January 2022 RV News Magazine

Ringing In the New Year With Fire Alarms

Ladies and Gents,

The very first issue of RV News Magazine in 2022, the January issue, is available for your reading pleasure. Merely click the front cover of the magazine in this email or click on?this link. Both will take you to our website where we host the digital magazines where you can pick the 2022 January to read by again clicking on the front cover.

Like always, the magazine has a feature story on an exceptional RV dealership. The two brothers who run this dealership have been personal friends of mine for nearly 20 years. While I could tell you some crazy stories about Travis and Jonathan, I’ll keep it professional and just stick to how great a business they have. Besides, I wouldn’t want them telling stories about me… (grin).

The issue also has a story on a 36-month trend relating to lightweight travel trailers. Everyone knows new to the lifestyle RV consumers have been snapping them up but what is interesting is that an entirely different consumer segment seems to be driving a significant portion of these sales.

Also, of note in this issue, we have a story on the parent company of the Xantrex brand and how their business in other industries may shape how RVs are built in the future. We have two chassis-related stories on recent developments at Freightliner and Ford.

We also have a story on our good friends at Keller Marine and RV who had a stellar show in the chocolate bar capital of the world, Hershey, Pennsylvania. There, I’ve teased you enough on some of the items in the magazine. Now on to commentary.

?The New Year

I hope everyone had an enjoyable end-of-year holiday season. Here at RV News, our “ringing in the New Year” was drowned out by the sounds of fire trucks. I know many of you have read in the national news about the recent fire in Colorado. Yes, the fire is the worst in our state’s history. An estimated 1,000 homes were lost, not counting the businesses destroyed. Yes, the fire was at our doorstep. Yes, we had to evacuate the office. Thankfully, unlike many, our business and homes were spared as the fire went a different direction when it was about two miles from where our office is.

I want to thank everyone who reached out in concern. We were very worried that day. Chris Freeman, our editor-in-chief, was not allowed to go home (by the government, not me) that night because the fire was so close to his home.

I don’t know if our little town will ever recover with so many people losing their homes or businesses. The sad thing is many businesses that were spared from the fire will likely still go under because their customers’ lives have been destroyed. Everyone has been asking what they can do. My request is simple, “Say a little prayer. Lift up the people in Louisville and Superior, Colorado. Ask God to provide what these folks individually need and ask him to provide comfort.”

?Seeing you in 2022

The RV News staff, including myself, have already attended several trade shows including Keller and Northern. It was awesome seeing folks. We will be attending the NTP-Stag show in Las Vegas here in a few months. I am super excited about seeing folks I haven’t run into yet at the other shows. Find us at the show and say hi. As always, we will have a booth there. I sincerely hope everyone who can attend will.

For those who have been asking, we will not be at the Arrow Show this year, also in Las Vegas. We truly are sorry we will not see our many friends who we traditionally see exclusively at the show. Attending was just impossible for us this year but by no means does that mean others should not go and enjoy this stellar event. Arrow has an awesome show by all accounts.

I’ll leave you with well wishes for a prosperous and profitable New Year. Thank you for being a loyal reader of the magazine. Thank you for letting us both tell your business stories in 2021 and tell you other’s business stories.

?Very Proud Owner of RV News Magazine

Dana Nelsen

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