AI Summary
5 min readBen Hirsch, COO of Campers Inn RV, one of the largest dealership chains in the country, recently published an op-ed in RV Business about a structural problem in the RV industry: the "bullwhip effect." Small changes in consumer demand get amplified as they travel up the supply chain, leading to massive overstock on dealer lots. In a candid conversation on the RV Miles Podcast, Hirsch explained how this overproduction hurts buyers and owners in two specific ways—through collapsing trade-in values and declining build quality—and what consumers can do to protect themselves.
How the bullwhip effect works—and why it matters to you
The bullwhip effect is a supply chain phenomenon where small shifts in retail demand cause increasingly large swings in production orders upstream. In the RV industry, when dealers see a dip in sales, manufacturers don't immediately cut production. Instead, they keep building based on earlier orders, creating a glut. "If new RV prices are declining, then the trade values can also be hit," Hirsch said. "If you own an RV, one of the things you could be concerned about is that these dealers, manufacturers are selling RVs at less than their costs, and that's going to impact the trade value or my resale value on the private market."
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What you'll learn
- 1 RV Miles Podcast Episode 419: Dealers Have Too Many RVs—and Buyers Are Paying the Price
- 2 (00:31) **Interview Introduction** - Jason previews a candid conversation with Ben Hirsch, COO of Campers Inn RV, about overstocking and quality issues in the RV industry
- 3 (01:37) **Starlink Changes** - Jason breaks down recent Starlink updates including a new dish and shifting cross-border roaming rules
- 4 (11:13) **The Bullwhip Effect Explained** - Ben Hirsch describes how small demand changes get amplified through the RV supply chain
- 5 (12:21) **Two Major Consumer Impacts** - Ben identifies how overproduction directly hurts RV owners
- 6 (13:40) **The Stability Problem** - The industry needs consistent pricing and production, not boom-and-bust cycles
- 7 (15:06) **The Ordering and Production Cycle** - How dealers and manufacturers currently guess at demand
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
In this episode, a candid conversation with Ben Hirsch, COO of Campers Inn RV, about RV industry overstocking driven by the “bullwhip effect,” how volatile pricing can hurt trade-in values, and how inconsistent production schedules and frequent floorplan changes can impact build quality, and the challenge of balancing affordability with quality. Plus, Starlink updates, including a new dish, simplified US/Canada residency rules, and a new one-month international limit affecting Mexico.
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Track SSTK_MUSIC_ID 437726– Monetization ID MONETIZATION_ID AMXDXB4BX5FLHUYE
00:00 Intro
01:33 Starlink Updates
06:30 Mile Markers Plug
08:40 Sponsor Break
10:13 Ben Hirsch Interview
45:33 Tank Check
45:59 Weather Impacts Camping
47:34 Pause Trailer in Death Valley
53:07 Board Game Price Shock
01:04:46 Handheld Fan
01:07:05 Episode Wrap
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