RV Podcast Ep 230: What will happen to Roadtrek owners?

What do Roadtrek owners do for warranty work and parts now that the company has shut down? The biggest scandal to envelop the RV Industry continues to dominate the RV news this week, namely the sudden shut down if the Roadtrek and Hymer factories in Ontario and the immediate termination of more than 850 workers. Nobody saw that coming, especially the revelation that the company is insolvent, $300 million hopelessly in debt because of years of management exaggerating or intentionally overstating profitability. The news has left tens of thousands of Roadtrek owners wondering what will happen to their warranties, what do they do about parts and repairs? We will offer some expert advice from our friend Nick Schmidt of Sunshine State RVs, who is stepping up to help with those issues. Plus, news, tips and another fun off the beaten path report from the Burketts. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE This episode of the podcast finds Jennifer and me in Florida for a couple of weeks before making our way west along the Gulf states. JENNIFER If you happen to be anywhere near the Florida panhandle this coming weekend, Mike and I (and Bo) will be having a Meet and Greet Sunday, Feb. 24, from 2-5 PM on the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the second parking area west of the Navarre Beach bridge. That is inside the National Seashore boundary and is known as Beach Access #2 MIKE Bring some beach chairs and we can all hang out for the afternoon, tour each other’s' rigs and maybe find a local restaurant to eat dinner. We'd love to see you and show you the Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB we are test driving for the next few weeks. We’ll try and do more if these in our travels as we visit other parts of North America. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK Mike Roadtrek's parent company terminates 900 employees, shuts doors Erwin Hymer North America, the maker of Roadtrek, terminated 900 employees, closed its doors, and filed for receivership Friday. The devastating move came after financial irregularities were discovered in January. JENNIFER America now has 61 National Parks The spending bill that President Donald Trump signed last Friday included a provision to change the name of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park immediately. That brings the number of national parks from 60 to 61. The area is comprised of about 15,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, savannas, bogs, wetlands and the sand dunes. Its beaches run along about 15 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. MIKE Oregon state parks break camping records in 2018; higher fees coming Oregon state parks set a new record in the number of campers using its state parks in 2018. As a result, the state is piloting a program in 2019 that will raise camping fees at its most popular parks, lowering them at the less popular ones. JENNIFER Joshua Tree National Park particularly hard it after tallying damage, lost revenue from federal shutdown It may be several weeks since the federal government opened after the longest shut down in its history, yet the damage to its national parks is still being felt. California's Joshua Tree National Park was particularly hard hit, with a report out showing $1 million lost in visitor fees, some 120 illegal campsites, and 24 miles of vehicle tracks left where driving is prohibited, among other things. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK We hear more about why owners love their particular RV… another listener shares a newbe mistake… Mike is asked about ham radio in an RV…and a listener suggests a story from the point of view of someone who delivers RVs to dealerships for the manufacturers. Do you have a comment or question? Just call 1-586-372-6990 and leave us a voice message. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK In the wake of the devastating news about the Roadtrek closure, we interview Nick Schmidt of Sunshine State RVs in Florida about where this leaves owners of the Roadtrek brand, where they can get parts and warranty service and whether he thinks the company will ever reopen. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland And Nick Schmidt joins us right now on the phone from Gainesville Florida. Hey Nick, how you doing? Nick Schmidt: Great, Mike. How are you man? Mike Wendland I am great. Well, this Roadtrek closure certainly has stunned the RV industry. I know, at least in the seven years now we've been doing this, I have seen no story rock the industry like this one. Completely shut down, 300 million dollars insolvent, and the reason we're talking to you, many thousands of Roadtrek customers now wondering what do they do? What do they do about warranties? What do they do about service? And wanted to check in with you to first get some advice for everybody, and then tell us a little bit about what Sunshine State RVs is doing. Nick