Jayco announced the opening of its newest Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facility on the Jayco campus. The building on Southridge Boulevard in Middlebury, Ind., is approximately 70,000 square feet and will accommodate four lines running simultaneously, according to a company representative.

This is the fifth of Jayco’s dedicated PDI facilities and allows for 100% of all Jayco, Entegra Coach, Starcraft RV and Highland Ridge RV products to go through an exhaustive PDI (pre-delivery inspection) before being shipped to a dealer.

The 100% PDI initiative includes all Jayco manufacturing locations: Middlebury and Shipshewana, Ind., and Twin Falls, Idaho. These rigorous processes include the inspection of numerous aspects and components of the entire product lineup and follow additional audits and quality checks performed on the production line before the units arrive at the dedicated PDI facilities.

The Jayco PDI began in January of 2019 and by January 2022, 55% of all units were being PDI-ed, including 100% of all motorized units and units produced in the Idaho and Shipshewana manufacturing facilities. Once the new Southridge facility is fully running all lines, 100% of all units for all Jayco brands will be PDI-ed before being shipped to dealers.

By implementing the PDI process, it allows for an additional key step in the manufacturing process to identify and fix any potential issues before they arrive at the dealer. Any potential concerns are tracked and reviewed with the production lines to identify and implement improvements in processes or materials.

While there are any number of ways to find new campgrounds well worthy of a visit, never underestimate the awards handed out by the hospitality industry’s major players during their annual conventions. At the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) annual International Convention in November, the big winner was the Bellefonte/State College KOA Holiday, named the Kampgrounds of America, Inc.’s Campground of the Year for 2023.

Located at the base of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania, Bellefonte/State College KOA Holiday is one of the largest in the KOA system. It has operated as a campground since 1971 and currently boasts 144 sites, with an additional 21 planned.

Winnebago Industries Inc. recently announced the development of a new facility and expanded resources dedicated to innovating next-generation technologies for the recreational vehicle and marine industries.

The Winnebago Industries Advanced Technology Innovation Center will focus on incubating and prototyping new technology applications across a wide range of technical and product-feature categories, including alternative energy management and autonomy. The facility will be well-equipped with leading-edge technology and sized to meet the needs of the company’s outdoor product portfolio.

The center is an extension of Winnebago’s Advanced Technology Group (ATG), which was formed in 2019 to improve the company’s ability to identify, evaluate and deploy industry-changing products and services within each of its brands across four key technology areas – alternative energy management, data and connectivity, material science and autonomy. In 2022, ATG launched the first all-electric zero emission motorhome concept from a major RV manufacturer. It was the first public-facing example of ATG work streams and demonstrated a commitment to innovation and sustainability with product electrification and connectivity while improving user interface experiences for customers.

Development of the Advanced Technology Innovation Center, which will be located in the Twin Cities, will begin in early 2023.

When Lippert decided to create a consumer-focus group in 2020, the RV supplier had a goal of bringing 50-100 “super users” together to provide feedback to the company on its products as well as to spread the word about the great things Lippert does for the RV community. Less than three years later, the “Lippert Scouts” program is 17,000-members strong — and growing.

In late October, nearly 400 Lippert Scouts — representing 36 states and 23 different RV makes — were joined by 71 Lippert team members at the company’s second annual “Lippert Getaway.” The six-day event included 16 seminars conducted by Lippert personnel revolving around technical training and the RV lifestyle. Attendees learned tips and tricks on all things RVing, from technical troubleshooting on common RV issues to route planning and RV interior design. Lippert also invited several of its Brand Ambassadors, influencers and partners who also gave insightful seminars on the RV lifestyle and RV maintenance.

New to the event this year was the Innovation Tent, where attendees were able to meet with several teams across Lippert to provide insight on product design, service and support, and lifestyle experiences, helping Lippert to better understand consumer needs.

During the Getaway, Lippert also provided attendees an opportunity to schedule service as well as install upgrades to their rig while they enjoyed the event. As a result, Lippert served 54 customers and completed 67 service tickets.

Lippert also welcomed program sponsors Fulltime Families, Harvest Hosts and Outdoorsy to be on-site and available to answer questions about and promote their products and services. For more information on how to become a Lippert Scout, go to store.lci1.com/blog/lippert-scouts-the-community.

“Giving back to the community” is not just a phrase for Lippert. The company has made volunteerism and charitable endeavors part and parcel to its corporate focus. In fact, the company display a billboard on the grounds of its Elkhart, Indiana, headquarters that shows the hours contributed by its employees to volunteer efforts — and those hours number in the hundreds of thousands.

Now, the RV industry’s biggest supplier has introduced its seRV With Purpose program — an all-encompassing platform that provides a roadmap for travelers seeking meaningful experiences that make a positive impact on the places they visit.

The seRV platform will feature volunteer opportunities at RV travel destinations around the United States, organized by Lippert seRV Ambassador families that have committed to hosting 10 events each year.

In addition to the opportunity to join seRV Ambassadors in adventuring with purpose, the platform — set to be released in 2023 — will provide a list of pre-vetted non-profits perfect for RVers who feel called to purpose driven travel.

“Social responsibility has been one of our core objectives for many years. Since 2017, Lippert employees and their families have amassed more than 600,000 hours of volunteer work, forever changing countless lives. If one company can make such a huge impact, imagine the change that could be brought forth by the entire RV community,” said Jason Lippert, President and CEO.

Wondering where you should go for your next vacation? RV Atlas co-hosts Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi have won a USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice award for their bestselling Where Should We Camp Next? A 50-State Guide to Amazing Campgrounds and Other Unique Outdoor Accommodations, which was published by Sourcebooks in April 2021. The book won in the “Best Gift for Road Trippers” category and beat out products by Orvis, Yeti, National Geographic and other iconic brands.

Where Should We Camp Next? is the Puglisis’ third book, and for the last 18 months it has been the No. 1 best-selling “Family Travel Guide” in the country on Amazon. There are more than 76,000 copies of the book in print, and it is available in bookstores across the country.

The couple recently completed a follow-up book, Where Should We Camp Next? National Parks: The Best Campgrounds and Unique Outdoor Accommodations In and Around National Parks, Seashores, Monuments and More, which is due to be released by Sourcebooks in April, 2023.

According to USA TODAY, nominees for all 10 “Best” categories were chosen by a panel of relevant experts, which include a combination of editors from USA TODAY, editors from 10Best.com and relevant expert contributors. Voting was open to the public for four weeks. For more information, visit thervatlas.com

When the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) announced in January it had set a goal for 2022 of having 1,000 students in training and 750 dealerships with at least one RVTI on board, no doubt a few folks in the RV industry might have thought the new institute was aiming a bit high.

In November, RVTI Executive Director Curt Hemmeler gave RVBusiness magazine a report on the school’s progress — and said the goals would be met. With about six weeks left on the 2022 calendar, 928 technicians and 718 dealerships have been recruited.

“I feel good that as we roll into this next year, we have set ourselves up to improve that,” Hemmeler said. “We want to grow that 1,000 into 1,200 and we want to grow that 750 to 900. So, 20% increases or more on each side.”

According to Hemmeler, the RV Industry Association has approved a budget that includes the addition of four new positions to accommodate future growth and to help handle the more than 5,000 technicians currently in training.

Plans also look toward growth in the number of RVTI learning partners, including the addition of more prison systems, high schools, community colleges and trade schools.

For more information on RVTI, including how to take classes, visit www.rvti.org.

Everyone working in the RV industry understood that the record sales fueled by the pandemic couldn’t last forever — it was simply a question of “when.” Well, it’s now. Results for the RV Industry Association’s October 2022 survey of manufacturers determined that total RV shipments ended the month with 32,652 units, a decrease of 43.7% compared to the 57,971 units shipped in October 2021. Through October, RV shipments are down 12.2% compared to the same point last year with 448,246 wholesale shipments. The industry correction actually began with July shipments; October represents the fourth consecutive month shipments have dropped off. For the year through October, however, shipments are only off by 12.2% compared to last year, a performance that still ranks 2022 as one of the ‘Top 5’ years for RVing.