RV Industry News: What RV Owners Really Want To Know
RVers thrive on information. New and veteran RVers alike know that the more information they have, the better decisions they can make about RV and accessory purchases, locating campgrounds, and planning RV trips.
Many RVers have learned that by following RV industry news sources, they often have the inside track on what’s trending in the RV world and are better prepared to make smart decisions. For those RV industry news outlets that are trying to grow their audience, turning to the RV consumer is the next, natural step. Their challenge is trying to figure out what bits of industry news the RV owners really want to know.
In this article we’ll look at the following:
- How RV industry news is divided
- RV consumer content sites and forums
- RV industry news sources
- Big media
- What about YouTube?
- Conclusion
RV news and information can be divided into three categories
For the RV consumer looking to expand their knowledge, they must first understand the general information categories that comprise RV industry news and information. These three categories are:
- RV consumer content sites and forums
- RV industry news
- Big Media
RV Consumer Content Sites and Forums
RV consumer content sites are the websites and blogs that most RVers are already familiar with. This will be content from sites like our own Camper Report, and others such as RV LIFE, Do It Yourself RV, and Camper Smarts. It will also include dedicated blogger sites like the RV Blogger and Drivin’ & Vibin. There are hundreds of other blogger and full-time RVer sites and channels out there that we can lump into this same category. Most of them, if they report on any specific RV industry news, it’s typically an item that has already made the inside news, and is just working its way out to the RV consumer.
There are exceptions to this rule of course. Our own Camper Report hosts a weekly RV Industry news show featuring well-known industry personalities John DiPietro and Bob Zagami. The news and interview segments on this show are typically current to the same week, and would be considered inside news to most RV consumers. Another exception would be RV Lifestyle, featuring Emmy-winning journalist Mike Wendland and his wife Jennifer. Mike often shares industry insight that the typical RV consumer content sites just won’t have.
RV Forums
RVing forums are another form of RV consumer content and have retained their popularity and relevance even in the face of the social media onslaught. Their breadth of information, data retention, and fair and diligent moderation have made them the go-to resource for RVers looking to move past the shallow flippancy that can often prevail in typical social media channels. The most popular RV forum that savvy RVers turn to is iRV2.com.
RV Industry News Sources
If you are looking for the real inside track on the RV industry, then subscribing to RV industry news sources is for you. While you may not have a deep interest in Company A hiring a new product manager and Company B starting a new 401k initiative, some of the information you’ll find in these sources is valuable and interesting.
For example, learning that Wholesale Shipments Skyrocket 43% in November might not mean much to the average person, but to an RVer looking to buy or sell an RV, it has repercussions. Perhaps you heard that all California campgrounds were closed recently, yet here’s an inside story suggesting they are not closed. If the investor in you likes to know when big companies are buying and selling, then you might be attracted to a story about LCI’s recent acquisition.
As an RVer, your interest may have been piqued with the recent news of THOR acquiring Tiffin Motorhomes. While much of the consumer oriented content was slanted one way, the inside RV industry news offered several interesting takes on the subject. Here are three great sources for RV industry news.
1. RV Pro
RV Pro is, as their moniker states, is For the RV Professional. As a motorhome owner, I could argue that anyone keeping their motorhome repaired and running successfully for a few years is an RV professional! With that said, true RV professionals turn to RV Pro, which also has a print version, for great information. You can receive RV Pro daily by visiting their subscribe page.
2. RV News
RV News not only provides you with a daily RV industry news email, they also produce monthly digital and print magazines. Calling themselves The Voice of the RV Industry, you’ll also find video and blog content on their site that are relevant to the inner workings of the RV industry. This is the same information that RV dealers, manufactures, suppliers and executives are reading. You can give RV News a try by visiting their subscribe page.
3. RV Business
RVBusiness is an easily digestible daily newsletter for the RV consumer looking for the inside scoop on RV industry news. Those looking to stay up-to-date on RV industry news and receive a daily email from RVBusiness can subscribe here. You can also subscribe to their sister publication for the inside dirt on campground management.
Big Media
Big Media is really just a catchall term to include all of the major media outlets that don’t specialize in RV content, but do occasionally have a glamorous or unusual story to offer. While great for the occasional feel good story, most of these articles are not the meat and potatoes the RVer needs. Many of these stories are simple, newsy mentions that are outside of their traditional wheelhouse and more often than not are heavy with statistics rather than content.
That’s not to say the content is bad or should be ignored. In most cases, it’s just difficult to find, unless Google has served it up to you as suggested viewing. An RVer doesn’t normally think about going to Business Insider for example to search for stories about RVs. It’s not only inefficient, but the non-RV content outweighs what you are looking for by leaps and bounds.
What about YouTube?
No conversation about RVing or content would be complete without mentioning YouTube. YouTube is great. Here at Camper Report, we use it to broadcast our weekly show and offer featured campground videos and more. RV content from all three mentioned disciplines are on YouTube. The only knock on YouTube is often the time needed to invest in finding and watching the content. Additionally, unless you are watching live video with breaking news, any relevant RVing content will have already broken in “print.”
Conclusion
Our primary focus on this discussion is how can RVers find RV industry news quickly and easily. Subscribing to the weekly Camper Report Show is a great way for an RV consumer looking to supplement their knowledge of RVing.
For that daily does of RV industry news, we would also suggest signing up for all three of the daily industry newsletters. Over time you can always choose a favorite and unsubscribe from the others, or simply enjoy all three.
See also: How To Find RV Recall Information
