives, including the Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act, a bill that would allow RV dealers to deduct interest on floor plan financing for all RVs. As it is now, dealers can only deduct interest on motorized RVs. Legislation has been introduced several times to correct this, but each time it has failed to pass Congress for various reasons.
From his office in the state capitol of Sacramento, Costa has been especially focused on the recent rules enacted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that have significantly impacted motorized RV sales in the Golden State, which have been adopted to various degrees by more than a handful of other states across the nation.
Under Wahl Turner’s leadership, ORR – America’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations, businesses and organizations, including the RVIA and RV Dealers Association – has helped to pass historic legislation like the Great American Outdoors Act and the EXPLORE Act, and to secure billions of dollars in funding for public land, waters and rural gateways.
What follows is an edited account of the panel discussion.
Mark Weller
Rano: Mark, we’ll start with you. One of the top priorities RVIA and RVDA have been working on over the last several years is a fix for the dealer floor plan inventory tax deduction. Can you share a little bit about the journey which the organizations have been on to get to this point?
Weller: The struggles we’re facing, Jason, would be three or fourfold actually.
First, it’s a very small segment that’s affected by this. It’s dealers and then the OEMs that supply those units. And then moreover, we have an industry concentration on the OEM side in northern Indiana that doesn’t give you a broad geographic reach that you need in politics to try to gather some interest and support on those issues. And then, politically, the Democrats didn’t support the 2017 Trump tax cut and really had very little interest in helping make changes or fixes or corrections to that.
So, what do we do with that? I’m a really strong believer in evidence-driven advocacy, so you try to take that data and talk about the economic issues and the impact and what that means for dealers around the country – and then you tell a good story. We meet with people to do that.
We’ve worked closely with RVDA to try to identify dealers around the country. They’re situated in geographic areas where they have a member of Congress that sits on the House Tax Writing Committee, and we’ve used those dealers to try to reach out and educate members about this problem, and how to fix it.
The good news is here at the start of the new Congress, (RVIA Senior Manager of Government Affairs) Samantha Rocci from your team and others have concentrated on members of the House Tax Writing Committee early on, we have seven Republicans on that committee that are already co-sponsors for the fix, and we’re encouraged that as the budget and reconciliation process moves through Congress this summer that we’ll have this taken care of.
Carl Costa
Rano: Cliff, can you talk a little bit first about the importance of continuing to be engaged with CARB, and the nexus of CARB, the governor’s office and the state legislature?
Costa: Sure. So, the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) rule has a chassis component that is impacting the industry’s motor home availability in California. And we engaged early and have continued to engage with the Air Resources Board, and that continues regardless of what happens going forward. And the reason I believe that’s necessary is the Air Resources Board has not just been consistent pain point for this industry, but for almost every industry; they have very, very broad authority and they feel emboldened to use that authority.
And so, walking up into the election, we were engaging in a very high-level conversations with the Air Resources board and their staff. And then the election happened and that changed the political dynamics – at least it relates to CARB. And the reason I say that is now you have this existential threat that the Air Resources Board is worried about, and that is (the Trump Administration) getting rid of their specific California waiver of the Clean Air Act, as well as going in and knocking down a variety of the various waivers, including the Advanced Clean Truck rule.
My point of this is to sort of walk you down the pathway of, look, we had a strategy, we were engaging, then the Trump administration steps in and now a new opportunity avails itself.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t quietly have conversations. You can let your member of Congress know it’s important that this is having an impact on you and your dealerships or your manufacturing.
Jessica Wahl Turner
Rano: Jess, what are some keys to ensuring that outdoor recreation continues to garner bipartisan support and doesn’t get caught up in the hyper-partisan battles that we see in Washington?
Wahl Turner: What was game-changing for the industry as a whole was eight years ago when we got the government to quantify our industry for the first time. So, we are quantified every year by the American Government Bureau of Economic Analysis within the Department of Commerce. And they have told us year and year again that we are a huge contributor to the national economy. Last year it was $1.2 trillion, five million jobs, over 2% of the GDP, and 3.3% of all U.S. employees.
That has allowed us to be the bipartisan industry that we always have been. Because if you lead with economics, everyone can tap into that, everyone can tune into that.
But when you think about RVing in particular – it’s just one of many segments that make up the recreation economy – there’s a big economic activity happening in Indiana. You might think our power is just in Indiana as an industry. Well, Indiana’s been shipping those RVs to dealers all across the country, and they’re being used in every corner of the country, and they’re going to campgrounds and gas stations, and they’re getting their RVs repaired and they’re having an experience.
We touch every community in the country. Every community should care about RV and campgrounds and people getting outside.
The second piece is that everyone has an outdoor experience to share, and you can tap into that. We had a really difficult meeting a couple of weeks ago with someone, but once we got into (his outdoor experience), he had had this really special moment fishing with his dad. This is what you want. You’re not wearing your Republican or Democrat hat when you’re going outside.
Rano, Weller and Costa look on as Wahl Turner makes a point.
Rano: Everyone should feel free to weigh in on this question. With focus shifting daily, hourly and by the minute in Washington these days, what are keys to sustaining long-term advocacy efforts without losing momentum in a rapidly changing political environment?
Weller: Given the nature of that chaos, you just have to be flexible but not lose sight of your core messaging. You have to be true to your core issues and what you’re focusing on, but also be adaptable and have the ability to change quickly.
In all of this, relationships are important. For example, on the tax issue, we were just talking to about 41 members of the House Tax Writing Committee. Only about 25% of those people were around when the 2017 tax bill went through, so there’s a job you have to do of constantly educating people, explaining your issue, the importance of that, what it means to their local economy, what it means to their district, and how important these issues are. In that sense, having a grassroots network to reach out to those people are really important.
And I just would add one other thing: The ability to have the impact of the economic data and industry by state and by congressional district is phenomenal. We go in there and we can say, ‘You have X number of RV businesses in your district, this many jobs.’ And when you look at the economic impact that has, if you’re looking at suppliers, dealerships, campgrounds, they’re large numbers and it’s really impressive.
Wahl Turner: I agree with all of that, and I also think – and I’m biased – but I don’t think you can ever invest enough in GR (government relations) and RVIA does an awesome job of this. I think why GR is so important is I think of it as simmering pots. You have a stove and you have five or six pots simmering, you never know which one’s going to boil. So, you have to be tracking, even if it seems adjacent and it doesn’t seem like it’s core to your business, you have to track that simmering pot because once it boils, you might be able to add (your issue) to it.
I’s amazing how many things you have to keep track of just for your one little issue to ride on that. So, kudos to the team for always having a lot of simmering pots, because that’s where the magic happens.
Costa: So, let me be clear. California is 80% Democratic in our state legislature, which means Republicans are 20%. So, in the state assembly, 60 of the 80 legislators are Democrats, and in the state Senate, 30 of the 40 legislators are Democrats.
You would think a variety of our messaging is coming from two buckets, a Republican message and a Democratic message. But in reality, that’s not true. Not all Democrats are alike, not all Republicans are alike. So, you really have a core message that you’re trying to convey, but you can say it in five or six different ways. You want to approach it from a different perspective.
So, if I’m going in to see a very conservative Republican from a very rural area in California on one of our issues, they’re kind of one of our bread-and-butter folks, they understand who we are. They probably have themselves been active in RVing. But when we go meet with a progressive Democrat, we will talk about the economic value, we will talk about the impact in the community, we will talk about the parks that are in their district.
We will have a different message, but at the end of the day, it is a positive RV message that we are going in with, you just need to figure out who the audience is.
BOULDER, Colo. — Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) President Kent Ebersole released the following statement in response to recent staffing cuts at the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior, which “threaten the safety, maintenance and overall visitor experience on America’s public lands,” according to a release.
Kent Ebersole
“The recent workforce reductions at the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior are deeply concerning, especially as these agencies are already operating with historically low staff-to-visitor ratios,” said Ebersole. “The stewards of our national parks, forests, and public lands—park rangers, maintenance crews, and visitor service staff—are the backbone of these treasured places. They keep trails open, respond to emergencies, educate the public, and ensure that millions of visitors not only experience the outdoors safely but also feel welcomed and inspired by the landscapes they explore.
With fewer staff, we risk longer emergency response times, neglected trails and facilities, and disruptions to the experiences that make these places so special. OIA stands with these dedicated professionals and urges policymakers to prioritize sustainable staffing solutions. Our public lands and the people who care for them deserve better,” he concluded.
About Outdoor Industry Association
Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a catalyst for meaningful change. A member-based collective, OIA is a passionate group of business leaders, climate experts, policy makers and outdoor enthusiasts committed to sustainable economic growth while protecting – and growing access to – the benefits of the outdoors for everyone. For more than 30 years, OIA has catalyzed a thriving outdoor industry by supporting the success of every member company across four critically aligned areas: market research, sustainability, government affairs, and inclusive participation. OIA delivers success for its members through education, events, and business services in the form of solutions and strategies, consultation, collaboration, and opportunities for collective action. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.org.
For those looking for signs the RV industry is headed in the right direction this year, the 59th Annual Detroit RV & Camping Show featured great attendance, record sales and a general feeling of optimism that the retail market is on its way back.
Hosted by the Michigan Association of RVs & Campgrounds (MARVAC), the five-day show took place Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich. In addition to seminars, parts and accessories and campground exhibitors, the show featured about 400 RVs from: Bish’s RV, Blue Compass RV, Funtown RV, General RV, Holland Motor Homes, Kline’s RV, National RV, Price Right RV, TerryTown RV, Vacationland, Veurink’s RV, Vicars Trailer Sales and Woodland Airstream.
John Lindley
MARVAC President & CEO John Lindley said the show was “great” and he heard nothing but positive feedback.
“Over the course of the five days we had just over 21,000 people, which is over 500 people more than last year,” Lindley told RVBusiness. “So, the traffic was great with Sunday being the day where we had most same-day growth over last year. And most of the dealers I talked to were very happy with their sales, with multiple dealers saying they had record results.”
Matt Veurink
One of those record-setting dealers was Matt Veurink of Veurink’s RV Center, who agreed that the show was great, saying it tied the record for largest number of sales at that particular show.
“It was a record show for us, so we’re very happy – tired, but happy,” Veurink said, adding that no specific segment seemed to sell better than another. “It was a little bit of everything,” he said. “We sold a truck camper, some teardrops, the Vintage Cruiser did well, a couple of toy haulers and, of course, a bunch of travel trailers.”
He added that they gained a number of leads from the show, and people who didn’t pull the trigger at the event will be by this week to finish their purchases.
Loren Baidas
The show added to what has been an already string start to the year for his dealership, Veurink said, and it only fueled his optimistic forecast for the year. “It makes you feel like we’re on our way,” he acknowledged.
“The show was very well attended,” he told RVBusiness. “There’s a lot of interest in the RV lifestyle. Sales were strong and on the same pace as last year. The start of the year is very compatible to last year – although we have had some significant weather challenges in January this year in almost every market.”
Derek Kline
Derek Kline, owner and general manager of Kline’s RV, said the traffic was good and the show was great.
“And I’d add that the buying intensity was definitely there,” Kline said. “If you include all the sales that are still in process, we probably had 20% more sales at the show than we did last year. I should also point out that only 30% of the buyers had a trade-in. Now, some of them are going to sell what they have on their own, but that’s still only about 40%. So, what that tells me is 60% of our buyers are either new to the lifestyle or coming back to it. These are all positive and good signs for what’s to come in 2025.”
Dealers are reporting a great start to the 2025 Detroit RV & Camping Show, which runs through Sunday (Feb. 2) at the Suburban Collections Showplace in Novi, Mich.
Bill Rogers, left, with keynote speaker Justin Forsett. A nine-year veteran of the NFL, Forsett talked about remaining resilient in the face of adversity. (Photos by Dayne Pillow for RVBusiness)
By all accounts, the 2025 NTP-Stag Expo was a solid success. Dealers, suppliers and NTP-Stag officials all reported good attendance, good business and good camaraderie – and all hope it’s yet another sign of good things ahead for an industry that is eager to latch onto anything that would indicate a return to better times.
Presented by Airxcel, the 2025 NTP-Stag Expo took place Jan. 20-21 at the Gaylord Rockies Convention Center in Aurora, Colo., and featured several hundred dealers and suppliers taking part in educational sessions, keynote presentations and a vibrant trade show.
Saying he was very pleased with all aspects of this year’s Expo, NTP-Stag President Bill Rogers noted that his event is the industry’s last distributor show, and many dealers will wait and take advantage of the breadth of parts and accessories on display and the special pricing available at the Expo.
“I think a lot of the customers may have been waiting to come here and see how things are going. We usually attract pretty good crowd and, obviously, we did again this year,” he said.
“I think the training sessions were really well-attended and usually that’s a good sign,” he said, adding the Marine Certification session enjoyed its largest attendance ever.
“Last year, we ran out of space and people wanted more, so that was great,” Rogers said. “The other training and certification sessions for the suppliers also was full. And I got really good feedback from suppliers on the attendance and the engagement on all the customers.”
Indeed, RVBusiness spoke with a number of dealers and suppliers that also reported positive feedback.
Piar Adams
Piar Adams, Vice President of Marketing, Aftermarket & International Sales for Airxcel, said the show was “great.”
“I would say that it met our expectations in terms of traffic which felt perhaps a little bit heavier than last year, and dealer sentiment was strong, optimistic,” he said.
“But we’ve seen that really in all of the distributor shows leading up to this one,” he added. “We were at Arrow a few weeks ago in New Orleans, and Meyer last week in French Lick, (Ind.) and both those shows were really good. The attendance was good, and early returns on sales were good, too. We also were at Tampa last week, and we had great attendance and a lot of positive things going on with consumers at that show. So, when you tie everything together, it seems like we should have a better year than we did last year.”
Monte Bates, Parts Manager for Best RV Center in Turlock, Calif., had only just arrived at the show when he spoke with RVBusiness.
“We just got here maybe an hour ago, but so far so good,” Bates said. “I’m here for some weight distributions and then some NTP in-house brands like Arcon, Husky – things like that. We don’t do a lot of ordering here, no, because we can order things when we need them throughout the year. But we do want to take a look around, too, just to see what’s out there.”
Bob Brammer
Bob Brammer, president of Stromberg-Carlson, said the Expo had a “positive vibe.”
“I think consumer sentiment is on the rise, dealers are seeing more traffic on their lots, and you can just tell that everybody’s excited to start 2025 with fresh start,” he told RVBusiness, later adding that the positive vibe has led to an increase in business for his company. “We are seeing an uptick – and for different reasons. We have certain people trying to buy ahead, maybe get ahead of tariffs. That always helps. It might be tempered in a few more months from now, but the other nice thing about that, and it happens, sometimes you go in with a conservative forecast and then things are going better than you think, right? So, it just pulls that business in a lot quicker.”
“I’m really hoping that President Trump will do something about De Minimis,” he added, “which would bring a lot more business back into dealerships and traditional RV suppliers who import, let us play a fair game, and not just have a 35% disadvantage.”
“What I like about NTP’s Expo is you get everything, right? We got people from all over the U.S. and we got Canadians. And, again, I just feel a positive vibe. NTP Stag does a great job. It’s first class, the facility’s first class, speakers are great, and you can just tell everybody feels appreciated – and we appreciate them being here and taking time away from their homes and families to come out and see what’s new and share their vibe with what’s going on.”
Rich Elliott, left, with Larry Montante, VP of Category Management at NTP-Stag.
Rich Elliott, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Progress Manufacturing, said the Expo was “great.”
“The traffic’s been good. The dealers are very optimistic,” he said. “I think for a long time we all wanted something to be better, but it wasn’t getting much better. So, the hope has kind of turned into more true optimism now. I think everybody’s really excited about 2025 and we’re expecting some good things.”
He added that, specifically for his company, the highlight is this “price revolution” that they’ve implemented for 2025 in which they’ve dropped price on both Equal-i-zer and E2 weight-distribution hitches.
“A lot of people are asking us how we’re doing that. We didn’t change anything. It’s the same hitch everybody’s used to and that they’ve loved for years and years, but we’ve lowered the price as we’ve gotten through inventory,” Elliott explained. “And with being part of the Dexter organization, we’ve really improved our processes and we’re really excited about passing that on. The dealers need that margin right now in the marketplace that we’re in. So, the lower price is one thing that we’re doing. We’re also including hitch balls. They’re now installed in the Equal-i-zer. E2 will be kind of a rolling change in 2025, but people will see that start to happen here shortly.”
Brent Clark
Brent Clark, president of Big Hoss LLC, an independent manufacturer’s rep company, was staffing the Fogatti booth – his other clients include Xponent solar awnings and Renogy power systems – and, after having spent most of his career on the OE side of the industry, said this was his first time at the NTP-Stag Expo.
“For me, it’s no different than working with OEMs. It’s absolutely still all about relationships,” he said. “And these people are a great source of information. They give you detailed feedback about a specific product and how it works or doesn’t work, and the pain points that they see every day. So, you can take that and your OEM experience and put it together and explain, ‘Well, this is why that’s doing this or that.’
“So, the Expo been a great experience for me,” Clark continued. “Obviously, the dealers appreciate the NTP-Stag organization and what they provide – both their products and their services. Plus, I learned a lot about NTP’s e-commerce business.”
Josh Palmateer of Baydo’s RV sales in Chehalis, Wash., said the Expo was a great show overall and he especially appreciated the “great educational opportunities and good deals.”
“I’ve been doing this for a little while, so there’s nothing that super stands out,” he said of the supplier-led educational sessions, “but I did like the InteractRV seminar. That was pretty good. The WFCO one was pretty decent, too. Those are the only ones that really pop out in my head anyways.”
As far as taking care of business at the show, Palmateer said he’s doing some bulk ordering as well as smaller batches as well.
“It’s a little bit of both. We do stock up here on enough weight distribution hitches, sewer hoses, toilets, vent covers and stuff like that at the beginning of the year,” he said. As far as anything new that caught his attention, he singled out the lithium batteries from Epoch. “Yeah, their lithium batteries are pretty competitive as far as price point goes, so you get a lot of battery for it.”
John Primm, left, andSara Dover
John Primm, Director of Distribution for Dometic, and Sara Dover, Dometic’s Brand Manager for RV, also had positive feedback on the Expo.
“This being the final show of the season, the turnout is great. Dealers are very optimistic about the season that’s coming up, so we’re really excited. Traffic has been good,” Primm said. “We have the ability to show them all of our Dometic products. We have the new CFX5 here. We have the new Fresh Jet here and merchandising materials and everything, so it’s been very exciting so far.”
Primm noted that dealers aren’t placing large orders at the show like they have in the past, but that’s because they know they can get most anything they need with a day or two nowadays from distributors like NTP-Stag.
“I mean, the industry has changed so much. Dealers are very excited about what they’re seeing here, but they also know that they could count on distributors to get the product the next day,” he explained. ‘So, in their minds they’re like, ‘I get three deliveries a week so I can get a customer in one day, figure out what I need, and then the product comes in the next day.’
“That’s just the way the market’s gone, right?” he continued. “So, that’s not a reflection on any of the brands, it’s just dealers being more efficient with their inventory, and taking advantage of the distributors quick deliveries.”
For her part, Dover noted the Expo – and other shows – offered everyone a chance to become reacquainted with each other, too.
“I think that’s one thing that I really saw last night and today through the show,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for our team members to interact, network, talk business, and obviously catch up with the dealers that are here. I think from the branding side of it, I’m always concerned about what we’re talking about, how we’re representing, but I’ve seen so many people walk up and just say, ‘Oh, I got to connect with so-and-so.’ That connection is priceless.
“The other thing, too, that I’ve seen that is great for the signs for the year is Tampa was an excellent show,” she added. “Consumers were out and buying, they were spending more than they did last year, and hopefully numbers will reflect that. They were excited about new things, they were excited about engaging with Dometic and our products, so I feel that 2025 is going to be really great.”
