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Open House 2025: ATC, Encore & Nexus

  • RV PRO Staff

    • Aluminum Trailer Company (ATC)

    ATC is celebrating its 25th anniversary in conjunction with Open House Week this year.

    The company will have all its products on display, including RVs and trailers, and will be celebrating with exclusive dealer events, a public open house and employee events.

    ATC is launching its Plā 550 and Plā 750 toy haulers, along with six new floorplans: 2412, 3215, 3218, 3618, 4019 and 4419.

    Standard features making their debuts for 2025 include:

    New options for 2025 include:

    ATC says it is working on integrating a softer, more residential feel to its models. It also will maintain its 10-year warranty and is offering improved insulation values for better temperature regulation.

    “Our decor overhaul has added warmth to the interiors that we think will catch everyone’s eye,” the company says. Its addition of new 32-foot models opens a new market. The 3218 replaces the value of the 2917 with a roomier bed, bath and kitchen. The new models can still be hauled by a full-size car or Jeep.

    In 2024, ATC says its most successful models included the Plā 450 midsize toy haulers, touting half-ton towability.

    “We’ve always been experts in ensuring toys can fit into our units. Now that we’ve mastered that, we are working on integrating the residential, homey feel,” ATC says.

    In addition, the company’s 4319 fifth wheel has been popular among families due to its kitchen and living layout, and the 2816 is a perennial bestseller, the company says.

    ATC is inviting dealers and prospective dealers to its facility on 5225 E. Market St. in Nappanee, Indiana 46550, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and Wednesday, Sept. 25. It will also be open to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 25. ATC will be offering product walkthroughs and plant tours.

    Encore RV

    “We are excited to introduce our new brand REVUE at the 2024 Elkhart Open House. REVUE is a unique addition to Encore RV, featuring an all-aluminum chassis and a fully composite body, including the walls, floor and roof,” says Rich Schnippel, founder of Encore RV. “Like other Encore products, REVUE is 100% wood-free, eliminating the potential for rot, mold or mildew. This wood-free approach extends throughout the trailer, including the all-aluminum cabinetry, which is lightweight and extremely durable.”

    For REVUE, Schnippel explains the goal was to create a “competitively priced, wood-free travel trailer” and one that would be both lightweight and free from common issues found in builds using wood and steel. REVUE will eventually be available in a series of floorplans but will debut with three: the 16RB, 16BH and 20BH. REVUE models will also be backed by Encore RV’s two-year, bumper-to-hitch warranty and five-year structural warranty — both transferable to subsequent owners.

    Encore VENŪ 10RKS. Images courtesy of Encore.

    Due to a fire last November that damaged Encore’s original facility, the VENŪ line was delayed in introducing new models. “However, VENŪ will now add the 10RKS, 17TB and 17QB models to its lineup,” Schnippel says.

    “Our RŎG lineup will include a new rooftop tent overland-style trailer that is small, lightweight and easy to tow. If time permits, we also plan to introduce an updated version of our 20TH toy hauler, incorporating a wet bath into the floorplan.”

    All product lines at Encore RV will receive a TST tire pressure monitoring system as a new standard feature for 2025, and for new options, the company is evaluating several suppliers to potentially provide upgraded 12-volt systems.

    “As more of our customers travel off-grid for extended periods, a more robust 12-volt system will significantly enhance their camping experience,” Schnippel says. “We are continually working on new features and options for our products.”

    According to Schnippel, what stands out most for Encore this year is its upcoming REVUE travel trailer, which the company has spent the past year developing using nontraditional approaches to its construction.

    “Our innovative production process simplifies manufacturing and reduces both labor and material costs,” Schnippel says. “We are excited about the potential of this product line and the new opportunities it creates for Encore RV.”

    Encore has found success with its RŎG lineup this year, particularly with two new models they introduced at last year’s Open House that included onboard bathrooms, something Schnippel says both dealers and retail buyers asked for. The 14RKB offers a rear wet bath and “quickly became one of our bestselling trailers.” The larger RŎG 16FB, a variation of Encore’s popular RŎG 16RB, also received an onboard wet bath.

    “The quick success of these two models inspired our direction for 2025,” Schnippel says. Two of the new VENŪ models will feature wet baths (17TB/17QB), and the new 10RKS, measuring 6 feet by 8 feet, offers ample room and storage despite its compact size and includes a hidden cassette toilet. The new REVUE will be Encore’s first RV design to feature dry baths.

    “The expansion of these new models is just the beginning of what we have in store,” Schnippel says.

    Encore VENŪ 17QB

    In terms of what new offerings will catch a dealer’s — or customer’s — eye, Schnippel says it’s “without question, the price point of the new REVUE product line.”

    “When dealers see the level of quality, fit and finish at this price point, they will be pleasantly impressed. They will be surprised when they discover the price point that we are building these 100% wood-free, all-aluminum chassis trailers,” Schnippel says. “We have created a cost-effective travel trailer using superior materials and a unique production process that allows Encore RV to compete with much larger RV manufacturers. The insights gained from developing REVUE will undoubtedly inspire future products for Encore RV.”

    Schnippel notes that some OEMs have been decontenting their RVs to combat slowing retail sales and to reduce manufacturing costs. However, he says that feedback from Encore dealers indicates this causes another problem: new lower-priced 2025 products, which buyers may find more appealing, are less expensive than the 2024 and 2023 RVs on their lots, which results in dealers selling that existing stock below acceptable margins.

    “Most of these decontented changes aren’t noticeable on the dealer’s lot,” Schnippel says, “making it difficult for sales staff to explain the differences between the more expensive 2024 models and the less expensive 2025 models.

    “Instead of decontenting our products in ways that are hard to explain,” he continues, Encore RV has “decided to pull some features from the base models of our RŎG Adventure Series and retain them in our premium Survival Series. The differences between a 2024 Adventure Series and a 2025 Adventure Series are much more noticeable and easier to explain to customers. This way, retail buyers can visibly see the extra features and value in the 2024 models.

    “By offering two different levels of features for each floorplan, we have provided a slightly larger cost spread between the base model Adventure Series and the premium Survival Series. This approach addresses the problem without requiring dealers to drop their margins below acceptable levels.”

    When asked about the RV market, Schnippel acknowledges it’s still a challenging year despite signs of recovery. “Retail buyers are hesitant to make big purchases right now, as inflation has tightened their spending on nondiscretionary items,” Schnippel says. “Interest rates remain higher than most buyers are comfortable paying, and many who purchased during COVID have found their trade-in values are far less than what they owe the banks. As a result, many are unable to upgrade to a new RV at this time. It will be a while before these loans are right-sided and owners can afford to make an upgrade.”

    “While we hoped for a quicker turnaround, it appears recovery will take longer than anticipated,” he adds. “Realistically, we believe things will start to improve toward the end of 2025 or early 2026. We are hopeful it will be sooner, but we are planning accordingly for a slower economic uptick.”

    The company is looking forward to this year’s Open House, which Schnippel says will be their “biggest and best showing.” As a small company, Schnippel notes that “it’s easy for us to call an audible and make changes quickly, so I’m sure there are some surprises we will have at the Open House that we haven’t discussed.”

    Encore RV will display on the south side of Executive Boulevard heading toward the RV/MH Hall of Fame.

    Nexus RV

    Nexus is seeing two new trends in purchasing: “couples looking to downsize from 40-foot units and fifth wheels, now that the kids have moved out” plus COVID-19 buyers trading to their second unit.

    Nexus 33F. Photos courtesy of Nexus RV.

    According to Gary Yeoman, Northeast sales manager for Nexus, “Statistical Surveys says the Class C market is dead.” That segment of the industry “has normalized, and dealers have their inventories in much better positions to make strategic moves. We are extremely excited to see how the market will start to grow in the second half of the year.” Yeoman says, right now, “We are actually pacing COVID 2021 retail sales with our dealers.”

    With a sales-are-going-up mindset, Nexus is introducing a number of new things at Open House for 2025.

    Six new floorplans for the Wraith, which rides on the Freightliner S2 chassis, feature larger showers, extended pantry space and more countertop surface. The selection includes four units under 35 feet.

    There’s a new brand coming out in the company’s Class C gas series. The Triumph Sport Series includes a new 22TS (bed slide) and a new 31TS (nonslide bed), and is intended as a “true price leader” in that segment.

    Their first-ever king bed floorplan in the 4×4 segment, the Rebel, sits on the Chevy 6500 chassis, offering a third option on the 34R with its 243 wheelbase. This unit comes washer/dryer prepped.

    Nexus 30F Bathroom

    There is a new floorplan in the Verrado line as well. The 33S plays off the 29V, 33F and 34DS options elsewhere in the lineup.

    In addition to new models and floorplans, there are some new standard features being unveiled, including larger showers, tilt-view king beds, extended pantries and more countertop space.

    Some of these new additions are intended to build on the successes of last year, including the introduction of the 35F and 37F on the S2 freightliner chassis. Yeoman says they were “instant hits.”

    “Nexus is the fastest retail growing OEM in the industry, up 50% in retail sales year to date,” Yeoman says. He attributes its success to “the peace of mind the retail customer gets when they purchase the top construction in the industry,” which includes things like high-strength, low-alloy steel cages and fiberglass roofs. He says they are the only Class C OEM using Azdel on five areas and enclosed galvanized steel bays heated with forced air.

    That’s why retail customers like them, but what do dealers like? Yeoman says, “Dealers are attracted to Nexus because of our ability to hit a price point that captures the largest segment of first-time buyers. We are also only 2% of Class C retail listings online; therefore our dealers hold higher margins, and our retail buyers hold higher resale value. Dealers also value us because of our independence. We keep the larger OEMs honest with pricing and value.”

    Looking toward Open House, Yeoman predicts that having the “best construction and features for the value,” and being “price aggressive with our Triumph Sport Series and diversity in our Super C floorplans,” will make Nexus stand out at a busy show.

    Nexus RV’s display will be at an indoor showroom at 3400 Reedy Drive, in Elkhart, Indiana.

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