In World War II, there was little the Japanese army or navy feared more than the USS Wisconsin. One of the largest battleships ever built, Wisconsin pounded enemy positions by landing 1--ton projectiles with stunning accuracy from 23 miles away.

Being a native of the Badger state, I may have an affinity for the guns of Wisconsin, but the battleship reminds me of a battle our industry is fighting this summer ? one to win consumer confidence and encourage people to buy motorhomes. Just like the U.S. military in the 1940s, we have a powerful weapon at our disposal and it?s time for us to bring out the big guns.

The Go RVing campaign has been tremendously successful in creating a burning desire for RV ownership among families. While people used to dream of buying RVs and touring the country in retirement, today they dream of using RVs as family recreation support vehicles. However, with the alignment of unstable fuel prices and rising interest rates the spirit may be willing, but the pocketbook weak.

The hardest hit segment of our industry?Class A motorhomes?could be greatly enhanced by re--allocating just a portion of the massive Go RVing budget. Instead of focusing everything on building awareness of the industry and its products or creating a burning desire for ownership, let?s expand on the message.

It?s a common practice for the media to focus on the negative aspects of any story. So when gas prices climb a dime, they dutifully go out in search of Milly and her little dog which they plop in front of her Class A motorhome as she tearfully laments that she won?t be able to use her big RV this summer because it will cost too much. You can bet that Megan and Tyler?s mom is also watching that story and telling her husband, ?Honey, maybe we should wait a year to buy that RV.?

The Go RVing coalition has enough money, political capital, influence and clout to respond immediately and decisively to these misconceptions. Yes, RVIA does address the issue though its separate public relations effort. But it would also be effective to air a series of advertisements in which real RVers talk about what they?re going to do this summer with their motorhomes ? gas prices be damned.

Talking points should be distributed to all RV dealers for use in local ad campaigns and to educate local media. The message ?now is a great time to buy an RV? should be prominently splashed on the Go RVing website along with well--scripted answers to the most common misconceptions. More importantly, when the media dares run a story about how someone will park a $150,000 motorhome because they can?t afford an extra $100 for gas, the big guns of RVIA should zero in on the unsuspecting journalist like a bunker buster.

The desire for RV ownership has never been stronger. People just need reassurance that others are not only using motorhomes, but they are buying them, too.