By Greg Gerber on 3/17/2008 10:47 AM

I was talking to a supplier the other day who asked when I thought the FEMA fiasco would be resolved. I explained that I thought the situation would be much uglier before it got better. That was certainly the case today with news that a total of 34 manufacturers would be sued Tuesday. I suspect that RV dealers and suppliers will soon be on the hook, too. One lawyer is already suggesting the formaldehyde settlement will be largest product liability payout since the suit against the tobacco industry. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 3/12/2008 2:26 PM

An article in the Rockford Register today suggested that FEMA is still trying to unload thousands of units to government agencies. Apparently, the homes are so toxic we have to pay to put occupants back in hotels. However, they aren't toxic enough to prevent government employees from spending their days working in them. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 3/6/2008 10:40 AM

In responding to a podcast about Internet selling, one dealer wrote "The old way of fleecing the customer with high prices are all wasted dollars and do nothing for the industry except put consumers further in debt for an RV that they should have been able to purchase at a lot lower price." It sounds like Internet selling is shaping into a battle between old school business owners and new age marketers. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 3/3/2008 10:14 AM

Members of the RV industry's key associations have to be wondering what their dues are being used for after announcements by the groups that they will begin providing news and product information to industry members. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 2/28/2008 12:36 PM

When I read stories in multiple newspapers about the reasons government officials are subjecting RV owners to special parking rules, invariably, someone will suggest that parking restrictions are necessary to protect property values. How does this work? Do tax assessors drive up and down a street and note in their little books, "The homes on this quiet residential street appear to be well maintained and the lawns in immaculate condition. But, three of the 20 homes have travel trailers in the driveway, so we need to adjust all property values down by 4.6 percent in this neighborhood?" Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 2/27/2008 11:07 AM

News today that Dan Gamel RV was closing four locations in California and Arizona shows just how big a ripple effect mismanagement at an RV manufacturer can have on the entire industry. One of Gamel's locations in Santa Rosa, Calif., was an exclusive National RV dealership. Today, 40 people are out of work after the dealership lost its product line. The demise of National RV still has people talking, especially conspiracy theorists. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 2/26/2008 3:41 PM

Therein lies the problem with the Sierra Club. In order to rope in unsuspecting contributors, they publicly claim to be a grassroots environmental organization actively involved in conservation projects. But, behind the scenes, they tap freelancer writers/photographers and dress them up as experts, then give them laptop computers and printers to churn out as many press releases as they care to issue in a day all for the purpose of destroying companies and seeking even more government intervention in the lives of people. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 2/15/2008 10:55 AM

News today that Congress intends to hold hearings into the formaldehyde mess should leave many in this industry on edge. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) announced late Thursday he would launch a new investigation into the issue. As chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Waxman wrote to the CEOs of Pilgrim, Coachmen and Gulf Stream asking for documents related to the sales of trailers to FEMA. He also asked for information about formaldehyde in the trailers they build. There are two rules in public relations. First, when bad news strikes, confess quickly and seek to remedy the problem. Failure to do so leads to prolonged exposure of and escalated interest in the situation. Hello? The second rule of public relations requires that, in failing to abide by rule No. 1, a goat must be identified and sacrificed to appease the media gods, court system and legislators. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 2/13/2008 10:19 AM

As the first RV industry manufacturer to attempt a similar feat, Monaco deserves some time in the spotlight. The company recognizes the power of the Internet in giving consumers the ability to forward a link to cutesy commercials and videos to all their friends as quickly as it takes to press a send button. Read More »

By Greg Gerber on 2/12/2008 8:52 AM

Maybe I'm just whacked -- which wouldn't surprise me. But it would be interesting to see how companies perform when the people who sell their products and use their products join forces with people who make those products and finance the whole shebang. Allowing small business owners and RV users to join the usual board cadre of lawyers, accountants, analysts and non-competing CEOs to make decisions affecting the direction and profitability of the company may literally transform that company. Read More »