On the cover, clockwise from the left:  Robert Grimmett,  Kat Grimmett,  Don Magary,  Carmel Holt,  Charles Cruise,  John Fallon  and Dan Holt.

Cover Story
The Internet is Booming for RV Industry Companies

When Don Magary relinquished the reigns of this magazine to me, he expressed the desire to put his full-time efforts into Web Site Management, an Internet company that was totally dedicated to the RV industry. The fast paced growth of the Internet spawned many new companies and dot.com ventures that simply evaporated into thin air when their bubble was pierced by reality. Some didn’t, and actually continued to grow. RV America Online was one of them. Magary and Holt combined their years of experience in the RV industry with a new found passion for computers and communications and built the best RV industry web site in cyberspace today. As we celebrate another great year for the RV industry in Louisville, I thought it might be different to interview them just as I would any other company. Here’s what’s out there behind the computer screen!

Salesmanship
Order taker or sales professional?

I was recently asked to accompany a supplier company on a few sales calls in Indiana to consult with them and evaluate the lack of activity from those who had previously represented this company to the RV manufacturing community. Frustration had built up with the manufacturer and the company that was supposed to be selling their products, but the results clearly showed they were either not showing the product, could not relate the benefits of the product to specific customer requirements, or were simply order takers just waiting for somebody to pick up the telephone and buy something. One thing was very clear, they were not sales professionals and they were not doing what they were getting paid to do.

Editorial
Are SUVs RVs?

Once again the industry leaders have taken up the question about conversion vans being recognized and counted as RVs, and once again have come back with an overwhelming affirmative vote that will continue to have them counted in the RVIA industry statistics. Our understanding is that there was only one negative vote when the roll call was taken. We would have been the second. How can we continue to count conversion vans as RVs and not count, and include in RVIA, park model statistics. Most SUVs today have many of the features that conversion vans offer, so should we now start counting SUVs and include them in the RVIA statistics also?

RV Industry Heritage
Don Boles

In 1943 Don Boles purchased a used 27’ trailer for his family to live in while stationed in Oklahoma. This led to the beginning of the Boles Aero high line travel trailers.