RVBusiness, November/December 2019

BY S H E RMA N G O L D E N B E R G STATE OF THE ART Hershey Show Consumers Interviewed in Early September Underscore Just How Focused These Typical RV Prospects are on the RV Lifestyle W 6 RVBusiness N O V E M B E R D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 STAFF PUBLISHER Sherman Goldenberg 574 457 3370 sgoldenberg@ rvbusiness com CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Gregg Fore 574 266 7980 ext 15 gfore@ g gmediagroup com EDITOR Bruce Hampson 574 266 7980 ext 13 bhampson@ rvbusiness com ART DIRECTOR Trina Nissley 574 266 7980 ext 12 tnissley@ rvbusiness com MANAGING EDITOR Rick Kessler 734 777 6830 rkessler@ rvbusiness com MIDWEST EDITOR Ben Quiggle 574 306 7781 bquiggle@ g gmediagroup com WEB EDITOR Dave Barbulesco 574 220 1049 barbulesco@ gmail com SENIOR EDITOR Bob Ashley 765 675 4106 writer892@ aol com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Shawn Spence 317 843 2114 shawn@ shawnspence com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ron Barger Cean Burgeson Chris Hemer SR RV INDUSTRY ANALYST Mike Schneider 805 223 0898 mschneider@ masassociatesinc com RV INDUSTRY LIAISON B J Thompson 574 255 5000 bjthompson@ bjta com EDITORIAL BUSINESS OFFICE RVBUSINESS G G MEDIA GROUP LLC 2901 E Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 800 831 1076 574 266 7980 Fax 574 266 7984 ADVERTISING NATIONAL AD SALES Ally Kollat 800 831 1076 574 266 7980 ext 11 akollat@ rvbusiness com Wendy Thorne 800 831 1076 574 266 7980 ext 14 wthorne@ rvbusiness com CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800 831 1076 Email rvbusiness@ rvbusiness com SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe electronically log onto www rvbusiness com and click on the Subscriptions icon below the masthead then follow the prompts for New Subscription Renewal or Change of Address Alternately forward your company name your name and title address phone number and email address to RVBusiness Subscriptions 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 or forward this information to rvbusiness@ rvbusiness com RVBusiness is published bimonthly by G G Media Group LLC 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 Postage paid at Elkhart IN 46515 Subscription rates Subscriptions for U S and Canada are 39 for one year Single copies are 650 each Postmaster send address changes to RVBusiness 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 Publication Sales Agreement No 1938495 Canadian return address G G Media Group LLC 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 RVBusiness is copyrighted 2011 by G G Media Group LLC in the United States Canada Great Britian and other countries All rights reserved Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted only upon written request Advertising rates and Editorial calendars are provided upon request GROUP G LLC Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association e all talk about retail sales and how even in a rather challenging year like 2019 North American RV consumers have continued to embrace the RV lifestyle in a big way But a lot of us unlike dealer personnel on the front lines rarely interact on a personal basis with consumers So with that in mind I decided to introduce myself in early September at PRVCAs Hershey Show to some typical consumers to get a better sense of who they are and foremostly what compelled 55639 of them from all over the Eastern Seaboard to converge Sept 11 15 on the grounds around Pennsylvanias Hersheypark Take for example Morris County N J residents Tom and Corrinne Coulter who were strolling through the shows busy aisles looking for a full size fifth wheel they might like to purchase prior to their planned 2020 retirement The Coulters non RV owners to date are going to sell their house We plan to settle down eventually said Corinne a veteran school bus driver But were going to travel for a while Rather than rent an apartment for a month or so added Tom chief engineer for a health care facility we can stay as short or as long as we want in search of the ideal place to retire Fifth wheel owners Gary and Bridget Walters drove in from Atlantic City with plans to trade up to a diesel pusher motorhome Weve been camping for probably 10 years now said Gary who works for a utility company and remembers youthful weekends in a pickup camper So we want to upgrade from our 42 foot fifth wheel The kids are older now and Im looking at future retirement and paying it while were young Garys set on a big diesel coach No sense in messing around with gas he said You go in the mountains and the gas just doesnt cut it you know Ive got a diesel truck and Ive had a gas truck and theres no match especially if you go into hilly country Rochester N Y area residents Neil Keukelaar and Sabine Milby are also considering their first step into the RV lifestyle Well we were at the state fair in New York in late August where we looked at some campers because friends of ours have them and we were thinking that it would be kind of neat to look into even if its just a pipe dream right now said Sabine who in her 40s works in service for Xerox A dealership sales rep suggested that we come down here because rather than just going to one dealer you get to really see all the different models and varieties And Im just blown away by everything thats here Id never even expected it Its a whole universe added Sabine who with Neil her self employed companion hasnt settled yet on a type of RV Im really excited to get to see everything and hopefully make a better informed decision when the time comes to purchase So in the final analysis all we can say from RVBs perspective is that our time visiting with current and potential RV owners outside Hersheyparks Giant Center was well spent How so Because as long as consumers tend to view the RV lifestyle as a pipe dream to which they can personally aspire on a sweltering afternoon in mid September then it seems as if the future for this recreation minded industry is looking pretty darn good RVB Sherman Goldenberg is publisher of RVBusiness magazine and RVBUSINESS COM the only RV trade journal and website located in the RV manufacturing center of Elkhart Ind M E D I A