Bringing Together The Best Independent Dealers To Drive Down Cost And Inventory
It was a first-time RVer’s nightmare. A young couple from Florida set out in their brand-new RV for their first long trip. They made it to Texas before disaster struck. A low hanging tree limb in a campground tore off their rig’s air conditioner, leaving a huge hole both in their camper’s roof and in their vacation plans.
The couple didn’t know anyone in Texas, but had bought their new RV from one of the member dealers of the Route 66 RV Network. A call to them soon put them in touch with a local Route 66 member, who was able to make the repairs pronto, as well as find the couple a place to stay while the work was done.
“They were ready to give up on RVing,” Dave Francis, one of Route 66’s founders and partners, told The Buzz. “But everything turned out great. That’s our business plan... Move people along. Get them back on the road. We aim to take the worry out of RV ownership, so people can just enjoy.”
Francis founded the Route 66 RV Network with his brother Steve and long-time friend Rob Merrill in 2003. Steve and Dave grew up in the RV business; their family owned an RV park on US 70 while they were growing up. Steve was still active in the industry, the owner of Trailside RV Center in Grain Valley, Missouri, just east of Kansas City.
The brothers came to the realization that “big box” retailers were taking over the RV industry, and, just as in the hardware business, forcing the family businesses out. “Some of these families had been in the RV business for three or four generations,” Dave said. “These 35-to-40 year old dealerships were struggling to compete.”
The Route 66 RV Network aimed to change all that, by bringing together the best independent dealers to drive down the cost of parts and inventory through the power of collective bargaining. The network started with 17 dealerships. “We were aiming to have 66 member dealers,” Dave said, “but before we knew it we’d passed 85.”
Today, Route 66, based in Kansas City, has more than 150 members spread throughout the United States and Canada, and is the largest organization of independent RV dealers in North America (and, likely, the world). Dave says that his company does not recruit new members; each is recommended by other members. Dealerships are vetted annually on how well they take care of their customers and receive invitations to re-join. About a dozen are located along the old Rt. 66 Mother Road itself.
“Customer service is paramount,” Dave said. The Route 66 dealerships provide a support system for RVers wherever they travel, and promise preferred service to customers who bought their RVs from any member. Every new and used RV purchased from a Route 66 dealership comes with a set of free “Customer Care Promises” valid throughout the network, guaranteeing 10 percent discounts on parts, same day attention to problems, and other perks.
Francis says that member dealerships have access to a wide range of benefits, including the Proprietary Parts Network that lets service departments quickly locate manufacturer-specific parts needed for repairs. Route 66 also provides its dealers with access to a number of products and services, such as negotiated deals with insurance and finance companies, parts providers, and more. An internet division designs interactive websites for dealers in a market increasingly dominated by online shopping. A new video production arm shoots footage to drive search engine placement.
“We have 40 programs dealers can participate in,” Dave Francis said. “We try to think outside the box.”
The Route 66 RV Network also offers several programs open to all RV owners. The unique Tech24 program provides expert technical advice 24/7 for DIY repairs on the road, sort of “like AppleCare for RVs,” Dave said. Travelers can combine this with a 24/7 roadside assistance package, effective throughout the U.S. and Canada, that also includes reimbursement for expenses incurred due to trip interruption, while your RV is being repaired.
In 2012, Route 66 joined forces with the KOA RV Parks network, which Dave Francis describes as “the best, most reliable campground group in the country.” Members of the Route 66 RV Club pay a small annual fee to receive discounts at all KOAs as well as a discount on parts at network dealers. Other club benefits include deals on everything from RV insurance, rental cars and RV wash services to golf and pet health insurance.
During their 30-plus years in the RV business, the Francis brothers have seen an evolutionary process in all three parts of the industry - manufacturers, dealers and campgrounds. Today, Dave says, RVs are higher quality with innovative designs and amenities that make them more fun to spend time in. Smaller units are becoming more popular and many new units include a garage for “toys” that today’s campers want to take along. More young families are traveling in RVs as a new generation of parents look for ways to get the kids to put down the electronics and come together as a family.
“It’s become cool to be an RVer,” Dave said. “But the key to a great experience is a worry-free trip. The last thing an RVer wants is trouble on vacation.”
The Route 66 RV Network’s unique structure offers travelers the personal service typically found only in a locally owned small business combined with the convenience of a continent-wide organization with more than $2 billion in sales to leverage savings. “Our working vision,” Dave said, “is that we’ll be there to help wherever the road takes you.”
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and sports.
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Route 66 RV Network, the largest network of independent RV dealers in North America dedicated to customer service and a sense of community.