Enthusiastic crowds gathered this morning for two well-attended events — the RV Women’s Alliance’s annual breakfast at the RV/MH Hall of Fame, and THOR’s kickoff breakfast next door at the Peter B. Orthwein Pavilion.
THOR President and CEO Bob Martin spoke to a packed audience of dealers and employees about the THOR “credo” he recently came upon which detailed the company’s dedication to its customers. He said this sentiment is at the core of the company’s business and what everyone at THOR must work to uphold.
“This is a relationship industry,” Martin emphasized.
Peter B. Orthwein shared a few words as well Tuesday morning, the second day of Open House in Elkhart, Indiana, noting he is optimistic about the year ahead.
“I think we’re going to have a really good spring,” Orthwein said.
The energy was upbeat at the RVWA breakfast as well, with an empowering talk given by Dr. Rachel Lindvall, senior inclusion business partner at Winnebago Industries. Lindvall said we can’t think of success with a scarcity mindset — we need to flip the script, she said, and cheer on one another. Doing so will set an example for others in the industry and promote lifting each other up, rather than seeing each other as competition.
“It’s great to be here with all of these women and the supportive men who showed up as well,” Lindvall said.
Tracy Anglemeyer, RVWA chair-elect, reported on the organization’s successful launch of the RVWA Charitable Foundation, which was formed to provide educational programs, scholarships, mentorships and leadership development. She touted the foundation’s recent RV tech classes for women only as well as its Ready, Hitch, Tow, Camp, which helps any RVWA member learn how to load, hitch, tow and set up their camper.
The breakfast closed with a networking session that allowed attendees to share something they were proud to accomplish during the last year.
After the morning events, the dealers took off to see the latest models and offerings for 2026. Traffic was busy at Jayco, Keystone and other THOR brands, along with the Independents lining Executive Parkway up to the RV/MH Hall of Fame.
The Independents reported a steady stream of visitors on Monday and were gearing up for an equally busy Tuesday. Representatives at Soaring Eagle said they were pleased with the response from attendees on Monday, citing a recent “truck camper Renaissance” for the reignited interest in that RV segment. Bontrager Outdoors was excited to share a new family-friendly, 21-foot model with a rear deck; representatives also noted an increase in interest among OEMs in the overlanding and off-grid market. At Modern Buggy, the new Wedge and Hopper models were seeing a lot of positive feedback from attendees. The prototype Wedge plans to go into production this fall; the Hopper line currently has two floorplans, with plans for two more to come.
