Trying to Navigate the Massive RV Industry Tariff Confusion
This week on the RV Podcast:
- What effect are tariffs having on the RV Industry? In our conversation of the week, we’ll hear straight talk from an industry straight-shooter about the massive RV industry tariff confusion
- With no warning, a Camping World outlet in Michigan has abruptly shut down, causing massive confusion to the blindsided employees and those whose RVs were awaiting service.
- When do you clean your RV? Before you leave the campground or after you arrive home? We’ll share some insight from 600 real RVers who answered the question on our social media platform.
- All this plus the RV News of the Week and your questions coming up in Episode 563 of the RV Podcast
You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player above.
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We are at the start of an awesome Fantasy RV Tour that will follow the Mississippi River Great River Road from its source in northern Minnesota down to where it empties in the Gulf south of New Orleans.
We did a Fantasy RV Tour last year of the Canadian Maritimes and were so impressed by the quality of these tours and how they cater to their guests that we couldn't wait to do another. This one will trace this mighty river's 2,500-mile route down across the center of the U.S., and we'll be experiencing the culture, the quisine and the awesomeness of this river which has so shaped the entire country,
We took our time getting up here in Minnesota, traveling across Michigan, up into the UP, then through Wisconsin and into Minnesota, and I have to say, the weather has been horrible.
As we record this podcast episode from our campsite in Bemidji, the sun is shining for the first time in many days. The first few days of this trip brought abnormally cold weather—temps dipping into the 40s—and plenty of rain. A year ago this week, it was 95 up here.
It was 40 degrees the day we recorded this podcast.
But now the skies have cleared, the sun is shining, the temps are up into the 60s, and as we set out south following the river, we should be finally rolling along in the warm, beautiful Indian summer weather we hoped for.
Why we traded in our RVs for a new Brinkley Fifth Wheel
This has been the Maiden Voyage of our brand-new Brinkley Model Z 3100 fifth wheel. It’s handled everything over the 700 miles we’ve traveled so far with not a single issue.
We know this probably caught some of you by surprise, seeing us in this new rig. It happened very fast. But we traded in our Montana Fifth Wheel, which we've had for going on 3 years, and that new Cape Cod motorhome we bought in late spring.
We explained the new RV to our RVCommunity.com last week, but we realize the switch caught some of you by surprise since you are not community members. In brief, we had no issues with either the Cape Cod or the Montana.
With the Cape Cod, it was a combination of factors, the most important being that Bo hated it. There wasn't room for him to sit between us as we drove, and he gets car sick riding where he can't see out the windows.
Additionally, the seatbelts we thought would be available for our lounge seats were unable to be installed until the Embassy performs pull tests and obtains certification. A big reason we bought it in the first place was to take the grandkids with us. We won't drive with them without seat belts.
We loved our Montana, but after touring the Brinkley factory last year, we knew that was the model we wanted. So to afford it, we sold the Cape Cod back to Embassy and traded in the Montana.
The Blessings of Community
Before we get to the news for this week, we need to share with you one of the greatest blessings we’ve had in our RV Life… and that is our new RV Community.
Life after 50 should be an adventure. You’re not slowing down—you’re just getting started.
The RV Lifestyle Community is where RVers over 50 come together to share experiences, trade tips, and live life on purpose. It’s a private, totally ad-free online community that also has really fun in-person rallies and meetups, all aimed at helping empty nesters and retirees find new adventures, real friends, and everything you need to make RV life fulfilling.
We have made so many new friends through this community. In fact, we’re camping right now with a bunch of them on this tour of the Mississippi River we’re taking all month. We’re not trying to “sell” you anything. We’re inviting you to become part of something truly amazing.
In the RV Lifestyle Community, you'll find RVers just like you. Life’s Best Chapter Starts at https://RVCommunity.com
Yes, it has a paywall. That’s to keep spammers and scammers out. Plans start for less than a cup of coffee a month. Some things—like true connection—are worth paying for. Check it out at least. Go to RVCommunity.com
RV NEWS OF THE WEEK
A camper who got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom was found dead after she mistakenly fell off a cliff in the dark. The 29-year-old woman was camping with her friends on the Mogollon Rim near Forest Lakes in Arizona Labor Day weekend. The woman somehow got turned around in the dark and fell 120 feet off the cliff, causing her death.
More than 97% of the employees at Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon national parks voted to unionize, with the results recently certified. The 600+ employees, who work as interpretive park rangers, biologists, firefighters and fee collectors, are now represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees. The parks service lost about 25% of its workforce this year and is facing a proposed $1 billion in additional cuts next year, changing the work environment, causing these employees to want representation.
Zion National Park's Weeping Rock Trail opened over the weekend after being closed since November 2023 because of a rock slide. The Weeping Rock Trail is one of the most iconic landmarks of the park, known for its lush hanging gardens and can be found at shuttle stop number 7.
Employees at Camping World in Escanaba, Michigan, were blindsided last week when they were told the dealership, service center, and retail store were closing immediately. Many expected good news from the unexpected arrival of a corporate representative after strong sales. Instead, many were told it was their last day. The location, once known as Hilltop RV, was locally owned until Camping World bought it four years ago.
Texans are getting a new state park! The governor announced last week that the state purchased 1,720 acres less than a mile from Garner State Park, one of the most popular sites in the state, to create the new Bear Creek State Park. The park will include access to Frio River, streams, canyons and hiking trails. No opening date is set yet and it is not clear yet if the Hill Country location will have a campground.
RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK
This week's conversation of the week is on Tariffs. They are sure causing a lot of confusion in politics, commerce, and manufacturing. And the RV Industry is in the thick of it.
The RV Industry Association – the RVIA – is as confused as everyone else. Continually changing policies from the administration, complicated by court rulings, has everybody scratching their heads.
Most recently, a federal appeals court has ruled that the majority of new tariffs are not legal, that the president overstepped his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs, a power that is reserved for Congress.
But… this ruling, does not mean the tariffs are being removed immediately. The court has allowed them to remain in effect until October 14, 2025, giving the administration time to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The ruling also does not affect other tariffs, such as those on steel and aluminum, which were imposed under different laws.
Then, there’s this: On Friday, the official end of the “de minimis” exemption took effect, which had previously allowed shipments valued at $800 or less to enter the country duty-free. The Trump administration has suspended this exemption, citing its use by criminals to smuggle drugs and by foreign companies to evade tariffs.
So what that means is that all commercial imports—regardless of value—are now subject to applicable duties and more rigorous customs checks.
See how complicated and confusing all this is?
So the question we have is, what does all this mean to RV owners and buyers? How is all this affecting pricing on RVs and RV parts?
To help us with answering these questions, we turned to our friend, Nick Schmidt, of Sunshine State RVs in Gainesville, FL. Nick is a very straight shooter, and he’s never shied away from telling us what’s really happening. So Nick joins us in this week‘s RV Conversation of the Week… listen or watch through one of the players above.
SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ – Wendy Bowyer
Wendy Bowyer reports on the hot issues most talked about this past week on social media and our RV Lifestyle Community group.
In our private RV Lifestyle Community we had a conversation not too long ago about all things s'mores. We discussed what are your favorite ways to make s'mores? S'mores, of course, are a camping favorite made by roasting a marshmallow over the campfire, and placing the crispy, gooey and yummy marshmallow on a piece of milk chocolate, sandwich-style between two graham crackers. Love them. But many had ways to make them even better.
Some suggest replacing the milk chocolate with a peanut butter cup, which sounds really good. Others suggest making it the same, but adding a dab of caramel and some thinly sliced Granny Smith apples. That one is very intriguing. And then perhaps my favorite idea came from our Canadian friends who said, swap out the graham crackers and milk chocolate with raspberry truffle butter cookies for “less mess, more yum”. So many great ideas!
Then, in our RVLifestyle Facebook Group, Kent asked:
More than 600 people responded and while some do a combination of both, others were very opinionated on what is best and this conversation was so much fun to read! Do you have a preference? Let's hear from those who do.
The pro-campground cleaners say their reasons are:
1. Comfort
It's so nice to still have running water both in and out of the camper, the air conditioning can run so it is not too hot, and you have full electricity.
2. No home option
Those who use a storage facility for their RV say there really is no choice because you need to drop it off and go.
3. Too tired
Some say the last thing they want to do after returning from a long trip is do a deep clean of the RV. Rather, they want to just grab a few bags of dirty clothes and some food from the fridge and be done. Said Donna: “Who wants to clean when you get home?”
Well, apparently some do! Those who prefer to wait until they are home to clean up the camper gave several reasons.
Pro home cleaners
1. Lack of space
Cleaning supplies can take a lot of precious room. Who wants to haul a pail, mop, big vacuum. Said Vanetta: “I just don’t want to drag all those supplies with me. I do keep Clorox wipes and things handy in the trailer but not a full on cleaning supply.”
2. Leaving is enough
When you are ending your trip, there is enough to do. Adding the pressure of a deep clean to the mix is just too much.
3. This is vacation
Many do not want to spend their vacation time doing deep cleans. Said Melissa: ” I can’t imagine giving up that much “camp” time to clean. … RV life should be easy, peasy Do your grunt work at home, on your time, at your leisure. Don’t waste one extra minute of your R&R time than you have to.”
So there you go, the pros and the cons. Which one are you?
You heard Wendy talk about our RV Community and how helpful it truly is to our members.
If you’ve ever wished there was a place where you didn’t feel “behind” or “out of the loop”…
This is that place.
And we again urge you to at least check it out.
Go to RVCommunity.com for information on how it works.
We promise: There’s no drama. No distractions. No pressure.
Just the support, friendship, and confidence you’ve been looking for.
Let this be where your best chapter begins. Again, that’s RVCommunity.com
RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK
QUESTION: From Jan: What does everyone do about mail when going South for winter?
ANSWER: Great question—this comes up a lot for “snowbirds” who head south for the winter! Here are the main ways RVers handle their mail:
1. Mail Forwarding Services
Many RVers sign up with a mail forwarding service. These services give you a physical street address (not just a P.O. box), collect your mail, and then forward it to you on demand. Some even scan the envelopes so you can decide what to toss, hold, or forward. Popular options include:
2. USPS Hold or Forward
If you’re gone only a few weeks or months, you can use the USPS Premium Forwarding Service. They’ll bundle up your mail and send it weekly to wherever you’re staying. For longer trips, some RVers change their address to a relative or trusted friend who can manage forwarding.
3. Digital Mail Scanning
Companies like iPostal1 and Anytime Mailbox provide a virtual mailbox. Your mail is scanned, and you can see it online, request forwarding, or shred it without ever touching the paper.
4. Friends or Family
Some RVers keep it simple: have mail sent to a trusted family member’s home. That person sorts it and either forwards important items or saves everything until you return.
5. Go Paperless
Before heading south, many RVers switch bills and statements to online delivery. That reduces the volume of mail that needs to be forwarded in the first place.
For most full-timers and long-term winter RVers, a mail forwarding service with a permanent street address is the most reliable solution. It also helps establish a “domicile state” for driver’s license, insurance, and taxes if you’re on the road full-time.
