According to the show’s Web site, one family has already been eliminated with six still in the competition. I have yet to see the show, but would like to get some feedback from viewers.

Most of the industry views this show as a boost for the RV industry. I believe that overall this show helps promote the RVing lifestyle but I want to see if a reality show is the best means to accomplish that goal. If you have seen the show, please feel free to comment on what has happened thus far. Is the show engaging? Does it do a good job of promoting the RVing lifestyle? What advice would you give to the remaining families? If a second season were to happen, how could the show be improved? Let’s hear your thoughts.

The dealer mentioned to me that he has been contacting lenders to inquire about the program but none, thus far, are participating in the program.

According to RVDA’s Web site, the associations are actively seeking to gain incentives for the lenders to participate in the program.

RVDA is also seeing this lack of lender participation: “Several dealers tell RVDA that lenders are not jumping on board to participate in the floor plan program. RVDA will submit federal comments requesting further revisions and bank incentives.”

RV Trade Digest is currently conducting an opinion poll about the SBA program and as of this morning, 67 percent of voters don’t think the SBA loan guarantee will help dealers.

I want to hear from other dealers about their attempts at gaining SBA loans through local lenders. Has the pilot program worked? Is it too early to tell? How many dealers have successfully begun the floor plan loan process? All comments are welcome, but please refrain from “bad-mouthing” specific lenders or businesses.

The survey was sent to RV Trade Digest subscribers via e-mail. The survey consists of 16 questions and only takes a few minutes to complete.

If you would like to have your voice heard regarding our editorial content, please fill out the electronic survey.

The information collected will be used to help the staff of RVTD decide what topics should be covered in the near future.

If you are a subscriber and did not receive the 2009 Reader Survey, please contact Jean Simkins, Jackie Kimmel or Nikki Becker and request your survey.

We appreciate your time in taking our survey and hope to serve you better with the information collected.

There is a great debate about whether overnight parking should be allowed or banned.

Personally, I am against overnight parking in commercial parking lots. Campgrounds are built to house RVs properly. Most have restroom facilities, activities and the basic necessities that most RVers need such as: electrical outlets, dumping stations, water lines, etc.

Some RVers may choose to park at Walmart because it is less expensive than a campground, others probably park there because they know they can.

I want to open this up for a lively debate. Should RVers be allowed to park on commercial lots overnight? Why or why not? Does it hurt campground owners if people are opting to visit places like Walmart instead of their campground? Is it a safety risk to park overnight on a commercial lot? What are your thoughts?

The RVTD Lifetime Value Awards are given to dealers who focus on customer service and build excellence through employee training and education.

Dealers can enter anytime using our online application. To apply click here

All applicants are reviewed by a panel of RVTD and Stag-Parkway staffers. Several finalists are chosen and each finalist receives a cash reward and a dealer profile featured in RV Trade Digest. At the 2010 Stag-Parkway show, one finalist will be chosen as the Lifetime Value Award winner and will receive an additional cash prize.

Numerous dealers have already seized the chance to be considered. RVTD will be accepting applications until September 15, 2009. That leaves less than three months to apply.

If you have trouble applying for the Lifetime Value Awards or have questions, please feel free to e-mail the editorial staff at editor@rvtradedigest.com

There is no fee to apply and all dealers are welcome to apply.

I am unfamiliar with this particular selling method, but did a little research to try and understand it a little better.

From my research I learned that the four-square method is a selling technique that employs a worksheet some dealers use to negotiate the sale of an RV, boat or car. This worksheet is separated into four squares, hence the name.

The four squares represent the trade-in value, purchase price of the vehicle, down payment numbers and monthly payment numbers. Sales people crunch numbers into the different squares to attempt to view the overall profit of the dealership. Some even refer to this method as “working the numbers.”

This method could be considered controversial because buyers who are unfamiliar with how the method works could perceive a deal that isn’t really there.

In researching this topic I found more articles on how to avoid getting “trapped” by this four-square method.

I would like to get a discussion rolling on the four-square selling method. Do you, or any of your sales staff, currently use this method? Have you ever experienced this sales method while purchasing a new vehicle. If you do use this method, is it effective? Is this sales method controversial or cross ethical lines? I want to hear your thoughts.

The editorial staff will begin putting together RVTD’s June/July Sourcebook print issue the week of June 1, and we are giving one last opportunity for company updates.

If you have not updated your company listing, please contact Jean Simkins or Nikki Becker for more information.

In addition to updating current company contact information, company representatives may also submit products to feature in the Online Sourcebook.

There is no limit to the amount of products each company may feature. For more information on how to submit products, contact Jackie Kimmel by e-mailing Jackie@rvtradedigest.com

If you have trouble updating or inputting products please feel free to contact one of the RV Trade Digest staff members.

National statistics say that one out of every “12″ auto owner in the United States owns an RV. Those are big numbers! That means that this industry isn’t going away anytime soon. We are still getting customers on our lot, however financing is getting tougher and our selection isn’t what it used to be. Most dealers that experienced the slowing down last year were forced to cut back on ordering new inventory. Flooring costs have sky rocketed! It is getting harder to make payroll and many RV dealers have gone out of business.

There have been an increasing number of RV manufacturers filing chapter 11. The manufacturers that filed chapter 11 are selling their inventory for pennies on the dollar at bank liquidation auctions. The dealers that have new inventory in their stock are unable to compete unless they are willing to lose tens of thousands of dollars. The used inventory is affected similarly. Most dealers are unable to survive under these circumstances. To add insult to injury, the lot traffic with potential buyers have slimmed way down. When they have a qualified buyer, they have to jump through a number of hoops, including financing.

Anytime there is a downturn in our economy it brings opportunity somewhere else. For every downside, there is an upside. Knowing there are opportunities available the deal seekers come out of the wood works. These deal seekers begin their search online, looking for the perfect RV. If the dealer doesn’t have his website designed with SEO (search engine optimization) the customer will never find his RV! The fact is that for every RV there is a buyer somewhere. The trick is getting the two of them together.

To read more of Jeff’s thoughts or learn about RVDLS click here

With Memorial Day around the corner travel experts, campground owners and dealers are all speculating about how well the 2009 camping season will turn out.

Several campgrounds this year are offering discounts, some RV dealers are offering passes to local national parks to entice customers to travel, and AAA announced today they believe the lower gas prices will cause more Americans to get out and travel for the upcoming holiday weekend.

Thankfully, I have been seeing more positive news about the RV industry and more specifically the 09 camping season; however, I am not sure all industry professionals would agree with me.

I wonder if the slight upturn in the industry is due strictly to trends from years past or if this camping season may spark a larger turnaround for the industry? What do you think?

Will this year’s camping season be better or worse than 2008? Do you think geographic location dictates how well the camping season will go? Do you use camping season as a sales tool at your dealership? Let’s hear your thoughts.

In a recent trip to Elkhart visiting various industry suppliers, manufacturers, and dealers I learned many things and had a few observations. First, as we all know Elkhart has been featured in the mass media many times with in the last year with both good and bad coverage. Due to the bad coverage I learned that some dealers are having more trouble getting customers and sales due to the media stating “Elkhart is dead.” They feel customers who once traveled to the “RV capital of the world” are now going elsewhere to make their purchases.

This statement leads me to my next observation. I didn’t see Elkhart as “dead.” Manufacturers are bringing back laid off workers, manufacturing plants are getting back to full production, and I saw many vehicles moving by local transportation companies which I can only assume are going to a dealer’s lot.

Finally, I noticed there was a “Made in America” theme at many of the companies I visited. Suppliers’ products, both to the aftermarket and to the manufacturers, shared this common theme and one manufacturer in particular took it a step further by endorsing products as “Made in Elkhart.”

I am hearing “Made in America” more and more in the RV industry and now “Made in Elkhart.” As a dealer and/or manufacturer in this industry, is this important to you? Will this influence you to purchase one product which is “Made in America” versus another which is made overseas? Is this a sales tool for you to perceive value to your customers? Do you see this as doing your part to help stimulate the U.S. and even Elkhart’s economy? Let’s hear your thoughts.