I must admit that I did not see the SMEV Cookers but did review their web site and thank you for bringing it to our reader’s attention. People do cook in their RV’s, its just that some manufacturers don’t believe that statement and feel they can throw anything in that opening in the kitchen and the owner’s will not know the difference. Guess what, they do, and despite claims to the contrary, they will buy convenience if it is associated with quality - they do know the difference!

I do not think manufacturers, or consumers for that matter, really want do deal directly with the factory. If some manufacturers are having difficulty providing dealers with the right parts and level of service expertise needed to keep consumers happy, then how would they ever deal with the consumers directly - who will know a lot less about their unit and problems then the qualified service professionals they have been communicating with and still having problems? This is not going to be an easy problem to solve, but the industry must grab hold of it and fix it once and for all.

Thanks for the great input.

At the same time, warranty issues seems to be the topic of the masses. I am very interested in knowing how a warranty administrator at a dealer would design the work flow for claims. Another person commented about having the consumer be responsible for obtaining reimbursement from the OEM; would you consider this a viable solution? Would you prefer product knowledge by working directly with each OEM supplier, or would you prefer the “one-stop” approach by coordinating claims to OEM suppliers through the OEM? Is the current model acceptable and the main problem simply prompt reimbursement? Thanks and Merry Christmas.

Can you break this down further by manufacturer, dealer and supplier numbers?

Total attendance was 13,694, which is about the same as it was in 2006 (13,609).

Traffic may have felt a bit lighter because this year there was 925,000 sq. ft. of show space vs. 740,000 sq. ft. in 2006.

Other than that, I thought the show went well. Traffic was light, but interest in new or unique products was high, especially among Canadian dealers.

Although some committees and task force’s have been formed to “talk” about the issues, it’s really time for everyone in the RV industry to stop “talking” and start “doing.” I truly believe that today’s educated and highly influential consumer is about at wit’s end with the way the RV industry treats them after the sale is made.

On a quick trip through cyberspace this weekend I found far too many negative stories, videos,and blogs relating to these three issues that will challenge this industry in the Web 2.0 world. Everyone should know how news travels over the Internet and the impact it can have on individuals, companies, and an entire industry when the bad stories are now read by millions of people in a matter of hours or days.

The consumer is speaking loud and clear, but is anybody in the RV industry really listening?

The structure is in place now with RVDA and RVIA both having events that could foster direct interaction between all interested parties. Some of this activity has already begun, but the rhetoric and name calling must top and the action must be quick, effective, and successful if we want to really solve the industry’s critical problems before it is too late.

I know we have the time, resources, and talent to do it, but that’s not the issue - the real issue is do we have the guts to do it.

We’re rooted in this whole Louisville, show your new product idea, get attention for PRODUCT ideas mentality. It’s all so PRODUCT focused that none of the real issues get taken care of.

Maybe we should put together a “Louisville” event focused on people and processes instead of annually churning out new products for the sake of new products while we continue to have bigger issues.

Just a thought.

Here’s a question for everyone.

What was the single most impressive RV that you saw at Louisville and what was the most impressive supplier/aftermarket product that caught your attention this year?