RV Industry 'Downsizes' to Keep Pace with Slow Economy and Rising Cost of Gas

Teardrop Trailers and Other Lightweight Campers Proliferate as RV Industry Scrambles to Provide Fuel-Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Large Travel Trailers and Motor Homes

CANTON, Ohio, June 9 -- The June 2008 issue of RV Business Magazine, the leading trade publication for the RV industry in America, recognizes the emerging role of lightweight tow able camper trailers in the RV industry. The recreational vehicle industry, traditionally slow to adopt these small, aerodynamic campers that can be pulled with virtually any vehicle with a hitch, has been compelled to expand their product lines to include products such as the Little Guy teardrop camper trailer and the Silver Shadow teardrop.

The uptake of these micro sized campers by RV dealers has historically been somewhat slow, says Chris Baum, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Little Guy Worldwide, headquartered in Canton, Ohio. "For years, the RV industry has been hesitant to carry a product that only retails for between $5,000 and $10,000. But the explosion in the ownership of small, more fuel-efficient cars in response to the escalating cost of gas has forced the recreational vehicle industry to take another look at selling a product with a broad-based appeal." Read more...