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In this episode of Beyond the Wheel – Drivers Edition, Kenny and Sean catch up on RV news. They discuss changes reshaping the RV industry and their impact on drivers.
Kenny begins the show by sharing his Overland Expo Mountain West experience. He helped with Winnebago’s Drive and Ride event. Attendees had the opportunity to get behind the wheel and experience the capabilities of Winnebago’s Backcountry Series firsthand. One thing stood out. Most attendees returned with a smile and seemed surprised by what these stock RVs could do.
Then we turn to a story that feels like the end of an era: the apparent end of Winnebago-branded Class A motorhomes. Kenny has traveled more than 175,000 miles in his 2016 Winnebago Vista LX 27N, making this one a little more personal. We discuss what the disappearance of the traditional Winnebago Class A could mean. Additionally, we consider whether changing consumer preferences are reshaping what people picture when they think of an RV.
Those changes come as RV wholesale shipments continue to struggle, with Class A motorhomes seeing an especially significant decline. Are RVers moving away from motorhomes altogether, or are buyers simply gravitating toward smaller Class B and Class C RVs?
We also look at some major restructuring within the RV industry. THOR Industries is reorganizing many of its North American RV companies into two operating groups, while Winnebago Industries is making manufacturing changes of its own. Winnebago Towables production is moving onto the Grand Design manufacturing campus while remaining a separate Winnebago-branded product line, and Winnebago’s Class B production is moving from Lake Mills to Forest City.
What do these moves tell us about where the RV industry is heading? Are manufacturers simply adjusting capacity during a slower market, or are they preparing for an RV market that could look very different in the future?
Also in this Drivers Edition:
- How tariffs and higher component costs could affect RV manufacturers and buyers.
- New Grounding Monitor Interrupter (GMI) requirements coming to RVs and why some future RVs may refuse to accept power from improperly wired campground pedestals.
- A quick update on the proposed Patrick Industries and LCI Industries/Lippert merger, which continues to move through the regulatory process.
We wrap up with a bigger question: What will the typical RV look like ten years from now? Will Class A motorhomes and traditional travel trailers still define RVing? Or is the RV definition already changing?
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