RVBusiness, July/August 2020

SupplySide tinued Were very happy with the growth Were very happy with the market share We think weve done a phenomenal job promoting the product We have seen growth every single year and we think that theres tremendous opportunity moving forward Keith Larson director of Sales Marketing for the RV Market at Winegard told RVBusiness television is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mobile satellite technology and it has everything to do with Internet connectivity Winegard sees an exciting future in that all RVs are going to be connected as part of the Internet of Things he said With the number of different Bluetooth and WiFi enabled devices going into RVs we feel customers want to be in control of their RVs even when they are not with them There are enormous benefits that come with being connected such as the ability to receive preventative maintenance notifications climate control monitoring security and much more Similarly Max Catlin KINGs vice president of sales and marketing said that while over the air antennas will always have their place atop an RV the The ConnecT 20 WiFi Extender 4G LTE from Winegard Winegard sees an exciting future in that all RVs are going to be connected as part of the Internet of Things With the number of different Bluetooth and WiFi enabled devices going into RVs we feel customers want to be in control of their RVs even when they are not with them future of the industry will see connectivity become more and more important Being able to connect with family friends and uploading and sharing their adventures will become more essential Catlin said But in todays world its getting the news and being able to stay connected to information sources wherever you are I think the future holds more campgrounds with free WiFi and more upgrades to higher speeds Catlin continued WiFi extenders will play into this and help campers get maximum distance and speed On the cellular side of the world cell boosting products that allow service further away from cell towers will also take a leadership role Mark Queener national electronics group director 70 RVBusiness J U L Y A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 for QAV a Patrick Industries division based out of Elkhart Ind told RVBusiness he too is sensing the shift It really all ties into your general home consumer cutting the cable cord he explained He stated that QAV chose to go with its new Insignia Fire TV with a partnership with Best Buy because the smart TV pulls from any hotspot to stream content almost anywhere And obviously our industry has also adopted WiFi extenders with LTE options he clarified What they have in their home they would like to have in their RVs he concurred So weve seen a trend with the WiFi extenders so we have a WiFi extender under the Continuous brand He concluded the new trend is significant and backed by the numbers But just as an example Firesticks from 2018 to 2019 doubled in sales So right now 64 of all U S households have Amazon Prime There are roughly three million continuous regular Prime Video viewers So its a trend thats going to keep skewing in that same direction Even navigation is getting into the act Olathe Kan based Garmin International Inc has developed the Vieo series of fully integrated infotainment systems designed for RVs Its available with up to 10 inch screens and combines Garmins RV specific navigation with a premium Fusion sound entertainment system and optional EmpirBus technology to control and monitor onboard RV systems Whether taking the camper out for a weekend getaway or touring the country in a motorhome customers can really enjoy their trip thanks to the premium technology and superior navigation offered in the Vieo RV infotainment series said Dan Bartel Garmin vice president of worldwide sales Bringing RV specific navigation entertainment optional onboard systems control and camera display capabilities into one package makes it easy to customize a driving and entertainment experience to each and every driver no matter their destination On the more traditional side of RV entertainment components Jim Hess vice president of the RV Division at ASA Electronics also in Elkhart said perhaps the biggest trend is the migration away from CDs and DVDs In fact he said the companys newest stereo system the JWM22 is where things are headed And what I mean by that is the system doesnt play CDs or DVDs anymore Hess explained It still has your standard AM FM radio in it as were told that the retail customer still needs a radio function But increasingly more people are streaming music from their devices and less and less are using DVD players and CDs anymore So it seems they are headed more to what we call a mechless category for that reason Similarly the JWM22 also includes an HDMI pass through input which allows users to connect a gaming system Chromecast Amazon Firestick or other devices even a Blu ray player with their coachs entertainment system Itll play audio through the stereo speakers and tie directly into your TV claimed Hess So that makes every TV out there essentially a Smart TV Hess pointed out that the JWM22 can also be controlled remotely via an app on personal devices He was quick to add that ASA still offers models such as the JWM92A stereo system and threezone app controlled JWM72A that include CD and DVD functionality as not everyone is ready get rid of their CD and DVD collections RVB The Jensen JWM22 allows users to connect a gaming system Firestick or Blu Ray player Keith Larson Winegard director of sales marketing