avigating the landscape of RV dealerships can often feel like traversing uncharted territory. With myriad options and varying levels of service, the choice of dealership significantly shapes the RV ownership journey. This column kicks off a multi-part series designed to demystify RV dealerships — offering consumers a roadmap to identify the hallmarks of exceptional service and support.

At Campers Inn, we know that there is a large segment of our customer base that feel that dealers are more similar than different, and that after-sales service isn’t important to most dealers. However, we’ll explore and explain the nuances that set dealers apart — from sales and finance to after-sales service to engaging with the community — ensuring you’re equipped to make informed decisions.

—John Wilson

John, you’re in luck. I have a 2023 Grand Design fifth wheel under the same recall (NHTSA 23V- 455) and it involves a problem with the Curt axle Zerk fittings. Apparently, these grease fittings were installed at the end of the axle spindles and one or more of them came loose and migrated into the bearings, which created an imminent failure.

t’s hard to imagine life on the road without a water heater. From washing hands to bathing and doing dishes, it is one of the key appliances that makes life in an RV comfortable.

Until it doesn’t work.

RV tank-type storage hot water systems are not complicated devices, and in fact are much like the units found in most residences, albeit smaller. The fact that they have not changed much through the years is testament to their reliability; the bulk of RVs on the market today still use six or 10-gallon units manufactured by either Atwood or Suburban, and they can last for years if they’re properly maintained. However, if they’re stored for months outside without being maintained or were not properly drained before the end of the season, you could be repaid this spring by a water heater that won’t fire — or produces water that smells like rotten eggs.

ow vehicle suspensions play a vital role in ride quality, safety and the ability to handle hitch and overall weight imposed by a trailer or fifth wheel. Owners who tow with a pickup truck must pay attention to axle ratings, gross vehicle and combination weight ratings and towing capacity. Typically, trucks have enough payload to handle most trailers on the market, but in many cases, the springs don’t have enough “backbone” to keep the truck on a level stance under heavy — or maximum — loading, like towing a big fifth wheel.

That can be dangerous. Too much rear-end sag can impact front-axle loading, headlight aiming and handling — to the point where safety can be compromised. Unfortunately, too many owners end up with a truck that doesn’t meet expectations when it comes to towing. A case in point: a new RV owner who purchased this 2022 F-350 long-bed truck to tow a 38-foot fifth wheel. The rather large fifth wheel had 3,800 pounds of pin weight and the rear axle payload was rated at 5,600 pounds. Although Ford claimed the truck could handle the 5,600 pounds, the rear end still sagged when the fifth wheel was hitched — which in turn forced a nose down attitude for the trailer.

nyone who has gone shopping for a car, bought groceries or eaten at a restaurant in the past few years has come to grips with a runup in costs not seen stateside in 40 years.

That holds true for RVs, as well.

Building units to meet specific price points is a juggling act for RV manufacturers in the best of times — and no one would characterize the past few seasons in quite those terms. Granted, the pandemic-fueled resurgence in the RV lifestyle pushed shipments and registrations to record highs, but even then, shortages of parts and appliances created by closed manufacturing facilities overseas — coupled with huge jumps in shipping charges — began to impact RV prices.

And then, of course, record consumer-price inflation reared its ugly head, followed by a near tripling of interest rates as the federal government worked to corral these rising costs. None of these factors could be controlled by the RV industry, but their after-effects are on display on dealer lots. Depending upon who you talk to, the total cost to consumers of towable RVs, for example, have increased in price anywhere from 25% to 40% or more just since 2020, forcing manufacturers to reevaluate what they offered — or didn’t offer — especially in the price sensitive entry-level arena.

ow vehicle suspensions take a beating and, in many cases, simply don’t have enough “oomph” to carry the load of a hitched trailer without rear-end sag. Overload springs are claimed to be “bulletproof” and are supposed to take care of the squatting, but they often don’t do the job — and can result in a harsher ride.

Air springs are another alternative (as is the adjustable coil-spring RoadActive Suspension featured elsewhere in this issue) but air springs (also called air bags) can sometimes suffer from problems related to bracket failures when overloaded — and air pressure must be maintained to prevent damaging the bags. In all cases, suspension add-ons will not increase axle weight ratings.

SuperSprings International (supersprings.com) has been a major player in this arena for many years. Its SumoSprings are designed to offer suspension support without maintenance of any kind and are simple to install.

ew RV problems cause owners more distress than wood rot. Given the amount of wood products used in the construction of a typical RV, rotting wood — and its attendant traveling buddy, mold — is like a cancer that needs to be addressed quickly and decisively to prevent doing more damage to the motorhome, fifth wheel or travel trailer.

That’s especially true when you discover soft spots in your RV’s flooring. While wood rot — caused by water incursion — in any area of an RV is cause for concern and immediate action, rotting floors truly compromise the structural integrity of the unit.

Slideout rooms are susceptible to this dilemma. Floor rot in a slideout is usually traced to water accumulating on the sub-floor material through a small tear in the vapor barrier and/or a bad seal between the slide and the body of the RV. This can be a real problem if the RV slideout uses OSB (Oriented strand board), layers that are compressed and bonded with resin into a sheet.

hen it comes to new product debuts for the RV industry, there are no better venues than the annual winter shows staged by the major distributors responsible for supplying the industry’s dealers and independent parts and service facilities with new and replacement parts and accessories — and when it comes to distributor shows, none is larger or has more impact than the program staged by NTP-STAG.

This year’s program, EXPO 2024, presented by Airxcel, was even bigger; the event marked the first-time collaboration with SeaWide Distribution, introducing prominent marine suppliers alongside the RV industry’s premier product manufacturers.

And, while the event was highlighted by a number of thought-provoking addresses — including from author Sterling Hawkins and basketball legend Bill Walton as well as a performance by American Idol winner Noah Thompson — products were the real stars of the show. Covered in length by RVEnthusiast’s partner, RVBusiness, here are many of the new and proven popular components that attracted attention at the EXPO — and that you will be seeing at your local RV parts emporium this camping season.