On Thursday, March 21, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed into law RV-specific franchise legislation (WI AB 230), which governs the manufacturer-dealer relationship for towable RVs. The bill goes into effect on Oct. 1.
This legislation, similar to the bill recently passed in Washington state, creates a system that better reflects the relationship between RV manufacturers and dealers, and is the product of negotiation between the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and the Wisconsin RV Dealers Alliance, both of whom strongly supported its approval. Passage of the bill was possible thanks to the leadership by Representative Scott Krug and Senator Patrick Testin, RVIA said.
“Passage of this legislation will strengthen the viability of the towable RV industry in Wisconsin to the state’s benefit and that of consumers, manufacturers, and dealers alike,” said RV Industry Association Director of State Government Affairs Michael Ochs during his testimony on the bill. “Consumers will benefit from this better relationship between RV manufacturers and dealers since the legislation will improve cooperation between the two on warranty matters, pre-delivery inspection, and other issues. Consumers will also benefit from a more stable environment, knowing that the dealer who sold them an RV will continue carrying those brands.”
“It’s a great day for the industry to finally have protection for towable RVs in the state of Wisconsin,” said Mick Ferkey, the owner of Greeneway RV, a dealership located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. “I thank the RV Industry Association for working together with the dealers here to get this legislation across the line.”
Over the years, the RV industry has worked to establish exemptions from parts of the automobile franchise law in many states because many provisions do not pertain to the RV industry or are handled differently by RV manufacturers and dealers than by the automobile industry, RVIA said. As an extension of these efforts, RVIA advocated for an RV-specific franchise law to place the manufacturer-dealer relationship for towable RVs in a separate chapter of law, creating more clarity for RV business and consumers.
