How Bowling RV Builds Dealership Success

While known around town as Bowling RV, this dealership’s full name is actually Bowling Motors and RV Sales Inc., a nod to its origin of selling cars. Randy Bowling, the owner of the family business for going on 36 years, explains that when his father started the 66-year-old company, he sold only cars and the business went by the name Bowling Motors.

When the company shifted to selling autos and RVs, Bowling’s mother, Betty Bowling, changed the business’ name to Bowling Motors and RV Sales Inc. Even though the Ottumwa, Iowa, company no longer sells cars, it still uses this name, though many folks shorten the title to Bowling RV.

Whether someone calls the company Bowling RV or Bowling Motors and RV Sales Inc. really doesn’t matter. What matters, he says, is how the community of nearly 26,000 sees them.

“We want to be known as a company that takes care of its customers,” he says. “That’s how we will keep growing.”

The Foundation: The Dealership’s Employees

How well a business takes care of the community starts with how well it takes care of its employees, Bowling says.

“We consider our employees part of our family,” he says. “We try to make it fun for them to work here.”

To that end, Bowling RV often serves breakfast in the service drive or gives out gift cards. “One Christmas, we had all our employees play bingo and gave out money, prizes and gift cards,” he says.

Treating employees well leads to longevity, which in turn, he says, leads to excellent customer service. Bowling RV is a family business where his mother and his sons, Jake and Adam, work.

The dealership’s longest tenured employee has been with the company for 38 years. “His son works for us now and has been with us almost five years,” Bowling says. “At one time, we had three sets of fathers and sons working for us. Those dads wouldn’t allow their kids to work here if it weren’t a great place to work.”

Most employees see their job as a career, “not a building block for a résumé,” he adds. “People know they have a good job, with excellent pay and benefits. And they know that they will be cared for and appreciated.”

Connecting With the Community

This spirit of fun extends to the local community as well. Bowling RV no longer attends large RV shows, choosing instead to host local events and invite the community.

“We decided to take the money and spend it locally, using it to have a fun day with giveaways,” he says. “Our events are all free.”

Bowling RV designs each event to be festive and family friendly. One of its standout events, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Sale, is a lively celebration featuring Irish stew, door prizes and an electric bicycle giveaway. “The staff dresses up in bow ties, green vests and black pants,” Bowling shares. “We make it festive, and we make it fun.”

The festivities don’t stop there. In May, the dealership hosts the annual Western BBQ Sale, complete with pulled pork and cowboy hats — a throwback to the Wild West that’s as much about food and fun as it is about RVs.

Bowling says these events are a hit with the local community and offer an alternative to the RV shows that dominate the industry.

“People pay, pay, pay to go to an RV show,” Bowling says. “When they come here, it’s all fun, it’s all free, and instead of seeing eight RVs, they can see 150.”

The refreshing shift, he says, has not only brought in new customers but built lasting relationships within the community.

So, what’s the secret to the success of these local events? Bowling says it’s all about value — both for the community and for the dealership.

“We give the people who show up something for free,” he explains. “That could be food, door prizes or other giveaways. It’s about giving them something of value for their time because their time and our time are important.”

Marketing also plays a crucial role in spreading the word. Bowling RV makes sure each message highlights key reasons for people to come out: competitive prices, an extensive inventory and a family-owned legacy that’s been serving the community for over 66 years.

Bowling RV recently partnered with Stealth to handle its digital marketing needs.

“They do just about everything for you,” he says, “from Google [Ads] to maintaining an online presence. We also rely on direct mail, marketplace listings and targeted RV ads to get the word out.”

Deliver More Than an RV

Bowling RV includes an informative RV walkthrough free with every purchase. These walkthroughs can take just a few hours for a small travel trailer all the way to a half day for a 40-foot diesel pusher.

“Other dealerships charge nearly $1,000 for walkthroughs,” Bowling says. “But when you buy from us, you’re not just getting an RV. You’re getting an experience.”

Bowling RV strives to make customers feel like family from the moment they step through the door, giving each one a personal lanyard with their name on it when they walk in to pick up their RV.

“The lanyard alerts our staff that they’re picking up a new camper,” Bowling explains. “Everyone is trained to address them by name and congratulate them.”

And it’s not just a one-time interaction. The lanyard stays with customers for future visits, so they can always be greeted like VIPs.

The special touches don’t stop there. As customers tour the dealership, their name flashes across the service drive TV, congratulating them on their purchase. And of course, they get the red-carpet treatment with pictures taken to commemorate the moment.

The inspiration for this warm welcome came from Bowling’s own experience of buying a new car.

“They gave me white-glove service,” he says. “I felt respected and appreciated. They had a billboard that recognized me and made me feel special. I wanted to do the same for our customers because they are important to us.”

Every employee is trained to treat the customer the way they themselves would want to be treated, Bowling adds.

“I think that goes a long way in this world,” he says. “Don’t treat the customer like a customer. Treat them like a friend.”

A customer who is treated well will be a customer for life.

“Our customers come back again and again,” Bowling says. “We have customers that absolutely will not buy an RV anywhere else.”

“Brand” Design

Bowling RV’s journey in the RV world has been full of twists, turns and a few unexpected detours.

For example, back in the late 1980s when Randy Bowling took the reins, the RV market was tightening up. While the Winnebagos the dealership sold were great, Bowling says he knew buyers needed a more wallet-friendly option as well.

Bowling landed on Terry Travel Trailers, the two-toned, canned-ham travel trailers introduced by Terry Coach Industries in the 1950s and acquired by Fleetwood in 1964. These trailers were affordable, practical and exactly what Bowling RV’s customers needed.

“By 1999, we were the No. 1 Terry dealer in the Midwest,” he says. “We grew by leaps and bounds because these were RVs people could actually afford.”

But by the early 2000s, the dealership shifted gears to Keystone RV, a brand they’d started selling in 1999.

“In fact, I bought the first-ever Montana fifth wheel,” Bowling recalls with a grin. “It was a prototype.”

Bowling RV quickly became the largest Montana dealer in the Midwest, selling 55 Montana fifth wheels in 2021 alone.

Then Bowling RV took on Grand Design products in 2023 and still sells the entire product line today, along with the Heritage Glen line from Wildwood RVs and Vibe Travel Trailers from Forest River.

“We also sell Encore Class A motorhomes and Forester Class C motorhomes,” he says. “I buy a lot of used motorhomes through the year, and we sell about a 100 a year.”

A recent possible acquisition by Camping World in 2022 hit a major speed bump. With the deal nearly finalized, Camping World backed out at the last minute, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”

“For a year or two people thought they were coming to Camping World, which caused more than a few stumbling blocks,” he says.

The FEMA contracts that Bowling RV had carried them through these tough times, he says.

“To date, we’ve done three major FEMA contracts, and we just signed a contract to provide campers to FEMA for another five years,” he says.

Keeping Up With the Times

Bowling RV built its current facility in 2000 but has added on to it six times. The company added a 54-bay indoor storage facility and a 66-foot-by-100-foot parts warehouse, and fenced in and paved all 7 acres of outdoor RV storage.

“We just added three more service bays, which puts us at a total of 13 service bays,” he says. “We must be doing something right because we are always busy. We’ve got good service advisers and service managers.”

In 2024, Bowling RV sold 500 RVs. “But my service department talked to 3,200 customers,” he adds.

Bowling RV has added RV Pro Check to streamline service check-ins and processes.

“We have great service techs, but we need to keep up with technology,” Bowling says.

Tech advances have also included getting the business and employees ready for online sales. “Besides the tools, everyone needed to be trained, especially for phone calls,” he says. “We think it’s a simple thing because we talk on the phone all the time, but it’s not. It takes more savvy to get people excited about a product when they are 1,100 miles away.”

The dealership also set up a Business Development Center that is staffed by an employee whose sole job is to take all preliminary leads, talk to the customer and set up in-person visits with a salesperson.

“We are trying to change the way we do business to make it more effective,” he says.

Bowling RV provides a Warranty Forever agreement with every new and up to two-year-old used RV. With this agreement, if the customer brings in their RV for an inspection annually, the RV has a warranty for the lifetime that they own that RV.

“The lifetime warranty really sets us apart,” he says. “We see that customer every year and can address everything the RV needs at that time.”

Developing a Community

Bowling RV might not be part of a 20 Group — a network where RV dealers share tips and strategies — but that hasn’t stopped them from building their own network of industry friends.

“Don’t get me wrong. Twenty Groups are great,” Bowling says. “But you really have to open up your life to a 20 Group. A lot of dealers love them. We just have never done it. After 36 years in the business, I have a great dealer network if I need something.”

While Bowling RV forges its own path, the dealership is an active member of the RV Dealers Association (RVDA) and attends its national convention every year. Bowling encourages fellow RV dealers to do the same, citing the value of connecting with like-minded industry professionals.

Whether it’s expanding their facilities, embracing modern technology or offering unbeatable warranties, Bowling RV is committed to staying at the top of its game. With a passion for service, a keen sense of community and a sharp eye on the future, it’s no wonder Bowling RV continues to thrive — one RV at a time.