WASHINGTON, D.C. – Industry professionals attending the RV Industry Association’s RVs Move America Week (formerly known as Committee Week and Advocacy Days) had a lot to celebrate as they gathered in the nation’s capital in early June.
The release of the 2019 RVs Move America Economic Impact Study – which revealed that the RV industry has an overall economic impact on the U.S. economy of $114 billion, supporting nearly 600,000 jobs and contributing more than $32 billion wages and $12 billion in combined federal, state and local taxes – proved to be a powerful lobbying point when more than 150 members of the RV industry descended upon Capitol Hill, where they had 167 meetings with members of Congress and their staffs, plus five federal government agencies. The number of industry participants was roughly equivalent to last year, and included 38 first-time participants, according to RVIA officials.
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RV industry members lobbied their congressional representatives to support the Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act to ensure that towable RVs are once again included in floorplan interest financing deductibility. (The measure is meant to fix a mistake made when Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.)
Additionally, attendees lobbied their senators and congressional members to support the Restore Our Parks and Restore Our Public Lands Acts, allocating funds for federal campground modernization and expansion and outdoor recreation infrastructure, which includes allocating money to repair roads and bridges. Additionally, industry members voiced their concerns about the negative impact of trade tariffs upon their respective businesses and warned about the harmful impact of any new tariffs.
“RVs Move America Week is a signature event for the RV industry and has grown to become a vital part of achieving our strategic objectives on Capitol Hill,” RVIA Interim President Craig Kirby told attendees during the Chairman’s Reception dinner. “We use this week to amplify our voice in Washington, D.C., and examine the results and success staff and members have had in delivering on the association’s mission to promote and protect the RV industry. We rely on the experience and participation from our members to prioritize the strategic direction of the industry as we continue to grow as an industry.”
According to RVIA, visits by members resulted in a number of subsequent successes, including: 21 new co-sponsors for the Restore Our Parks and Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Acts; three new additions to the House and Senate RV Caucuses (one senator, two members of Congress), meetings with 31 new freshmen members of Congress, some of whom signed on to co-sponsor legislation the RV industry supported; and the subsequent introduction of the Recreation Not Red Tape Act, which RVIA officials believe will remove barriers that limit access to outdoor recreation.
As in past years, several lawmakers attended RV Caucus events, including Indiana U.S. Sens. Mike Braun and Todd Young, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama and U.S. Reps. Jackie Walorski, Greg Pence and Larry Buschon, all representing Indiana congressional districts.
RVIA President Offers Parting Thoughts
In a short, exclusive interview with RV PRO, departing RVIA President Frank Hugelmeyer offered some thoughts on his four years at the helm of the association.
Hugelmeyer said he’s most proud of unleashing RVIA staff members’ potential to accomplish objectives by giving them greater autonomy in their jobs. He also cited the launch of the RV Technical Institute to provide updated training for RV techs and the revamped RVX: The RV Experience trade show as “game changers” that will “pay dividends for years to come, provided they receive continued RVIA and industry support.
Additionally, Hugelmeyer touted the launch of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), a group comprised of RVIA, the RV Dealers Association and other outdoor groups, which he credited with helping raise the profile of the outdoor recreation industry. He specifically noted the ORR’s work to get the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis to peg the economic impact of the outdoor industry at $30 billion, representing about 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Awards & Recognition Bestowed
Also during the week, RVIA bestowed a number of awards upon individuals, companies and organizations for their contributions to the advancement of the RV industry. These included:
- U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R.-Ind., received the National Legislative Award from Forest River’s Don Gunden during the RV Caucus breakfast on June 5. Walorski, who co-founded and currently chairs the House RV Caucus, has championed numerous RV-related endeavors on Capitol Hill, including dealer floorplan fix legislation. “Don’t try to go into Jackie’s office with talking points. She’ll stop you cold, because she knows more about the RV industry than we do,” Gunden said half-jokingly.
- Newmar President Matt Miller received the Distinguished Achievement in RV Standards Award from Enyart during the RVIA Chairman’s Dinner on June 4. Miller has served as chairman of the Standards Steering Committee and has been actively engaged with RVIA’s standards programs for many years, Enyart said.
- Lance Wilson, executive director of the Florida RV Trade Association, received the National Education Service Award from Enyart during the RVIA Chairman’s Dinner. “Throughout his distinguished career at FRVTA, Lance has been a tireless champion and advocate for industry training and education, both at the national level and certainly in his home state,” Enyart said. “He has talked the talk and walked the walk by always making the advancement, education and certification of RV service technicians a top priority.
- Winnebago Director of Marketing Chad Reece received a tongue-in-cheek “gift” in the form of big red boots from RVIA staff. The boots bore a striking resemblance to the ones worn by the Ellen DeGeneres Show’s correspondent Kalen Allen, whom Reece carried out of a mud bog after Allen got a Winnebago Class B Revel stuck in the mud during a test drive during RVIA’s RVX show in Salt Lake City. The event was captured by a TV crew and aired on the Ellen DeGeneres Show as part of the show’s coverage of RVX.
