For several years, the caravaning industry has been campaigning for the expansion of the B-licence policy #Führerscheins to 4.25 tonnes. The European Caravan Federation (ECF) is actively involved in the deliberations of the EU commission and is an important point of contact for decision-makers in Brussels. The concerns of the caravanning industry are therefore heard at EU level.

On 1 March, the EU Commission published its draft for the 4th driving licence policy #Führerscheinrichtlinie. The draft also takes up the extension of the B driving licence, but limits this to vehicles with alternative drives. From the point of view of the caravanning industry, the CIVD has the view that this restriction is not expedient and must be revised, because the existing fleet must be urgently considered and the expansion to 4.25 tons for all vehicles must be possible.

The most important cornerstones of the policy can be found on the CIVD website: https://lnkd.in/erTV3jcv

The most likely dates for the third annual Hall of Fame RV Supplier’s Show (awaiting confirmation when the Elkhart Dealer Open House dates are announced) are Monday September 25th- Wednesday September 27th 9 AM ET to 5:00 PM ET.

If you are a new or returning exhibitor and have not yet registered… 

Contact Show Director and Hall of Fame President, Darryl Searer, as soon as possible at 574-903-3850

Truma North America achieved 42% overall growth for 2022. This result comes on the heels of 62% growth in 2021 and 64% growth in 2020.

The Truma North America Executive team recently commemorated this success with a small token of our appreciation for our #SimplyBetter team.

A Note from Our President and CEO, Gerhard Hundsberger:
"Team,
2022 has been a great success! Each of you have my heartfelt Thanks for your commitment to the Truma Team. I personally salute you for your hard work and dedication, and I look forward to everything that's yet to come."

Lightship has revealed an aerodynamic, battery-powered travel trailer, the Lightship L1, that it plans to have in production in late 2024.

It is the first purpose-built travel trailer with a self-propulsion system and enables near zero range or mile-per-gallon efficiency loss for the vehicle towing it.

Lightship took a 'clean-sheet' approach to building an all-electric RV, like the way Tesla disrupted the established automakers.

The Lightship team, which includes alumni from Rivian, Proterra, Lucid and Zoox, in addition to Tesla, is leveraging its expertise in automotive EV development and design to deliver the following.

An electric powertrain with up to 80 kWh of onboard battery capacity allowing the trailer to propel itself and achieve near-zero range or efficiency loss for the tow vehicle.

A no-compromise battery system that can provide a week of off-grid power without charging. Coupled with up to 3 kW of solar power, the RV can power the living needs of its occupants and eliminates the reliance on propane and other fossil fuels.

An ecosystem of all-electric appliances, connected features, and modern amenities for a seamless camping experience.

The Lightship L1 has a starting price of $125,000 or $118,400. Production is expected to begin in late 2024.

“With 90% of the market comprising of towable RVs, we began by creating an all-electric travel trailer that is unlike any RV available today and that is just the beginning,” said Lightship Co-Founder and President Toby Kraus. “We are leveraging our expertise in automotive EV development and design to build a brand that creates delightful outdoor travel experiences for everyone and brings even more people into the pastime of RVing.”

The Lightship L1 is a finalist in the 2023 SXSW Innovation Awards design category.

About Lightship

Founded in 2020, Lightship is America’s first all-electric RV company on a mission to reimagine the recreational vehicle experience by designing and producing aerodynamic, battery-powered trailers for the electric age. As the macro transition to an all-electric transportation ecosystem accelerates, Lightship is building a critical element to enable the electrification of pickup trucks and SUVs, while bringing the increased convenience and superior performance that electrification offers to a pastime enjoyed by 1 in 10 American families. Based in San Francisco and Boulder, Colorado, Lightship sells its products direct to U.S. customers on the company’s website: https://www.lightshiprv.com/.

Lippert announces that Joe Thompson, Chief Marketing Officer, has retired after a sales and marketing career spanning 30 years. Since taking over in October of 2020, Joe has led the Lippert Marketing Department for the past two years. During this time, he successfully led the Marketing Department integration after the CURT acquisition in late 2019 and implemented the new Lippert branding initiative, a project that saw huge success while adhering to a strict deadline of a few short months. Joe has worked tirelessly to build a foundation on the marketing R.E.C. plan, which stands for “Reach, Engage and Convert,” focusing on building strong teams around social media, product marketing, marketing technology, digital marketing and rich content creation throughout all of our sales channels. Joe also dedicated marketing resources to communicate Lippert’s culture and values both internally and externally. Most importantly, Joe helped build a strong marketing leadership team that will propel Lippert’s marketing efforts for years to come.

“I would like to thank everyone at Lippert for the opportunities and immense support I have been given during my time here. I’ve had many valuable experiences, made many great friends and learned a great deal in my role. I’ll always remember our commitment to culture, innovation, quality and the success of our customers. In the next few months, I will focus on the smooth transition of my responsibilities to Jarod Lippert”, said Joe Thompson.

Jarod Lippert will assume the role of Chief Marketing Officer immediately. Jarod’s career with Lippert spans 21 years, spending the last 12 years leading Lippert’s marketing efforts.

“First off, I want to thank Joe for his tireless efforts over the last two years to strengthen the foundation of Lippert’s marketing department and set us up for success, not only in the short-term, but for decades to come,” said Jarod. “Joe has set an excellent example for how a global marketing department should be run. We will continue to be transparent in everything that we do and will always come prepared to help solve any of the challenges that come our way. I also want to thank Lippert leadership for entrusting me with this role. I will promise to always do what is best for Lippert and all of its brands, continuing the excellent example that Joe has set. I wish Joe the best in his well-deserved retirement and will continue to lean on him as a mentor.”

“Jarod has been building high-performing teams and driving Lippert excellence for decades. His industry knowledge, strategic focus and strong acumen will serve the company well as we continue to build out our brand and product portfolio,” stated Jamie Schnur, Group President – Aftermarket.

To give more capacity and support to Airxcel brands, it has announced that it is moving warehousing and distribution for Airxcel brands Coleman-Mach, Maxxair, Suburban, United Shade, and MCD from its Verdant Street warehouse to the larger 126,000 square foot facility at 3002 Coast Court in Elkhart, Indiana. The expansion is expected to be fully operational in March, 2023.

“The layout and capabilities of the Coast Court warehouse allows for better logistics and order fulfillment,” said Marc Brunner, General Manager, Dicor. “This warehouse has double the dock doors compared to the Verdant location and is located minutes away from the major highways. After the supply chain challenges of the past few years, this move will help us better serve our customers both locally and throughout the country.”

Airxcel will continue to maintain the 90,000 square foot Verdant Street location in Elkhart. Verdant will be used for manufacturing for Cleer Vision Baggage Doors and Velarium awnings.

THOR Industries, Inc. financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2023 include net sales of $2.35 billion (-39.4% compared to same quarter in 2022) and -14.0% over the same quarter in 2021).

“Our fiscal second quarter presented a challenging market environment. Against this backdrop, our financial results and actions are a testament to our ability to operate in such a dynamic and challenging environment. Our resilient second quarter performance demonstrates the strength of THOR’s diverse product offering, the experience of our management teams and the success of our variable cost model. Despite the challenging quarter, THOR generated positive cash flow and maintained an already strong liquidity profile, positioning THOR to operate from a position of financial strength as we move beyond our second quarter,” said Bob Martin, President and CEO of THOR Industries.

“During the quarter, we continued to proactively and decisively balance wholesale production with the pace of softening retail sales through the traditionally slower winter retail season. This commitment to a disciplined production approach, combined with a softer-than-expected order intake, resulted in second quarter North American wholesale shipments of 25,372 units. Despite a significant slowdown of both sales and production, we expect the successful execution of our aggressive, proactive actions and our variable cost model to position our operating companies and independent dealer partners favorably heading into the second half of our fiscal 2023, which typically experiences stronger retail activity than our second quarter.

“While near-term demand will continue to be influenced by macroeconomic conditions, we believe the recent softening in demand to be temporary. We remain encouraged with the continued level of consumer interest for the RV lifestyle. We are experiencing a strong spring retail show season across the country with high attendance figures and solid retail activity. In addition, digital traffic across RV related sites remains well above pre-pandemic levels, reinforcing our long-term optimism for the industry and for THOR. While we are encouraged by these positive indicators, the current macroeconomic environment is still very dynamic. As a result, we have taken decisive steps to position our company to navigate the near-term softening market conditions,” said Martin.

Second-Quarter Financial Results

Consolidated net sales were $2.35 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2023, compared to $3.88 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2022 and $2.73 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2021.

Consolidated gross profit margin for the second quarter was 12.1%, a decrease of 530 basis points when compared to the second quarter of fiscal year 2022 and a 330 basis point decrease when compared to the second quarter of fiscal year 2021.

North American Towable RV net sales were down 58.2% for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to the prior-year period. The decrease was driven primarily by a 64.6% decrease in unit shipments, partially offset by net selling price increases and a change in product mix. The decrease in unit shipments is primarily due to a softening in current dealer and consumer demand in comparison with the unusually strong second quarter demand in the prior-year quarter, which included independent dealers restocking their lot inventory levels.

North American Towable RV gross profit margin was 6.4% for the second quarter of fiscal 2023, compared to 19.0% in the prior-year period. The decrease in gross profit margin for the second quarter was primarily driven by higher manufacturing overhead costs as a percentage of sales due to the reduction in sales, and an increase in sales discounts. Warranty costs as a percentage of sales also increased.

North American Towable RV loss before income tax for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 was $7.1 million, compared to income before income tax of $275.9 million in the second quarter last year, driven by the decrease in North American Towable net sales and the decline in the gross margin percentage.

North American Motorized RV net sales decreased 24.4% for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to the prior-year period. The decrease was driven primarily by a 26.3% decrease in unit shipments, partially offset by net selling price increases and a change in product mix.

North American Motorized RV gross profit margin was 14.5% for the second quarter of fiscal 2023, compared to 16.0% in the prior-year period. The decrease in gross profit margin for the second quarter was primarily driven by an increase in overhead costs as a percentage of sales and higher warranty costs.

North American Motorized RV income before income tax for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 decreased to $61.5 million compared to $104.0 million a year ago, driven by the decrease in North American Motorized net sales.

European RV net sales decreased 10.6% for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to the prior-year period, driven by a 15.3% decrease in unit shipments due primarily to continuing chassis supply constraints. The decrease due to the foreign exchange rate decline of 7.1% was more than offset by net selling price increases and product mix changes.

European RV gross profit margin was 14.1% of net sales for the second quarter compared to 12.5% in the prior-year period. This improvement in gross profit margin for the quarter was primarily driven by net selling price increases, product mix changes and improved warranty costs, partially offset by an increase in overhead costs as a percentage of sales.

European RV income before income tax for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 was $12.0 million, compared to net income before income tax of $9.7 million during the second quarter of fiscal 2022. The improvement in income before income taxes was primarily driven by the improvement in the gross margin percentage, partially offset by the decrease in European RV net sales.

“Our proven variable cost model and solid through-cycle execution allowed us to generate positive results despite net sales decreasing 39% on a 52% reduction in unit shipments compared to the record prior-year period. We remained committed to our disciplined approach to operations that prioritizes profitability while maintaining market-leading positions across each of THOR’s product categories. This commitment, combined with solid execution across each of our business segments, positions THOR to be a more financially resilient company and to deliver profitability that exceeds previous down-cycle periods,” said Todd Woelfer, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

“In North America, through reduced production rates and extended holiday shutdowns, our teams successfully balanced wholesale shipments with retail demand in the second quarter despite the significant retail pullback, keeping dealer inventory levels essentially flat compared to October 31, 2022 levels. Our production discipline continues to be greatly valued among our dealer partners as we work to protect the long-term interests, and profitability, of our customers. In addition, we undertook strategic pricing actions in the quarter aimed at moving finished goods inventory related to calendar 2022 production of certain towable models, and we enacted strong cost controls under our variable cost model. In Europe, we sequentially increased motorized production volumes, aided by the improving chassis availability. We remain encouraged by the improvement in chassis deliveries and we expect to further ramp up production of motorized units in the second half of fiscal 2023 as we look to replenish dealer inventory levels to more normalized levels,” continued Woelfer.

“We also remain focused on maintaining a strong balance sheet. We ended our fiscal second quarter with total liquidity of $1.2 billion, including cash and cash equivalents totaling $281.6 million and approximately $915.0 million of availability under our ABL. Net cash provided by operating activities for the first half of fiscal 2023 totaled $185.3 million, including $91.3 million provided in the challenging second quarter, and was deployed in a balanced manner. During the quarter, cash generated from operations was of a similar level to that generated during our stronger first quarter, further manifesting the Company’s ability to execute in a challenging market. Year-to-date capital deployment included $101.0 million of capital expenditures, $48.2 million of dividend payments, $27.4 million of overall debt reduction and $25.4 million of share repurchases. Subsequent to the end of the fiscal second quarter, we further paid down $15.0 million on our U.S. Term Loan B and $15.0 million on our ABL, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining a strong balance sheet despite the softer quarter. Looking forward, given the historical seasonality of our cash flow and expected reductions of net working capital, we expect to generate strong net cash flow from operations in the second half of fiscal 2023, which will allow us to maintain our balanced capital allocation strategy focused on enhancing long-term shareholder value,” said Colleen Zuhl, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Outlook

“While macroeconomic uncertainties continue to exist in the segments and geographies we serve, we have high confidence in our operating teams, flexible business model and execution strategy. Our first half of fiscal 2023 performance reinforces our discipline to remain focused on what we can control. Looking ahead to the second half of fiscal 2023, we intend to maintain that same discipline to navigate this challenging near-term environment while positioning THOR to be an even stronger company when the market recovers,” added Martin.

Following a sell-out 2022 event, the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2023, that was held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham between 21 - 26 February, attracted a record-breaking number of over 108,000 people. It is the UK’s largest start of season display of Leisure Vehicles, tents, trailer tents, camping essentials, tech and gadgets. 

The industry’s leading manufacturers, dealers, experts and retailers filled five halls (almost 20 acres), at the NEC. Many exhibitors, including Bailey of Bristol, RP Motorhomes, Wildax Motorhomes, Premium Motorhomes, Knaus, Auto- Sleepers, Adria, Campervan Co, Bradcot Awnings, SUP Co and more have praised the success of the Show, particularly due to the record number of visitors and volume of sales.

As well as getting up close to compare the new-for-2023 campervans, caravans, motorhomes, tents, camping essentials and shopping from a huge range of tech, gadgets and accessories, visitors were also greeted by a star-studded line-up of guest speakers at the Inspiration Theatre. Featuring talks from the UK’s biggest outdoor- loving personalities and advocates such as Camping and Caravanning Club President Julia Bradbury, Channel 5’s Motorhoming with Paul Merton & Suki Webster, extreme adventurer Aldo Kane and wildlife cameraman and ornithologist Hamza Yassin. 

Terry Dullaghan, Managing Director at NCC Events, said: “We are ecstatic with the outcome of the Show. It’s been a record breaking event in terms of visitor numbers, and we are pleased that this wave of new visitors resulted in a high level of sales for so many of our exhibitors. It’s great to see that despite the challenging economic times,  the appetite and interest for camping and touring holidays and the outdoor lifestyle continues to grow. As always, we’d like to give a massive thank you to all exhibitors and visitors  for their support and we look forward to delivering another fantastic event  - the Motorhome and Caravan Show - here at the NEC in October.” 

Many exhibitors were surprised with the constant footfall heading to their stands:

Ian Rawlings, Sales Director at Bailey of Bristol said: “It’s been fantastic, a really positive Show. Great to see so many visitors here and sales have been very strong - in fact, both caravans and motorhomes have outperformed last year. We had a record day of motorhome sales, the best we have had in 10 years. We are really pleased to see so many people here and it’s a really positive start to the season.”

Duncan Wildman, Managing Director at Wildax Motorhomes said: “We have had a very good Show and it’s been busy - very busy! The opening of the Show has been very good and sales-wise we are above expectations so we’re very happy indeed.”

David Williams, Sales and Marketing Director at Auto-Sleepers Group said: “The Show has been very good, above our expectations. We came in thinking it would be difficult to replicate what we had achieved last year with the circumstances but we have been delighted with the results - it’s been fantastic. Footfall has been very good, we have had it through all days of the week so it has been great to see that the enthusiasm is still out there. People are still clearly seeing holidays as an important part of their budgets.”

Slavica Sterk, Managing Director at Adria UK said: “The Show was another success for the brand and sales. It is a pleasure to be here and not explain who we are, we are not a niche market anymore which also means there has been very good marketing from the industry. People are coming here looking for our exact models and then it’s only one more step until they buy at the Show. There has been a lot of people, so thank you to the NCCE for bringing so many people through the door. Attendance was great and we are going forward positively.” 

Michelle Jewell, Senior Marketing Manager (Partnerships & Events) at the Camping and Caravan Club said: “We’ve been delighted to meet so many members at the Show and even more delighted with the number of new faces who have visited the stand to find out more about the benefits of Club membership and sign-up. Our membership recruitment was up over 17% on the 2022 event – which was a record! It’s wonderful to see that interest in camping and touring holidays is showing no signs of waning and we very much look forward to another fantastic event in October.”

Harvey Alexander, Director of Marketing and Membership Services at the Caravan and Motorhome Club said: “It’s been another fantastic show at the NEC! Our stand has been very busy. We are really pleased to have met so many new visitors interested in not only our UK site network, but our overseas destinations and Worldwide tours too. Our motorhome manoeuvring courses were booked-out and our new virtual caravan towing computer game was a hit! We can’t wait to do it all again in October!”

Mike Lake, UK Agent at Knaus said: “This has been lovely. Great crowd, lots of people and lots of positive vibes from our visitors and we are looking forward to coming next time.”

Steve Biggs, Managing Director at Isabella International Camping said: “We have had a good response on all our new products with sales being very very good. Overall I am pleased with the sales and will definitely be coming back next year.” 

Tickets for the Motorhome and Caravan Show (17-22 October 2023) are now on sale at https://mcshow.co.uk/. 

Airstream has unveiled a concept travel trailer developed in partnership with legendary design firm Studio F. A. Porsche. The collaboration between the two expert teams resulted in them being charged with envisioning a next-generation Airstream trailer that incorporated elements from the design playbooks of both brands. The process engaged Studio F. A. Porsche designers in Zell am See, Austria, and Los Angeles in a steady back-and-forth with Airstream designers and engineers at the company's headquarters and manufacturing facility in Jackson Center, Ohio.

Brought to life through photorealistic renderings, a 1/3 scale model, and computer-assisted aerodynamic testing, the project resulted in a conceptual evolution to Airstream's iconic riveted aluminum look that's unlike any previous design. Among the concept's many innovative ideas, the design addresses changing demographics in the RV market by utilizing a pop-up roof for additional interior headroom and a lowering suspension that allows city dwellers to store the trailer in a standard residential garage.

"Innovation is the art of discovering the possible," said Airstream President and CEO Bob Wheeler. "Our collaboration with Studio F. A. Porsche brought talented new eyes and minds to our never-ending process of improving the Airstream experience. It's a fresh design approach aimed at reaching a broader, more diverse base of potential customers."

"Our design team has long wanted to partner with Airstream," said Roland Heiler, Managing Director of Studio F. A. Porsche and Chief Design Officer of the Porsche Lifestyle Group. "More than 20 years ago, when my family lived in Southern California, we owned a 1964 Airstream Overlander. That's when I met Bob Wheeler for the first time at a vintage trailer show in Newport Beach. For me Airstream has always been an iconic brand that has thrived by evolving its products while remaining true to its design DNA – an approach very similar to the philosophy of Studio F. A. Porsche. So, it is not difficult to imagine that we were more than excited when the idea to develop a new iteration of Airstream's travel trailers finally became reality."

The concept design integrates numerous advances in aerodynamics, including a new rear shape that is intended to improve air flow while in motion, a flush underside with reduced drag-creating projections, the first-ever lowering suspension in an Airstream travel trailer design, and the first insulated pop-up roof in Airstream's history. Essential systems are incorporated inside the concept's chassis and interior, resulting in a sleek exterior that is intended to reduce protrusions that create aerodynamic drag. The ducted air conditioning, a prominent feature of many RV rooftops, is located above the concept's floor. Several systems are tucked inside the 10-inch-deep space below the floor, including the hot water and heating components, spare wheel, holding tanks, and the lithium battery.

As conceived, this small-footprint concept travel trailer is intended to have improved aerodynamic characteristics from other Airstream travel trailers currently in production. These improved aerodynamic characteristics were validated by a third-party aerodynamics research firm.¹ The improved aerodynamic performance is a result of the low ride height made possible by the pop-up roof design, lowering suspension, fewer rooftop protrusions, a smaller frontal area as compared to other Airstream travel trailers currently in production, and lighter weight from composite materials like carbon fiber. One intended result of these design modifications is a better towing experience optimized for towing with electric vehicles (EVs).

"Like earlier concept vehicles, the Airstream Studio F. A. Porsche Concept Travel Trailer builds on Airstream's design DNA and our commitment to aerodynamics to create a vision that is both familiar and excitingly new," said Wheeler. "While our concept projects don't always reach the marketplace, the resulting lessons and innovations often influence present and future designs as they make their way into our main product lines." 

The concept is the first "garageable" Airstream design in the company's 90-year history. Working in tandem, the pop-up roof reduces overhead clearance while the adjustable suspension in the chassis allows the trailer's body to be lowered, enabling storage in some home garages. This capability makes ownership much easier for a broader range of customers. The chassis' ride height can also be adjusted to improve aerodynamic efficiency or enhance off-road maneuverability.

The concept's innovative design extends to its interior, where the team collaborated to maximize the use of space and dramatically enhance the owner experience. The extensive use of windows and skylights creates a spacious interior feel and connects owners with the beauty of their surroundings.

Building on the current popularity of the rear hatch option in select Airstream travel trailers, the concept trailer's redesigned rear hatch features a new two-piece design, with a hinge-up hatch and a drop-down tailgate. Awnings can be attached to the hatch to create a shady place to relax and plan the next adventure. This conceptual design extends the interior living space, connecting travelers with their surroundings and allowing for easy loading of adventure gear.

The concept travel trailer features a floor plan unlike other Airstream units, including a rear seating area that transforms from dining to working to relaxing space. The versatile seating area quickly converts from dinette seating to a large 82" x 61" sleeping area. Reclining seat options allow owners to enjoy the views through the open hatch.

The wet bath, incorporated into the front roadside corner, features a door that creates an enclosed, private area and swings freely to hide the toilet when it's not in use. This clever design opens up more space in the adjacent galley, where a hinge-up counter extends in front of the main entry door to expand the available counterspace. These ingenious design elements create a sizable L-shaped workspace that rivals what's found in many larger travel trailers.

RVing has recently boomed in popularity as people seek safe, self-directed travel experiences. The Airstream Studio F.A. Porsche Concept Travel Trailer is a flexible and easy-to-tow travel trailer that facilitates such adventure. It's comfortable in a variety of camping destinations – from a campground with full hookups to the off-grid wilderness, where integrated rooftop solar panels and a lithium battery system work together to store energy for later use.