n normal times, the streets, parking lots, vacant fields and many RV production facilities across Elkhart County, Indiana, would be awash in towable and motorized RVs in late September as manufacturers, suppliers — and, most critically, dealers — came together for the annual Elkhart County Open House. Begun in 2008 during the Great Recession by Forest River CEO Pete Liegl as a way to celebrate and cement the company’s relationships with its dealer network at a time when RV sales were in the toilet, the event snowballed as more and more RV builders joined the fray, ultimately transforming it into the largest RV show in North America.

These, though, are not normal times. For the second consecutive year, September’s event was cancelled out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving OEMs to host individual showings for those dealers who still wanted to visit the RV-building Mecca and tour 2022 models.

While Open House is a trade show and isn’t open to the public, it’s also where the media gets its first glimpse of new models and innovations. RV Enthusiast visited a number of manufacturers during the September 27-30 event, speaking with RV company presidents, general managers and product managers — and we came away impressed. While 2022 models were expected to feature naught but simple upgrades for the most part as the industry works to chip away at backlogs that, for some manufacturers, extend out for a year or more, many OEMs nonetheless debuted new models and unique floorplans that are sure to command the public’s attention when they hit dealer lots in the coming months. While some can be found in the 2022 New Model Year Guide produced through a partnership between RVBusiness and RV Enthusiast magazines (go to https://rventhusiast.com and scroll through the top frames to locate it), RV builders historically hold back truly eye-opening units to debut at Open House. These will be showcased within the pages of RV Enthusiast magazine in the coming months.

here’s a world of difference between a gadget and a gimmick. Both attract attention, but a gimmick is more of a ruse — it grabs your attention (and maybe your wallet) but proves to be of little real value. Gadgets, on the other hand, tend to be inventions with a purpose, designed to help make something you do either quicker, faster or easier. There is an abundance of both in the RV industry — but here are three products that definitely fit within the “gadget” parameters. We tried each of them out and found each enhanced a certain aspect of the RV lifestyle.

Hatchlift Products, a Colorado-based company which specializes in high-quality struts for compartment doors and mattress platforms, has developed a gizmo called the Stake Hand that lends a helping “hand” when climbing into and out of the pickup bed. It’s simplicity personified — and is one of those “why didn’t I think of that” products.

ll RVs have an entry door or two and exterior storage compartments, which means there must be mechanisms to keep them closed securely and locked to prevent unwanted visitations. While this may seem like an over-simplification, not so fast: There are a number of considerations when it comes to locking up an RV. Beyond the painful experience when a lockset fails, the RV industry’s use of certain hardware that helps dealers control key inventory and keep manufacturing costs down has created a situation that owners may not be aware of.

There are two locking features for just about all entry doors: one that locks the handle and the other that engages a deadbolt for maximum security. However, many of these handle locks are stamped with an “M” — which means dealer personnel (and others) can use a master key to open them. At first blush, this seems like a sound idea; it allows dealership employees to quickly open and close inventory for potential buyers without handling separate keys for each model. Unfortunately, master keys aren’t all that difficult to obtain. Literally thousands of sales and service departments have them — heck, so do most transport companies, for that matter. They are really a necessity for many people to get their jobs done. That said, their prevalence is just one more reason why owners should always use the deadbolt along with the handle lock when securing their RVs; master keys — which also are compatible with some aftermarket door locks — will not open the deadbolt portion of the lockset.

And then, of course, there is the infamous CH751. Overwhelmingly, the RV industry supplies locks that use the same key, CH751, to “lock” baggage doors. However, they have been around for 50 years, and just about everyone has one. If you want your baggage door lock to offer more protection than simply preventing things from falling out, these definitely need to be upgraded.

he first thing someone asks when you tell them you’ve been in an accident is, “Are you okay?” The second is usually, “Were there any witnesses?”

In today’s litigious society, that’s an important detail. If no one saw what happened (or at least no one who will come forward) it’s your word against theirs. Certainly, there are still some honest people out there who recognize an accident as just that — but there are others who see property damage as an opportunity to dig deep into your pockets and those of your insurance company.

hen it comes to buying a brick-and-mortar home, realtors know that the mantra is “location, location, location.” In the RV arena, salespeople are well aware that it’s changed — to “floorplan, floorplan, floorplan.” Granted, the RV still needs to fit a budget, but it first needs to fit a buyer’s lifestyle — and budgets have been known to “grow” in order to accommodate that “perfect” floorplan.

Finding it, however, sometimes takes a few tries. What looks good at first may prove to be unworkable after a being on the road for a while. But unlike moving furniture around in a stationary residence to change the layout, RV owners who get tired of the floorplan have fewer options. Most, in fact, ultimately trade their RVs for one that offers a more suitable floorplan for their changing lifestyle — which can be very expensive when depreciation enters the picture.

A good alternative — and one that has gained a lot of traction lately in the RV world — is to remodel, taking advantage of new furniture and entertainment/convenience options.

f you drive, the chances are good that at some time in your travels, you’ve experienced a flat tire. It’s scary at first, but soon your mind catches up to what’s happening and you pull over. From here, you probably called roadside assistance or mounted the spare yourself. With a flat on your travel trailer or fifth wheel, it’s a different story. Roadside assistance isn’t always available for an RV and changing a trailer tire isn’t as simple as whipping out a jack, lifting the trailer and putting on a spare.

Honestly, it’s surprising that the practice of properly changing a tire isn’t better known — the procedure isn’t in the owner’s manual, and we’d be willing to bet that the dealership you purchased the RV from didn’t show you (or tell you) how to do it. But changing a tire on a trailer safely and without causing any damage isn’t difficult — you just have to know the correct procedure and have the right tools at your disposal.

The first thing that you should consider a must-have is a Camco Trailer Aid PLUS, a lightweight, super strong polymer ramp designed specifically for changing a tire on a tandem-axle trailer. On a triple-axle trailer, a single Trailer Aid PLUS ramp can still be used, then a trolley jack can be employed to lift the axle with the flat just enough to remove the wheel. Single axle trailers are commonly small and light, so on these, you can use a screw or bottle jack and some wood blocks on the frame (as close to the center as possible) to lift the wheel off the ground. In any case, You’ll also need a lug-nut wrench, correctly-sized thin-wall socket (a regular or impact socket won’t fit inside the recesses of aluminum trailer wheels) and a torque wrench.

o discussion of RV suppliers is ever complete without heavy mention of Lippert. From axles and coatings to electronics, furniture and mattresses, glass, lamination, metal fabrication, plastic molding and power and motion systems, Lippert has a hand in an amazing number of supply channels feeding the RV industry. Most RVers, in fact, are unaware of the depth of Lippert’s involvement. That HappiJac bed lift in your toy hauler? That CURT fifth-wheel hitch? The Thomas Payne furniture you sit on? These — and more than two dozen others — are all Lippert companies.

But while acquisitions have contributed greatly to Lippert’s growth, much of the company’s success is fueled by its continual dedication to product development.

“We’re really focused on turbocharging our innovation as a company,” said Andy Murray, chief sales officer for Lippert. “We’re looking for areas that may have been stagnant and trying to find ways that we can bring value, innovate and change the game in some of those areas.”

Driving Deep into History

he Llano Estacado is a vast, dry plains area located in the southwestern United States, covering parts of eastern New Mexico and the panhandle of northwest Texas. The area is often described as being made up of “baked nothingness” — but within these arid plains, visitors will find a giant gap in the ground and soon discover this little-known canyon is the second-largest canyon in the United States. Palo Duro Canyon shares many similarities with the Grand Canyon, but has far less distinction — and, hence, crowds of people — than Arizona’s popular landmark, making it well worth a side excursion for anyone wanting to view the power and beauty of nature. Carved through millions of years of erosion, these canyons have similar geological features, including multi-colored layers of rock and steep mesa walls.

Palo Duro Canyon was shaped by the Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River that winds through west Texas and suddenly runs off the Caprock Escarpment; the river carving its way through the southern high plains of the panhandle created Palo Duro Canyon. Today, the canyon measures approximately 120 miles in length and up to 20 miles in width with an average depth of 820 feet; in some spots, the canyon measures as much as 1,000 feet deep. The canyon also has many notable features including caves and “hoodoos,” oddly shaped stone pillars formed by erosion. (Bryce Canyon National Park, in southern Utah, is said to be home to the largest number of hoodoos.)