TAMPA, FL JANUARY 17-20, 2013

RV/Caravan Rental Business Joe Laing Director of Marketing El Monte RV

RV/Caravan Rental Business Welcome –Who am I? –State of the world’s RV/Caravan rental markets. –What we will be discussing How the RV/Caravan rentals business works. What type of companies rent RV’s? Who are the customers who rent RV’s? How customers find RV rental companies. How RV rentals are prepared, processed, & reserved. Typical life cycle of the RV rental vehicle. Questions –If you have any questions, please save them until the end of my presentation and I will be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

History of the RV Rental industry in the U.S. RV rental businesses have been operating in the U.S. for decades. –Many of these businesses started as RV sales dealers, then upon requests of customers began to rent. –The two largest existing RV rental companies were founded by people in other rental businesses – car rentals & equipment rentals. –In the early 1980’s Europeans became interested in RV rentals in the U.S. –As these businesses expanded because of the inbound tourism, more and more domestic customers began to rent RV’s.

Importance of the RV Rental Business RV The RV rental industry provides a few key elements that help RV industries around the world to grow. –RV rentals is a gateway product. –RV rentals often allow the development of new infrastructure. –People often begin their experiences with the RV industry by renting in other countries. –RV rentals creates demand for new RV’s for manufacturers and helps develop the retail new RV purchase customer base.

Importance of the RV Rental Business II Some of the key infrastructure elements that are required to have a successful RV rental industry? –RV Manufacturing. –Campgrounds and National Parks. –Vehicle & Drivers license ease of access. –Service.

RV Rental Customers & How they Rent RV rental customers fit in to 3 major categories: –Domestic Vacationers. –International Inbound Tourists. –Event Driven Renters. Research and Reservations –Most domestic customers research online and reserve online or by telephone. –International customers research and reserve through travel agents and travel wholesale companies.

Potential Promotional Partnerships Successfully promoting travel in RV rentals is good for people outside the direct line of the RV industry as well. Many of them are interested in seeing RV rental businesses succeed. –Tourism Boards & CVB’s – These organizations are responsible for developing more business in their respective areas. –Campgrounds – There are many great marketing alliance opportunities with campgrounds and RV rental companies.

Additional items included in an RV Rental Typically a variety of amenities are provided with an RV rental. Depending on the company, these may include: –Housekeeping Kits –Generator –Mileage – Packages, Unlimited, or as used. –Toilet tissues and sundries. –Often GPS navigation units are available. –Airport hotel transfers for fly drive customers. Other services RV Rental companies may provide include: –Some RV Rental companies provide customer service in multiple languages. –Trip planning materials are also often provided to help customers while they are on the road. –Roadside assistance is provided for customers who may need it while they are travelling.

Rental Vehicle Life Cycle Without RV’s there would be no RV rental industry. –Rental companies must purchase vehicles to rent. –These vehicles must be regularly serviced and maintained, cleaned, and prepared for rental. –The used rental vehicles must be sold to prepare the way for new rental vehicle purchases. Used RV sales are a critical component of any RV rental companies business. –The primary method of liquidating rental fleet is retail sales. –The secondary method of liquidating rental fleet is wholesale sales. –The third method of liquidating fleet is to develop a buy back program with a manufacturer.

Conclusion Many people from all over the world have an interest and desire to experience the RV lifestyle. Many of them will have their first experience with RV’s in other countries, or in their home country in an RV rental. It is our job as RV rental companies to ensure that everyone has a great time so that they will have the desire to seek more similar experiences. It is in all of our best interest that the RV rental industry flourish worldwide. If we introduce people from the U.S. to the RV lifestyle, not only will they be more likely to buy an RV here, but they will be more likely to travel to other countries and rent RV’s there. If we introduce people from around the world to a positive RV lifestyle experience in the U.S. they are more likely to come back and seek similar experiences by buying or renting in their own countries.