Bates International RV Blog

Save money on your next RV rental or make money with your next motor home purchase with Bates International RV Rental Systems, the Good Sam Club’s latest Smile and Save partner.

Bates offers a wide variety of RV rentals, from plush Class A diesel pushers to Class C mini-motor-home.  Good Sam members will receive a 12% to 15% discount on RV rentals at all Bates’ locations in North America and online at www.batesintl.com.  For more details, visit the Bates online listing at www.goodsamclub.com/save.

If you’re ready to purchase a new motor home, consider participating in Bates’ revenue-sharing program.  Good Sam Club members can purchase a new RV factory-direct from a variety of RV manufacturers at a substantial discount saving approximately $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the RV class.  One of the fun benefits of the revenue-sharing program is that you can use your new motor home when you want in and place it in the Bates’ fleet when you don’t need it so you can earn rental income, tax advantages and business write-offs.  As a Bates’ RV fleet owner, you’ll have access to qualified RV renters and receive 50% of the rental and mileage revenue, and bates manages the details, which include mechanical upkeep, housecleaning and storage of your RV.

Bates was recently name by Entrepreneur magazine as on the of he Top 500 Franchises in the Unites States and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, on CNN television news and in numerous RV industry publications.

Franchise businesses have, over the years, been stable enterprises during economic ups and downs.  As large companies search for ways to streamline their operations and reduce expenses, they often cut jobs and benefits.

One popular alternative in such difficult times has been small-business ownership as a means to pursue financial independence.  Owning a franchised business entails purchasing the right to use the trademark and system of business. Franchisees may receive assistance with site selection of he business personnel training, business set-up, advertising and product supply.  For these services franchisees pay an up-front fee and an on-going royalty, which enables the franchisor to provide support for the entire system.

Even amidst rising fuel prices and higher inflation, franchised businesses continue to operate in communities across the country.  A recent report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the International Franchise Association Education Foundation titled “The Economic Impact of Franchised Businesses” revealed that franchise business growth between 2001 and 2005 outpaced other business sectors.  The industry expanded by more than 18 percent, adding more than 140,000 new businesses and 1.2 million new jobs to the U.S. economy.  There are now nearly one million franchised establishments in operation in the United States.

Our federal bureaucracy is finally coming to the end of a three-year process to decide what those little “RV Friendly” logos on highway signs will look like – and it doesn’t appear that the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) is going to please the 15 states that have started up their own logo program while the feds dithered.

The existing logos – 12-inch yellow circles with the black letters “RV” inside them – appear along with logos for retailers and the blue highway signs that you see as you approach Interstate exits to indicate they can accommodate RVs in terms of parking, turning radius and vertical clearance. 

Fifteen states, including Oregon, Louisiana, Florida, California and Tennessee, have adopted the RV Friendly program while waiting for the FHwA to make a decision on where the logo should be placed on signs and how large it should be.

A number of clubs and organizations, including the Good Sam Club, Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), the Escapees RV club and the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), don’t like that the federal highway folks want to make the logo two inches smaller – and want to move it a few inches to be inside the box with the business advertising rather than more visibly overlapping its border.  That will require the retail logo inside the frame to be smaller.

It’s all very arcane, but RVIA has set up a “grassroots” website (www.ract.com) to engage RVers with the federal government in hopes consumers will use it to fire off e-mails to the FHwA objecting to the new placement.  “The hope is that we’ll get tens of thousands of RVers to do that,” said Matt Wald, RVIA director of government affairs.

And even if the FHwA’s proposed placement becomes final, it’s not likely that the signs already in place will be changed any time soon.  States will have 15 years to comply.

Leadership is highly valued in our society, with leaders usually reaping the greatest rewards in business.  However, while many aspire to the mantle of leadership, we too often confuse some of the perks and byproducts of leadership – social status, celebrity, wealth, visibility, management, or operational fame and fortune.  If you strip away the trappings, leadership boils down to one thing:  The ability to positively affect others, Simply put, in any given organization, community, social group, or field of endeavor, leaders don’t just make a difference; they are the difference.

Leaders don’t chase fortune and fame; they serve missions and are able to articulate a future for that mission in clear, simple language.  They understand that wealth and power are not primary objectives, but inevitable by products of fulfilling a need and making a consistent, positive investment in achieving a larger goal.  Leaders have vision.

Leaders are able to adapt, evolve, and expand to fit the times, without ever losing sight of their mission and core values.  They see change not as a threat, but as a natural part of their environment, and understand that what worked yesterday will not necessarily work today or tomorrow.  They are willing to strike out in new directions to get better results.  Leaders take risks.

Leaders make a tangible difference that goes beyond revenues and profits, measurably influencing and changing lives.   They understand what matters to people, including their workers, customers, and partners, and can get them to act to serve those interests.  Leaders motivate.

Leaders rarely need to actually declare that they are leaders; their work, products, services, personal conduct, and professional performance speak for themselves.  Leaders lead by example.

Leaders don’t do things to, with, or for people, they do things through people.  They are masters at communication the vision, inspiring and equipping their people to serve the mission, welcoming their ideas and contributions, and clearing they way for their success.  Leaders empower.

MATTOON — In light of high fuel prices, conventional wisdom would suggest RV and camper trailer sales — and usage, for that matter — would be taking a hit right now.

However, as camping enthusiasts decide to remain in the area rather than travel abroad, local RV campgrounds are thriving. Camper and RV dealerships, meanwhile, are finding ways to make ends meet, said officials.

“I think we’ll probably just ride it out,” said Becky Shockley, an official at Cross County RV Center in Mattoon. The fuel situation “hasn’t put the business at a standstill by any means. We’re still selling on a regular basis.”
More than half of Cross County’s sales are to out-of-state customers — especially “snowbirds”: people who travel in RVs to warmer climates in the fall and winter months, said Shockley.

“Motor homes and larger luxury fifth-wheel (trailers), those are not affected” by the gasoline prices, she said.

Cross County also continues to sell larger units to traveling workers — such as those installing oil pipelines or cell towers — who invest reimbursements from their employers in mobile homes rather than spend the money on hotels, said Shockley.

But sales of smaller “weekender” RVs and campers have declined, she added. “We can see a little slowdown there” because of the fuel crunch, Shockley said.

The situation is almost the reverse at Owen Motor Sports near Charleston, where smaller units are selling better than larger RVs and fifth-wheel trailers. The gasoline hike “has slowed down everything, but it seems like the used units and small units are moving (because) people are staying closer to home,” said Jarrod Moran, general manager.

At the same time, Owen Motor Sports also deals in fuel-efficient motorcycles and scooters, sales of which “are up tremendously,” said Moran. Although motorcycle and scooter sales haven’t completely offset the RV/camper slump, he added, “It’s definitely helping out.”

And campgrounds that cater to RV and fifth-wheelers are busier than ever.

“To be honest, whenever the gas prices get bad, the camping gets good,” said Barb Galvin, co-owner of Robin Hood Woods Campground near Lake Shelbyville. “People are tending to stay closer to home, (so) camping really is helped by poor gas prices.”

Leases of sites for the entire season seem particularly popular, as renters would rather park their RVs and trailers for the whole summer and commute back and forth in more economical vehicles, said Galvin. “We have had a huge demand this year, to where I’ve got people on a waiting list,” she said.

“It’s a relatively very inexpensive way to vacation. It’s a lot cheaper than taking (the family) to Disneyworld.”

At the Casey KOA Campground, co-owner Cathy Clinkman said, “We feel that we’re probably a little bit up this year. We’re seeing more people who are camping closer to home.

“I think it’s (because of) the gas, from what I’ve heard from people.”