FAIRFAX, Va. — RVDA, the National RV Dealers Association, will be hosting a webinar to introduce its newly launched RVDA Help Desk & Solution Center, a dynamic support resource designed to provide RV dealers with direct access to professional guidance and timely, business solutions, according to a release.
This free, educational 30-minute session will be held at 2 p.m. Eastern, Wednesday, April 23, and will feature RVDA Director of Partnerships Patrick Calpin alongside Tom Kline, founder of Better Vantage Point, a recognized leader in dealership risk management and compliance.
How to Use the Help Desk & Solution Center: Discover how to submit questions and access customized support — including up to one hour of expert consultation at no charge for RVDA members.
Real-World Solutions: Hear real examples of how RV dealers have used the service to solve day-to-day operational challenges.
Maximize Your RVDA Membership: Explore additional benefits and support tools available exclusively to RVDA members.
“The RVDA Help Desk & Solution Center is an important step in providing on-demand support to our members,” said Phil Ingrassia, President of RVDA. “We’re excited to partner with Tom Kline, who brings decades of dealership experience and insight to the table.”
Why you should attend:
Whether you are facing compliance questions, operational concerns, or looking to improve your dealership’s efficiency, this webinar offers a unique opportunity to explore a new member resource designed with your success in mind.
Early registration is recommended. The event will be recorded for those interested in attending but unable to participate.
FREMONT, Calif. – Pebble, a California-based startup defining a new way to work, live, and explore from anywhere, has started production of the Pebble Flow, bringing its all-electric travel trailer one step closer to customers. Designed to make RVing as easy as using an iPhone, the Pebble Flow combines electrification, smart automation, and a streamlined design for a simpler, stress-free travel experience.
Pebble remains on schedule for first deliveries by end of Spring 2025 at its 60,000 sqft manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. Customers who preordered and configured a Founders Edition (FE) Pebble Flow will be invited to finalize their purchase 8-12 weeks before their estimated delivery date.
“This marks a major step forward – not just for Pebble, but for our customers who have been looking for a seamless, intuitive way to experience the outdoors,” said Bingrui Yang, CEO and Founder of Pebble. “As we are now underway with production, the Pebble Flow is moving from vision to reality. RVing has long been full of hassles – stressful towing, difficult parking, and maneuvering. We built the Pebble Flow to remove those barriers and look forward to seeing our first customers take the Pebble Flow on the road soon.”
The Pebble Flow integrates advanced technology never before seen in the RV industry, combining a fully electric powertrain, automation features, and seamless connectivity. It includes:
Magic Hitch for fully automated hitching
Easy Tow with Active Tow Assist to optimize energy efficiency and enhance towing dynamics
Remote Control for maneuvering and parking via the Pebble App
A 45 kWh LFP battery and 1.1 kW solar array allowing for up to seven days of off-grid living
Customers can visit pebblelife.com/build to place a fully refundable $500 deposit, customize the Pebble Flow to their preferences, and explore financing options. Additionally, customers may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $10,000, further reducing the cost of ownership.
About Pebble
Pebble is a California-based startup defining a new way to live, work, and explore with a 100% electric, hassle-free RV. Built by a team of experts from Apple, Tesla, Rivian, and Zoox, Pebble combines electrification with cutting-edge automotive technology for an RV experience that removes the hassles RV owners have struggled with for decades. Learn more at pebblelife.com.
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. – Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH), the “World’s Largest Recreational Vehicle Dealer,” announced in a press release that its Coleman brand of travel trailers was the No. 1-selling travel trailer by unit volume in the U.S. year-to-date through February 2025, according to RV industry retail registration data compiled by Statistical Surveys Inc., the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based subsidiary of Trader Interactive that monitors retail and consumer data for the RV industry.
“Our contract manufacturing strategy continues to drive our growth in market share,” Camping World Chairman and CEO Marcus Lemonis stated in the release. “Coleman is the No. 1-selling travel trailer in America year-to-date through February, and the Coleman portfolio represents our most traded-in unit and our most sold used unit, all contributing to our record year-to-date new and used combined unit market share. These lineups give us the ability to work directly with our manufacturing partners to ensure we are meeting the customer where they want to be in terms of both price and payment.”
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Blue Compass RV celebrated the grand opening of its Airstream of New Mexico store, marking the company’s 13th Airstream dealership in the United States and sixth dedicated Airstream location. Blue Compass RV recently acquired Airstream of New Mexico and has relocated the store to a new dedicated Airstream sales and service facility on its large dealership campus in a great location on I-25 in Albuquerque.
“We’re excited to open this exclusive Airstream dealership in New Mexico,” said Jon Ferrando, founder, president and CEO of Blue Compass RV. “This marks our sixth exclusive Airstream dealership, a model that we’ve been very successful with. The early positive response and the energy at our grand opening truly reflect our team’s passion for delivering an unparalleled Airstream ownership experience through exceptional service and support. We thank the Airstream leadership team for joining us at the event.”
Blue Compass RV has owned the No. 1 Airstream dealership in the world for five consecutive years and proudly adds this 13th location in New Mexico to its list of Airstream dealers across the country. The 13 Airstream locations of Blue Compass RV are the following: Airstream of New Mexico, Airstream of San Diego, Airstream of Tampa, Airstream of Austin, Airstream of South Carolina, Airstream of Greensboro, Airstream of Orlando, Airstream of Des Moines, Airstream of New Hampshire, Airstream of Gainesville, Airstream of Jacksonville, Airstream of Maine and Airstream of Albany.
Blue Compass currently holds Five Rivet status in a record-setting 13 of its Airstream locations. To learn more about the newest airstream location or Blue Compass RV, visit https://www.bluecompassrv.com/brand/airstream.
About Blue Compass RV
Blue Compass RV is the fastest growing RV retail company in the United States over the past five years, with over 100 locations in 33 states. Our stores across America offer an incredible selection of new and used RVs, including the best lineup of premium new brands. Our mission is to provide an exceptional sales, service, and RV ownership experience for our customers, and with over 1,000 service bays across the country, we are able to service our customers wherever their travels may take them.
Blue Compass RV has been named the #1 Airstream dealer in the world for five consecutive years, with a record setting 13 Airstream stores achieving the prestigious “Five Rivet” status. Blue Compass RV’s flagship Motor Home Specialist store has been the leading motorhome dealer in the U.S. for 10 consecutive years.
Led by Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President Jon Ferrando, Blue Compass has experienced exponential growth since its founding in 2018, for which it was named to the 2023 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list, as well as South Florida Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Private Companies list for three consecutive years. Prior to launching Blue Compass RV, Ferrando was instrumental in building America’s largest automotive retailer from start-up to over $20 billion in revenue.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered another jarring reversal in American trade policy Wednesday (April 9), suspending for 90 days import taxes he’d imposed barely 13 hours earlier on dozens of countries while escalating his trade war with China. The moves triggered a powerful stock market rally on Wall Street but left businesses, investors and America’s trading partners bewildered about what the president is attempting to achieve, according to an Associated Press report.
The U-turn came after the sweeping global tariffs Trump announced last week set off a four-day rout in global financial markets, paralyzed businesses and raised fears the U.S. and world economies would tumble into recession.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to characterize the sudden change in policy as part of a grand negotiating strategy. But to those outside the Trump administration, it looked like a cave-in to market pressure and to growing fears that the president’s impetuous use of import taxes — tariffs — would cause massive collateral economic damage.
“Other countries will welcome the 90-day stay of execution — if it lasts — but the whiplash from constant zig-zags creates more of the uncertainty that businesses and governments hate,” said Daniel Russel, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “The Administration’s blunt-force tactics have rattled allies, who see the sudden reversal as damage control following the market meltdown, rather than a pivot to respectful, balanced negotiations.’’
Trump’s turnaround Wednesday capped a wild week in U.S. trade policy. On Wednesday April 2 — which Trump labeled “Liberation Day’’ — the president announced plans to impose tariffs on almost every country on earth, upending the world trading system. The first of his new tariffs — a 10% “baseline’’ tax on imports from most countries — went into effect Saturday.
At midnight Wednesday, he upped the ante by slapping what he called “reciprocal’’ taxes on countries he accused of unfair trading practices and adding to U.S. trade deficits. Those are the tariffs he suspended for 90 days, saying the pause would give countries time to negotiate with him and his trade team.
There was one exception to the reprieve: He raised the tariff on Chinese imports to a staggering 125%, punishing Beijing for announcing retaliatory tariffs on the United States. Meanwhile, the 10% baseline tariffs – a substantial act of protectionism in their own right – remain in place.
RVing in New England,” the weekly Facebook Live show hosted by Bob Zagami and John DiPietro of the New England RV Dealers Association (NERVDA), this week takes a look at sentiments among campers in New England. “The road to a happy and trouble-free camping season appears to have a few obstacles,” note the hosts. “The industry and our country anxiously wait to see what happens next. We thought this would be good time to tonight to take the pulse of our campers in New England.”
WASHINGTON –Get ready to press play on an amazing visit to a national park. There’s a record collection of things to do and see during National Park Week from April 19-27, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the national parks.
More than 430 national parks offer a wide variety of experiences that are sure to strike a chord with visitors. The NPS trip planning guide offers a symphony of tips. Each day of the week, we’re riffing off a musical theme to create a tour de force of the spectacular places around the country that can resonate with visitors.
Orchestrate a visit to hear live music at New Orleans Jazz, a classical concert at Colorado, music on the bayou at Jean Lafitte, an indigenous dance performance at Tonto, fife and drums at the 250th commemoration of the start of the Revolutionary War at Minute Man; or take a peek backstage at Wolf Trap.
Mapping out yourpark playlist? Kick off National Park Week with a free entrance day on April 19. Work in concert with NPS.gov or the NPS app to choose a park that fits your groove. There is step-by-step information about what to do and see in each park and how to recreate in harmony with these treasured places for a safe and pitch perfect excursion.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Alex Wallenfelsz, Executive Vice President of IP Corporation, announced that Kevin Casey has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Casey will be responsible for leading the commercial team for all IP Corporation’s manufacturing companies, including Interplastic, HK Research, Molding Products, and North American Composites (NAC), according to a company release.
“Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge in the composites industry, having held leadership positions at Premix, Sika, Mar-Bal, EMS-EFTEC and most recently, Jaeger-Unitek Sealing Solutions,” Wallenfelsz stated in a release. “His extensive experience in leading sales teams and expanding new technologies will create a focused “One-Team” customer philosophy as we accelerate the launch of our integrated Interplastic and HK Research team”.
“IP Corporation and HK Research have pioneered, industry leading polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, gel coats, molding and bonding compounds, putties and colorants,:” Casey said. “The integration of HK Research, combined with IP Corporation’s full range of products, provides our customers with innovative, customer-specific technologies. We are excited to multiply this market focus in delivering best-in-class customer support with a full range of products and services.”
Company officials added that the creation of the Vice President of Sales position furthers demonstrates IP Corporation’s commitment to create market leading technologies and service to valued customers, while fostering collaboration and innovation within our organization.
About IP Corporation
IP Corporation and subsidiaries are specialty chemical companies with their headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. Interplastic Corporation focuses on the production and sale of unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, gel coats, putties, and colorants for the composites and cast polymer industries.
North American Composites Company (NAC) is a national, full-service supplier to those same industries. Molding Products LLC is a leader in the production of sheet molding compounds for use in compression molding of light fixtures, lavatory sinks, shower stalls, and bases. HK Research is the technology leader in gel coat color performance and production.
KENT, Wash. – Torklift, a leader in cutting-edge RV solutions, announced its new partnership with Outdoors RV Manufacturing, a renowned innovator in the recreational vehicle industry, according to a release. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment as the Torklift Glowstep Revolution will now be integrated into the design of new Outdoors RV units, delivering infinite adjustability, unparalleled stability, and luxury aesthetics to RV owners across the nation.
The Torklift Glowstep Revolution is a game changer when it comes to RV upgrades, the release continued. Known for its adjustable multi-hinge link design and signature glow in the dark capabilities, the Glowstep Revolution ensures a comfortable and safe entryway into the RV no matter where the road takes you. By combining Torklift’s technological expertise with Outdoors RV Manufacturing’s commitment to quality and innovation, this partnership is set to redefine the standard for recreational vehicle design and functionality.
The Torklift GlowStep Revolution is compatible with multiple step accessories to add to the comfort of your RV adventure:
DirtDestroyer: This step attachment easily installs to your GlowStep Revolution with no tools in just seconds. Allows you to clean your shoes prior to entering your RV to keep dirt and debris outside of your rig where it belongs.
SafeStep: SafeStep panels close off the gap between steps so that children or pets can safely enter the RV.
GlowGuide Handrail: Dramatically enhance safety when entering and exiting RV – comprised of three telescoping arms to ensure stability. Equipped with the signature glow in the dark capability for safe entry at night.
“We are excited to join forces with Outdoors RV Manufacturing by making the GlowStep Revolution standard on new Outdoors RV units,” said Kyler Morrison, VP of Sales at Torklift. “With this addition to Outdoors RV units, we’re showcasing our commitment to pushing the limits of RV design and continuous improvement to the end user. It’s all about creating a better travel experience and the GlowStep Revolution does just that.”
This partnership means you’ll see the Torklift Glowstep Revolution on Outdoors RV’s newest models, offering a perfect mix of style and convenience.
For more information about the Torklift Glowstep Revolution and the latest updates on the new Outdoors RV units, please visit torklift.com or outdoorsrvmfg.com.
COALVILLE, Utah — Escapod, manufacturer of high-performance off-road teardrop trailers, today launches the TOPO2 MTB, the world’s first purpose-built camper designed specifically for mountain bikers. This innovative, all-season trailer combines Escapod’s award-winning design with specialized features tailored for cyclists, creating the ultimate easy-to-tow base camper for adventure on two wheels.
Escapod will unveil the TOPO2 MTB at the Sea Otter Classic this weekend (April 10-13) in Monterey, Calif., at booth S9.
Building on the success of Escapod’s unique TOPO2 trailer, which offers an ultra-durable, patented single-piece molded fiberglass body and a proprietary high-clearance suspension system for overland travel, Escapod built out a new trailer model outfitted for the comprehensive needs of mountain and gravel bikers. At the heart of the design is Escapod’s custom-designed Switchback Hitch, a swing-away hitch that allows full galley access on the back of the trailer, even when it’s loaded with two bikes. It locks securely in three positions for stability off-road or at camp.
The Switchback Hitch features a bull bar, RotopaX mount, and a Feedback Sports Mechanic Clamp, making trail-side maintenance quick and easy. Also integrated is Küat’s new Piston ION E-bike Rack – also debuting and Sea Otter –which is ready to transport any pair of e-bikes up to 80 lbs. and rated for RV use. Similar to the TOPO2, the ION is over-engineered for reliable use in rough conditions to make it easier to access the best places to ride.
A Feedback Sports Team Edition Tool Kit is integrated into the galley on the rear of the trailer, while a Feedback Sports Slide Lock Clamp Head attaches to the bull bar, making trail-side maintenance a breeze.
“Mountain biking — and being able to easily access all kinds of rugged places to ride — is what led my wife Jen and I to create the Escapod brand in the first place,” said Chris Hudak, Founder of Escapod. “We built out the very first model a decade ago to fuel our own weekend mountain biking adventures, and that design inspired us to start a company. So building out the TOPO2 MTB is in many ways coming full circle for us. This is more than just a comfortable place to sleep — it’s the ultimate mobile base camp for riding.”
In addition to all the bike-specific components, the TOPO2 MTB’s features include:
A highly insulated and heated design that keeps users warm in cold weather and cool in hot climates. The design also protects a 21-gallon water system and lithium batteries from cold temperatures and freezing.
After a long day of riding, cyclists can refresh themselves using the outdoor shower, or wash off their bikes after a muddy ride, perfectly complementing the camper’s thoughtful design.
The galley on the back serves dual purposes with a full kitchen, stove and a fridge or cooler, and excellent storage for kitchen tools, as well as easily accessed organization for bike tools.
The proprietary Freeride suspension has 23 inches of ground clearance for handling the roughest terrain with ease. That’s ultra-important for accessing backcountry campsites in an era when established campgrounds are often booked far in advance.
The patented single-piece molded fiberglass body design is ultralight, extremely durable and has exceptional usable space for such a compact, easy-to-tow package. The TOPO2 can be towed by most small trucks and SUVs.
The compact TOPO2 MTB easily fits in a garage bay, making it the ultimate tool for quick urban escapes — particularly important in situations where there are HOA restrictions or storage space is otherwise at a premium.
The Escapod TOPO2 MTB comes fully equipped and starts at $53,990; learn more about this model, other Escapod trailers, and testing opportunities at escapod.us.
About Escapod
Escapod Trailers builds high-performance off-road teardrop trailers designed for adventure seekers who crave freedom and exploration. Using advanced fiberglass molding for a durable, lightweight body and the patented Freeride Suspension System for superior off-road handling, Escapods are built to tackle any terrain. With an industry-leading 5-year warranty, our trailers offer unmatched durability, while their compact size and easy towing capabilities make them just as convenient on the road or when fitting into your garage. Built in Utah, Escapod is more than just a trailer — it’s an invitation to join a community of adventurers, ready to explore wherever the journey takes you. Visit escapod.us for more information or follow the adventures on Instagram.
