The following is a report from the Wilmington Biz.
Longtime Wilmington RV dealer Rex & Sons RV marked the opening of its new Castle Hayne dealership and service center this weekend.
The family-owned and operated business moved from its former location on South College Road to a new, larger facility in Castle Hayne last August. An opening event for the new dealership took place Saturday.
Operations manager Travis Creech said the new 17,000-square-foot facility at 5625 Barbados Blvd. has allowed Rex & Sons RV to grow its offerings across the board.
“We were able to expand in all the areas, not just sales, new and used, but also in service and in parts,” Creech said.
The new facility is more than double the size of the former 8,000-square-foot dealership, which was located on just over an acre of land at 1546 S. College Road. The new Castle Hayne facility sits on 7 acres. Creech said the additional space has allowed the dealership to operate more efficiently.
Rex & Sons RV was founded in 1997 by Travis’ dad, Rex, and operated at the South College Road location for 18 years. Travis Creech said they identified the property, located just off Interstate 40, for the new facility in 2020. Property records show that Rex and Peggy Creech purchased the site in June 2023 for $852,000. Rex & Sons RV employs 15 people. Travis’ brother serves as the dealership’s general manager.
“My dad, Rex, and my brother, Jonathan, and myself, it’s kind of been a lifelong dream to have a professional, efficient RV dealership ever since we’ve been in the industry,” Creech said.
Last year, Cape Fear Custom RV Service joined Rex & Sons RV, expanding its service offerings. The new Castle Hayne facility has eight service bays along with an indoor showroom and a parts and accessories area. The expanded building also gives them the space to hold seminars for RV enthusiasts and community events, Creech said.
Service has become a focus for the business as RV sales have slowed, Creech said. The RV industry saw a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic as people turned to RVs as a safe, socially-distanced way to travel and live.
“Following the pandemic, sales slowed down, of course, because they were booming during the pandemic,” Creech said. “RVing was booming.”
Since the pandemic, the demographic of RV users has trended younger, said Creech, who serves as president of the N.C. RV Dealers Association and sits on the board of directors for the National RV Dealers Association. The industry, previously dominated by those over 55, is now shifting in popularity to those in their 30s and 40s.
Travis Creech said he expects ongoing tariff threats and other economic trends to affect parts of the RV industry in the coming months, but he expects any potential cost increases to level out with time. He’s optimistic about the future of the industry.
“The RV industry is very resilient,” he said. “It’s always been that way. It was like that in the recession, and it remains strong today.”
