Kropf Industries
Park model specialist Kropf Industries introduced the Eldorado Series in 2023 and the Canvas Series in 2024. With four different product lines, the company focused this year on new floorplans, finishes and mechanicals.
“Kropf is excited to introduce two significantly new floorplans at Open House,” says Brian Wogoman, director of product development. “The Island Series 6430 features an expansive kitchen and living space that flows well to the outdoors with a 120-square-foot porch addition. The Eldorado 9081 showcases added privacy when nature calls. The large, divided bathroom leaves ample room for a double vanity, 60-inch tile shower, laundry and a separate commode. At this year’s Open House, we are going to showcase the range of what can be done with 399 square feet.”
Through a partnership with Etchwood and a local furniture manufacturer, Kropf says it upgraded its selection on all interior wood products: feature walls, center beams, mantels, stair treads and furniture.
Building on results this year, Kropf says it is expanding high-end finish options on the interior and exterior of each unit.
“Introductions for the 2025 model year have run the gamut from solar power to thermal protection; from new water distribution manifolds to soft-close toilet seats; from new finishes to new floorplans,” says Kropf Designer Liz Wogoman. “In 2024, the Eldorado and Island Series made up nearly 80% of Kropf’s business. Seeing the lion’s share of business going to our two highest lines reaffirms that campers choose a Kropf for high-end, residential, home-away-from-home luxuries.”
Kropf will display its park models at its facility at 58647 state Route 15 in Goshen, Indiana 46528.
Leisure Travel Vans
Triple E RV, Leisure Travel Vans’ parent company, turns 60 in 2025. It’s celebrating with three new vans with a host of upgrades, both standard and optional: the Unity MBC, Wonder MBC and Wonder RL Vans.
The biggest standard upgrade is to the interior of the Unity model, which is built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 cab chassis.
The brand-new Unity FX Leisure Lounge includes upgraded dual reclining chairs, an updated dinette table system and a large, full-time landscape window, which lets in natural light in both day and night modes. The reclining chairs offer longer power footrests and better head support. There’s even a built-in wireless phone charger on the side of each chair.
A quick relocation of the backrest pillows allows you to face each other over the table between the chairs for meals. And a nearly king-size (65-inch-by-74-inch) Murphy bed with built-in, adjustable headrests pulls down over the whole area, easily changing it into a comfortable sleeping area.
The whole ensemble is available as an upgrade on the Wonder models, which come standard with a dining area that seats four on bench seats with underseat storage and converts into two single or two twin beds or, with the addition of a few cushions, one nearly king-size (65-inch-by-74-inch) bed.
Bringing in a new standard battery and storing it in a different location gives both models integrated shoe storage under the stepwell. While the company calls it “shoe storage,” other items can be stored there instead.
The Unity also includes a spacious “residential-style” lavatory with a 34-inch-by-34-inch corner shower with a curved glass door, a Corian inset with integrated storage, LED accent lighting and a skylight.
Wonder models now have integrated duct heating and air conditioning, which offers better temperature control.
Both Unity and Wonder vans have lots of new electrical enhancements, most of them standard.
The 270-amp-hour smart lithium battery system has an internal heating system, which allows it to be charged at lower temperatures. It also has state-of-charge functionality, making it easy to see the battery’s charge percentage at any time.
The 3,000-watt inverter with 150-amp charger is a pure sine wave inverter/charger, providing power for AC components such as air conditioner, microwave, TV and more — including those in-seat wireless phone chargers. In fact, all interior and exterior electrical outlets are now inverted, and the inverter controls have been integrated into the newly redesigned touchscreen control panel.
The Inverted Truma Aventa Eco Air Conditioner with Soft-Start is ultraquiet, balances cooling and humidity, and can run on battery power, making off-grid, remote camping more comfortable.
The smart surge protector with transfer switch protects against sudden power surges or spikes, automatically transfers AC power sources when required and can be easily monitored from the touchscreen control panel.
The newly redesigned Touchscreen Multiplex Smart Control System allows for easy monitoring and controlling of everything in the van, not only turning things on and off but accessing the entire electrical system, from one intuitive 7-inch screen or the Firefly mobile app.
New electrical options include:
- 540-amp-hour 12-volt smart lithium battery system that, with the addition of a second 270-amp-hour smart lithium battery to the one that comes standard, boosts the overall capacity to 540-amp-hour, expanding opportunities for boondocking.
- Smart 30-A MPPT solar controller offering more efficient monitoring of the output of the optional 200-watt or 400-watt solar panels on the touchscreen control panel or a mobile app.
Riverside RV
Riverside RV General Manager Ehren Misner sees a “push to get back to normal” after the free-for-all that was COVID-19.
“A smaller company like Riverside was never really set up to run COVID numbers,” Misner says. “Riverside has the most success when orders are steady and the consumer has an opportunity to make an informed decision based on overall value for the trailer they are investing in.”
The Select floorplans, available in the Intrepid and Xplorer lines, offer a budget-friendly option for the growing demand they are seeing in the $15,000 to $20,000 retail segment. It features convenient, small floorplans, a vacuum-bonded fiberglass exterior and is competitively priced against currently popular metal-sided floorplans. Riverside has positioned these units to “make a significant impact this year.”
The new line has four new lightweight floorplans with small footprints that include all the amenities. The first model, the 136, is a 16-foot bunk with a full bed, bunk, dry bath and dinette. The lineup is still in development, so the floorplans being unveiled at Open House will be joined by several more, ranging from 12 feet to 22 feet, by the end of 2024.
“What will set the Select line apart is that it will be built with aluminum construction [and] vacuum bonded fiberglass, and remain priced to compete with the stick-and-tin lines,” Misner says.
New standard features coming online in 2025 include solar, a GE appliance package, larger sinks and improved storage space.
As for what’s hot so far in 2024, Misner says, “Lightweight and small trailers are hot, and it just so happens that is the majority of our lineup. We are working hard to capitalize on this trend and offer some value floorplans in the Intrepid and Xplorer lines to help boost sales. The Retro is its own beast, so we will have to continue to stay up to date on color combinations, new trends and different ways to stand out.
“What we will be accomplishing this year is going back to our roots and building a solid trailer that a dealer can stand behind,” Misner says. “Our intention is to make the buying process easier by taking away the confusion at the dealership. When the customer sits down with the sales staff, we want the salesperson to know and understand the differences between brands to be able to match up with customer needs.”
These changes range across all models:
- The Retro, its flagship model, will feature a mix of smaller, lightweight floorplans alongside a few larger, no-slide floorplans and an aluminum structure designed to offer what experienced campers want in a high-quality smaller unit.
- The Intrepid caters to customers seeking entry-level, laminated products ranging from 16 feet to 32 feet. Some adjustments are being made in what comes standard and the available options in order to address the competitive price points in this segment.
- The Xplorer line gets new smaller, lightweight floorplans that can be easily towed through woods, beaches and wilderness, as well as gas refrigerators, standard solar panels and an extra lift.
- Riverside Products is also getting a mini-makeover, including enhancements such as larger sinks, improved bathrooms, more efficient storage and adjustments to standards and options aimed at providing better value for the end consumer.
This year’s Elkhart Open House is also an opportunity for Riverside to reveal how it has separated its lines “to highlight the strengths of each, emphasizing what customers seek when shopping for each brand.”
See Riverside at the RV/MH Hall of Fame campus, near the entrance to the THOR parking area.