WASHINGTON, D.C. – RVs Move America Week officially is underway this week in Washington D.C. Hosted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) at the Mayflower Hotel, the annual event begins with two days of committee meetings where volunteers from across the RV industry collectively work to build a strategic roadmap to help define future growth of the $140 billion RV industry, before giving way for Advocacy Day on Wednesday, June 4, in which participants meet with members of Congress to advance issues of importance to the RV industry.
“RVs Move America Week is a cornerstone event for the RV industry,” said RVIA President Craig Kirby. “It’s our opportunity to unite as one voice, highlight the strength and growth of our industry, advocate for policies that support outdoor recreation, and collaborate on strategies that will shape our future. This week is about coming together as peers to exchange ideas, spark innovation and set a collective course forward.”
In addition to committees meetings both today and tomorrow, Tuesday’s agenda also includes a presentation by Scott Jennings, a senior conservative commentator on CNN, who is known for his sharp insights, humor, and engaging debates on major political events. Also, in a surprise announcement, U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, the Missouri Republican who’s the chair of the House Ways & Means Committee, is scheduled to be on hand for a “fireside chat” discussion.
Josh “The RV Nerd” Winters of Bish’s RV, left, and Matt Foxcroft of Matt’s RV Reviews and Liquified RV were two of the dunk tank volunteers for a fundraiser hosted by FamILY CARES at the Alliance RV Rally. (Photo courtesy of Lou Crouch via Facebook)
GOSHEN, Ind. – Alliance RV’s sixth annual national rally – known as the “Ally Rally” in which Alliance owners (Allies) from all across the U.S. and Canada gather to rally around the brand – officially got underway yesterday at the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Through the end of this week, the nearly 800 owners of 370 Alliance RV-branded travel trailers, fifth-wheels and toy haulers will be immersed in education, entertainment and camaraderie.
“We’ve got a heck of a week planned for them,” said Bill Martin, Alliance RV’s vice president of Customer Experience and, judging by the number of people who stopped to say hello to him, one of the more popular people at the event.
The week’s festivities kicked off Monday with a dunk tank featuring YouTube stars Josh “The RV Nerd” Winters of Bish’s RV and Matt Foxcroft of Matt’s RV Reviews and Liquified RV Tank Treatment, and Alliance RV staff – including Martin as well as VP Marketing Joe Mehl, VP Sales Jeremiah Dumka and GM Ab Saleh. The dunk tank was a fundraiser hosted by FamILY CARES, a nonprofit organization of Alliance owners that has supported various philanthropies and scholarships over the years.
The opening day culminated with a welcome reception and live entertainment, while today’s events are highlighted by a morning “state of the union” presentation by Martin and Alliance RV co-founders Coley and Ryan Brady.
Martin, speaking inside a 2026 Avenue fifth-wheel – part of a 2026 model year display that included Delta travel trailers Valor toy haulers, Paradigm fifth-wheels and a Benchmark destination trailer – said the rally is always a highlight for the entire Alliance team. In fact, he added, about 90 Alliance workers are on hand this week to provide complimentary service work for rally participants.
Bill Martin and his 9-month-old dog, Herbert.
“We have four pickleball courts, which is new for this year” Martin said. “We’re going to have a pickleball tournament, cornhole tournament, we have potluck dinners, we have catered in dinners from MISSION Barbecue and Nelson’s and – also new this year – we have casino night Thursday night, which should be a blast if you’ve never done that.
“It’s just a great way to get everybody together and it’s really hard to explain a rally atmosphere, but you got like-minded people and you create friends for life here, whether you’re an Alliance employee or other Allies out here enjoying the company,” he said, adding that the rally has grown tremendously in its six years. “We sold our first unit in January 0f 2020, and our first rally that summer we had 50 or 60 people. Fast forward to this year and we have 370 units and we’re coming up on about 800 people.”
Another change for this year is the main building previously used for meals and other large gatherings of rally-goers has given way to suppliers and other vendors. The fairgrounds recently completed an extensive renovation and expansion project for the Elkhart County Community Center (ECCC), which provided an additional 5,000 square feet of interior space, a second kitchen and set of restrooms. This increased the capacity of the building by 39.5% with banquet seating for up to 960 people.
Jeret Burnett of Cool RV Everything.
One of the vendors participating in the Ally Rally is Jeret Burnett, who runs his company, Cool RV Everything as a full-time RVer who attends dozens of shows and rallies each year. He offers Wash Wax ALL products from Aero Cosmetics, RV Airflow, and RV A/C Silencers.
“The best part is it’s like going camping with your best friends, only you’re taking all of them with you,” Burnett said. “That’s why I love rallies so much. This year’s a slow year for me. I’m doing 24 rallies, but I don’t have to have a normal job. I get to go see my friends all over the country all year long.”
Martin picked up on that senitment, saying the rally atmosphere is a “vibe.”
“It’s just fun. We get to interact with our Allies, they get to interact with us. It’s just a fun week,” Martin said. “We’re not just a company. We’re trying to be a part of their lives. We love following our customers’ adventures, and this is just a great way to bring it all together and have a fun week together.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With a sneak preview of its 2026 model year motorhomes – including special edition off-road adventure vans – the 2025 Tiffin Motorhomes Dealer Meeting got underway Thursday at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.
The first day also featured some words of welcome from Leigh Tiffin, president of the Red Bay, Ala.-based motorhome builder, who thanked the many dealers who were in attendance for taking time out of their busy schedules to travel to Nashville.
Leigh Tiffin will go into greater detail on the new model year motorhomes and the company in general during his morning presentation today. He will be followed by a panel discussion featuring THOR Industries President Bob Martin and Bob Tiffin, CEO of Tiffin Motorhomes. Other speakers include Van Tiffin and Trent Tiffin, who serves as the company’s vice president of sales, as well as Ron Insana, an analyst and commentator for CNBC.
Dealers inspect the Open trail 25 AO, an adventure van built by Tiffin Motorhomes in partnership with Owl Vans.
The Open Trail Class C adventure vans, built in partnership with Owl Vans, a nationwide upfitter of Class B motorhomes, were front and center in the display area that features no less than 33 of Tiffin-branded Class A, Super C, Class C and Class B units.
Two dealer representatives, Bernie Culliton of Campers Inn RV and Larry McNamara of Giant Recreation World, were among the first to check out the units.
“I think it was made for the zombie apocalypse,” said McNamara, who serves as the president CEO of the dealership’s three Florida locations. “It’s bad to the bone, let me tell you. I haven’t gotten the spiel yet – and they’re doing that outside as we speak – but it’s an awesome-looking unit.”
For his part, Culliton, Campers Inn RV’s brand ambassador, said he was most looking forward to “seeing all the new stuff.”
“I really wanted to get over here and take a look at all this stuff, but I had no idea what I was going to see, and now I’m just completely surprised as to the immensity of this display and the immensity of the changes,” he told RVBusiness. “In this coach that we’re in here, the Open Trail, is just outstanding. I just spent 20 minutes with the Owl rep who helped design the exterior of this coach, and, whoa, there’s so much to learn.”
Tiffin officials said the Open Trail “combines the efficiency of an adventure van with the added capacity of a Class C coach.” Built on the Mercedes Benz 3500XD Dual Wheel AWD Cutaway Chassis and equipped with the SumoSpringsRide Assist System, the 25 AO model checks in at 25 feet, 6 inches long with a GVWR of 11,030 pounds and 5,000-pound hitch rating.
Other features include: rear twin beds that convert to a king-size bed; 15,000-Btu air conditioner with heat pump; 2,000-watt pure sine wave inverter; Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus instant water heater; Spyder Controls multiplex system with app integration; 4-kilowatt Flex Power dual fuel generator; Girard power awnings; hardwood cabinetry; private wet bath; and a sleeper sofa or optional L-shaped lounge.
In both sessions, Sharonne Lee, vice president of education and operations for the RV Technical Institute (RVTI), explained the new Ground Monitor Interrupter (GMI) requirements going into effect in 2026. Also, Bonnie Mayfield, an attorney at the Dykema law firm, spoke on Michigan’s new Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA). In addition, MARVAC President and CEO John Lindley updated participants on the state’s new legislature and regulatory landscape.
When the 2026 Edition of the National Electric Code (NEC) is published later this year, it will finalize the requirement and electrical evolution of protecting RV owners and users from the occurrences known as “hot skin,” which Lee said is a condition that refers to when any metal item, including an RV’s metal exterior, becomes electrified, raising the risk of shock or fire.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, all new RVs manufactured with 30A or 50A electrical service will be required to have installed a Ground Monitor Interrupter (GMI), which is a loss-of-ground device. Before electrical current can pass into the RV, a GMI will check the receptacle for a proper ground connection. During use, the GMI will also monitor the ground connection to the RV and, if lost, will disconnect the power to the RV.
For her part, Mayfield explained the myriad nuances of the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA), which details how an employee can earn paid sick time during. While the ESTA goes into great detail, it’s expected that more answers will emerge as the legislation is implemented in the field.
Lindley said the two Regional Summits are another opportunity for the association to provide a real-time benefit to RV dealers and campground owner/operators in the Great Lakes State.
“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.”
GREENVILLE, N.C. – In his latest interview, the CEO of Camping World is reiterating his stance that he will not take down the huge flag at his location at the corner of Evans Street and Red Banks Road while acknowledging the controversy has had an impact on his business in Greenville, according to a report by WITN, citing an interview by WTIB in which Marcus Lemonis announced he has closed one of the company’s two Greenville locations. (See video above; the interview starts at the 1:07:00 mark.)
The city says the American flag and flagpole it is flying on, violate city code due to their size.
Marcus Lemonis was on Inner Banks Media radio station WTIB Tuesday morning where he told Henry Hinton on Talk of the Town that he closed one of his two Greenville locations on Friday. He said that employees at the Forest River RV location on Greenville Boulevard were told they were closing due to the controversy created by the council.
“We think the ordinance is wrong,” said Lemonis. “I think it’s also wrong council members have been working very actively to disparage my business and on Friday I had to consolidate modification of 2 dealerships in town. The main one that you’re referring to and another one of Greenville – and we had to close that – our business which has been unfortunately impacted uniquely in Greenville, N.C.”
ELKHART, Ind. – A crew from CBS News was in the RV Capitol of the World this morning (April 18) to film a segment on how the RV industry is faring given the current economic climate.
Jason Lippert, right, with CBS News Correspondent Janet Shamlian.
Houston-based CBS Correspondent Janet Shamlian interviewed Mary Pouliot, the chair of the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and Executive Vice President of the Americas for Thetford, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame. Following that, Shamlian and her crew traveled to the corporate headquarters of Lippert Components Inc., where she interviewed CEO Jason Lippert.
Shamlian questioned Pouiliot and Lippert about whether lackluster consumer confidence was a concern for the industry and how much the tariff-fueled trade war was impacting the industry. Both Pouiliot and Lippert spoke how the RV industry is typically a bellwether for the greater economy and everyone is simply looking for some degree of certainty regarding the tariffs. They mentioned the long-term sustained growth of the RV lifestyle, and how camping and RVing has long been a popular vacation option for Amercians as it is affordable, family-oriented and an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.
“It was a good experience,” Pouliot said of the CBS interviews, both of which were arranged by RVIA. “It gave us an opportunity to talk about the industry and our sustained growth. Yes, there are concerns, but the RV industry has always weathered the storm.”
Producers said the segment is expected to be broadcast as early as next week, potentially as an “Eye on America” feature.
HENDERSON, Nev. – As the Priority RV Network (PRVN) Annual Conference culminates today at the M Resort & Casino – highlighted by a panel discussion with the three men leading the three largest RV manufacturers – the one topic permeating all conversations is the state of the market and how it might play out the rest of this year.
The market and all its complexities will certainly be one of the questions posed to THOR Industries Inc. President & CEO Bob Martin, Forest River Inc CEO Doug Gaeddert and Winnebago Industries President & CEO Michel Happe during their time on stage this morning.
Kyle Greer, left, of Impel, an AI-powered Customer Lifecycle Management platform, meets with dealer personnel.
But that is only one of the highlights of the week-long conference, in which the nation’s largest co-op of dealerships assemble to learn PRVN program updates as well as network with each other and the 50-plus vendor partners also on hand.
Among them was Chad Shepard, owner of Pete’s RV Center, who only recently joined PRVN.
“Yeah, we’re brand new to Priority Group. It’s been a long time coming and we’re super excited,” he told RVBusiness. “A lot of the dealers are in our great business are friends of ours already, so it’s a really good time to catch up and see all the improvements that they’ve made to give us a competitive advantage in the market. It’s something we’ve been trying our hardest to get into, and the way the stars align this year, we were able to get four of our eight stores in, so super exciting on that.”
But, again, the quiet and not-so-quiet conversations were dominated by the state of the market – especially how the flurry of tariffs is undermining consumer confidence. Dealers seemed to have a mixed bag of market activity, but none were turning cartwheels.
It was much the same report from the vendor partners, including the following three who spoke with RVBusiness about their thoughts on the market and how their respective companies are coping with the times as they are.
From left, Mark Boessler, Leanne Denman and Will Jarrett of Lippert.
Mark Boessler, Senior Vice President of Lippert Components Aftermarket
So, Q1 quite frankly was really favorable. And we led with a lot of new products to market in key categories: our air conditioning, towing, and safety groups. So, honestly, the show season was really positive, and dealer receptiveness was positive as well. So, I’d say the start of the year proved to be fortuitous for us.
Lippert’s leadership is so focused on new product development and what’s in the pipeline. And many of those products never come to market because of market changes or the price points maybe weren’t finalized or ready to be in the market. But new product development is really a big thing for us, obviously, as we try to continue expanding our core lines. And I would say that we’re pretty invested into it.
As far as the rest of the year, I think it’s going to be a lot of waves. I think, ultimately, it’s the sooner we could put to bed what a ‘new norm’ is – and find consistency in that norm – I think everybody will be able to manage more consistently in where do products finally land in pricing. A retail customer wants consistency, the dealer wants consistency, distribution wants consistency, and we want consistency. So, as soon as the (tariff) deals are done, we’re going to have really good consistency.
Rich Elliott
Rich Elliott, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Progress Manufacturing
I hear a lot of different things and I feel like it changes daily, right? Costs are going up, but sales are good or sales aren’t goo. And it’s different in different parts of the country.
But we’re still optimistic on how the season’s going to shake out. We did what we’re calling a ‘price revolution’ in January, where we went down in price – kind of crazy in the face of potential tariffs. But we did that, and our sales have gone way up. So, we’re happy with how the year started out for us personally, but as we get into the season now we need the retail sales to really come and help all of us, especially the dealers.
(On the impact of tariffs) I get that question a lot. We’re an American-made company, so Equal-i-zer’s 100% American made. Even with the price change, we didn’t change how or where we were doing this price revolution, we just gave a lower price. But tariffs, how they impact us is that we still see it’s a supply and demand game, right? So, we are not tied into a lot in China. Our e2s hitches do come from Taiwan, so there’s a smaller impact versus a Chinese-made hitch.
But with Equal-i-zer, what we found is the steel infrastructure here in the States is not necessarily ready for everybody to come back and do everything here like President Trump might want it to be, so then it becomes a supply-and-demand game. Simple economics, right? So, if there’s greater demand, the price goes up. Our steel hasn’t gone up significantly here domestically yet, but we anticipate that it likely will. And I’m not blaming the steel companies. I’d probably do the same thing if I was sitting in their shoes. But our aluminum’s already been hit here domestically. Our domestic aluminum that goes into our Flash Ball mounts is already up 30%. So that puts us in a situation to try to figure out how to best handle that.
From left, Brittany Hall, Serina Ojeda and Ben Johnson of Meyer Distributing
Ben Johnson, Director of Sales, Meyer Distributing
Meyer is strong right now. Being a private, family-owned company is probably the best position for any company to be in right now. We feel like that matches the dealership aspect more than anything out there. Clearly, there’s (dealer) acquisitions happening – some of the larger groups can do it – and we are supporting those acquisitions. But we love servicing the brick-and-mortar mom-and-pop private family-owned dealerships.
Meyer has continued to invest heavily in hub-and-spoke model distribution. So, being able to house product across our 11 distribution centers across the country, and adding more and more crossdock locations across the country to service more than 80% of the U.S. and Canadian population next day with our delivery fleet. That recipe has proven itself for decades now and still continues to show us some growth this year.
I mean, partnership with the dealer is far and beyond the source of where success comes from. When it comes to anything that may happen – whether you might not get your part on time like we originally promised, or if you just need support on a return to get stuff taken care of –we have a relationship with the vendor so we are there to help with any of those circumstances.
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.
