Phil Ingrassia is the President of the RV Dealers Association (RVDA)–the national association representing the interests of RV dealers, rental companies and RV aftermarket stores. He is the past chair of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and is a member of the organization’s board of directors. He earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives.
Toy Storage Nation is grateful for Phil’s overall commitment to promoting outdoor adventure, particularly through RV ownership and travel. Here, he outlines the association’s agenda, sharing insights about economic impact and how dealers and storage operators can partner collaboratively to enhance sales and overcome an RV storage deficit.
To start, can you tell us about RVDA—its mission, goals, membership objectives?
The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) represents U.S. RV dealers. Our mission is to advance the RV dealers’ interests through advocacy, education and member services.
RVDA has an all-volunteer board of directors made up of representatives of all sizes of RV dealerships. The volunteer leaders and staff work with industry partners to help foster a 
good business climate as well as improve public land access for RV travelers.
RVDA’s Mike Molino RV Learning Center focuses on online fixed operations training for service, parts management and warranty administrators. The RV Learning Center also works on 
operational best practices for dealers, 20 groups, and partners with the RV Technical Institute to encourage service productivity and improve Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT).
We’re also partnered with the RV Industry Association on the industry marketing communications campaign Go RVing, which is focused on attracting first-time RV buyers.
How has the demographic of RV ownership morphed over the past five to 10 years—especially pre-COVID to now?
Go RVing research shows that today’s buyers are younger and there has been a surge in millennial ownership over the past few years.
Some of the trends we are seeing include remote work enabling shorter, more frequent RV trips and higher rates of shoulder-season camping.
How about sizes/types of rigs that people are purchasing—before and after the pandemic?
Towables RVs, primarily travel trailers, continue to lead unit volume. For the most part, motorized demand is steady. We’ve seen strong growth in Class B vans in recent years and lightweight towables. The used RV market continues to be very healthy for many dealers.
Many speculated that first-time purchasers during the pandemic would lose interest and dump out of RVing, selling their rigs. Did that prove to be true?
There’s been no mass exit by COVID-era buyers. While some first-time buyers sold units, overall participation remains above pre-COVID levels. In fact (and even more encouraging), depending on the product type, Go RVing research shows that between 60 and 70 percent of COVID buyers plan to buy another RV.
How is today’s economy impacting sales? What role are tariffs impacting (or expected to impact) manufacturers, dealers, consumers?
It’s no secret that the industry is looking for some interest rate relief from the Fed. Affordability is a key factor in growing the market and payment buyers watch interest rates carefully.
Dealers report some price increases from manufacturers due to higher material and component costs, and some of this is based on the uncertainty surrounding tariffs. Even though RVs are built in the U.S., we’ve heard from suppliers that higher tariffs can impact electronics and appliances that go into the units—raising wholesale costs and retail pricing.
Overall, dealer inventories are in better shape than they were a year ago and manufacturers have balanced production with retail demand, so that sets the stage for a market rebound in 2026.
What are other key issues facing RV dealers?
Technician shortages and access to training are always top of mind with dealers, which is why RVTI and the RV Learning Center programs are so important to the industry’s future.
Warranty reimbursement and parts availability are a concern for dealers, and they’re also facing challenges with finance and insurance compliance.
Higher interest rates mean higher floor plan (inventory financing) costs for dealers, so it’s more expensive to keep units on the lot for dealers. The industry was able to work together to get some tax relief this year for towable dealers in Congress, which was a big legislative victory for dealers, lenders and manufacturers.
What is your perspective on the current state of RV storage? Do RV storage constraints impact dealerships?
Certainly, it’s well documented that there’s a shortage of secure storage options. HOA restrictions and local ordinances on RV parking create an unmet demand in many markets across the U.S.
Consumer studies have shown that storage shortages can delay or deter purchases, especially for larger units – so storage shortages can be a barrier to ownership and overall RV industry growth.
Do speculative buyers already have an idea where they will store their RV?
Some first-time buyers may neglect to factor in storage planning until after purchase. Dealers typically try to have a list of storage options for their customers. Some dealers even store units, but it’s more of an exception than the rule, because dealers have limited space for their core business lines of sales and service, and in some cases RV rentals.
Based on your knowledge of today’s RV buyers, what do you perceive as must-have features in a storage facility?
For RV owners, easy access when they want to get the unit and trusted security are top priorities. Most want to see 24/7 gated entry and video surveillance.
Higher end buyers, because they’ve made a large investment in their RV, are looking for covered or even enclosed options, to protect their units from sun, wind and hail damage.
Nice-to-have features are power outlets, dump stations, wash bays – and if you want to get the ultimate experience — concierge prep for trips, winterization, detailing and battery maintenance would be my ideal storage world as an RV owner. Now getting people to pay for all that is the tricky part, isn’t it?
Any thoughts on how dealerships and storage developers/operators can collaborate to achieve wins on both sides?
I mentioned that many dealers will provide a list of storage options to their customers, and there is some opportunity to perhaps bundle storage slots, or dealers could offer short-term vouchers with RV purchases.
Some dealers who also operate storage facilities are providing service and storage packages – and these types of integrated offerings for maintenance, winterization and delivery can take the perceived “hassle” of RV ownership off the table.
I think there’s also an opportunity for folks to work together on local zoning issues, where dealers and storage facility developers can collaborate to show the benefits of RV storage to the community.
We’re glad to see folks interested in the RV storage space and look forward to working with Toy Storage Nation to educate more people within the industry on the many opportunities in the RV storage space.
