RVBusiness, July/August 2020

There has probably never been a time in the history of the RV business where the industry as a whole has collaborated together to solve problems and meet our customers needs more than they have today said Garry Enyart a Cummins Inc executive and RVIAs current board chairman 44 RVBusiness J U L Y A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 of a lockdown And as Ive talked to dealers its gotten better and better to the point that many dealers are already ahead of last years sales even with being shut down some four to six weeks So its not something that really anybody could have predicted but it was definitely just a very quick setback on the retail end So one of our top priorities right now is making sure were getting dealers the product they need Forest River Winnebago and RVIA Issue Upbeat Outlooks The industrys No 2 and No 3 volume RV builders Forest River and Winnebago respectively are clearly sharing a singular positive outlook along with RVIA President Craig Kirby despite the fact that an array of key industry events were still being canceled or postponed as spring turned to summer But for a variety of reasons including the publics current disdain for air travel cruise line vacations and hotel stays Gaeddert maintained the industrys products are now appealing to an appreciable number of first time buyers who only months earlier might not have even considered RVs as a travel option Now he added the challenge is going to Craig Kirby be to make it sustainable that we do a good job as an industry of building quality products and providing customers with a proper education on how to operate those products If you think about it weve had trouble as an industry keeping up in those areas And we have to do a better job than weve ever done with this huge influx of people who have never owned these types of products before So that experience is a great one And if the retention rate is high on these first time buyers I think thats a crop that going to keep on growing every single year Winnebago CEO Mike Happe in a CNBC interview said he sees the industrys latest upswing as part of a new era that should last for the foreseeable future at least the next couple of years I think were seeing a mix of demand in the outdoor recreation industries right now said Happe whose company had to call off its 51st Annual Winnebago Grand National Rally originally slated for mid July in Forest City Iowa And certainly there are a number of first time buyers who are interested in using Mike Happe recreational vehicles to get outdoors But I also think were seeing plenty of people who have been in the lifestyle for a while who maybe want to upgrade or look at something new as well Obviously he added whats driving this is that people are coming out of the stay at home or shelter in place restrictions that were put in place in the month of April and early May and they want to socially distance in a safe but yet memorable way with close friends and family So they are looking to the outdoors especially as the weather gets better around the country RVing and boating two industries that we Winnebago have a presence in are both becoming increasingly popular here as this summer begins Meanwhile RVIAs Kirby whose Reston Va based trade association issued weekly membership advisories while working behind the scenes to help amplify those news media placements agrees that theres still a question among some industry observers as to whether this whole post pandemic bounce is a blip on the radar or part of a more durable trend All things considered though Kirby tends to view the current upsurge as sustainable and he believes that the Go RVing Coalitions new creative campaign titled Go on a Real Vacation should help bolster the RV sectors ongoing prospects Relaunch Task Force Once Again Showed RV Industrys Ability To Pull Together During Trying Times The RV industry traditionally pulls together in tough times and that was again evident this spring when the RV Industry Association RVIA the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association RVDA and the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds ARVC started communicating on an every other day basis in early March to help the entire industry deal with an alarming viral pandemic They were soon joined by manufacturers suppliers distributors dealers campgrounds and finance companies in a group comprised of some 30 individuals in what would become known as the RV Industry Relaunch Task Force Their mission To compare notes and help orchestrate the industrys staged reopening while boosting RV dealership sales and campground stays nationwide as well as spreading the message of the benefits of RVing through the Go RVing marketing program The task force also played a hand in federal state and local politics as it worked to help keep campgrounds open across the country and as RVIA stated in a press release capture the hearts of weary Americans looking to get out and see everything the outdoors has to offer That of course was a pretty tall order But were told the ad hoc task force ultimately made a monumental difference in mitigating the effects of the spring shutdown and helping to secure essential business status for many firms according to Garry Enyart director of mobile generator business for Cummins Inc and chairman of the RVIA board of directors who helped spearhead the task force initiative There has probably never been a time in the history of the RV business where the industry as a whole has collaborated together to solve problems and meet our customers needs more than they have today said Enyart adding that the task force will continue to meet on a more occasional basis now that things have reopened to the extent that they have The collaboration has been amazing to see Its what sets us apart from other industries and will help us emerge stronger than ever before Heres what some of the other task force participants had to say during a quick Zoom interview in May that included RVIA President Craig Kirby RVIA Vice President of Brand Marketing and Communications for Go RVing Karen Redfern RVDA President Phil Ingrassia RVDA Chairman continued on page 48