Key Takeaways
- •RVs Move America Week runs May 31 through June 4 in Washington DC — RVIA's annual policy and advocacy event
- •Key issues: tariffs on RV components, reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund, and campground modernization on public lands
- •What gets decided in these meetings shapes the regulatory and funding environment private campground operators work in
The RV industry's annual trip to Washington starts Sunday.
RVs Move America Week runs May 31 through June 4 at the Mayflower Hotel in DC. The event opens with two days of committee meetings before shifting to Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, where RVIA members meet directly with senators and house representatives on issues affecting the $140 billion RV industry.
Most campground operators won't be in the room. The decisions made there will affect them anyway.
Three Issues That Matter for Private Parks
Tariffs are the most immediate concern. RV manufacturers have been navigating component cost increases tied to trade policy for two years. When tariff pressure raises the price of new RVs, it dampens consumer buying — which affects the size of the RV fleet on the road and, eventually, the pool of guests showing up at your park. RVIA members are pressing lawmakers on both the direct cost impact and the uncertainty that makes long-term business planning difficult.
The Legacy Restoration Fund is the second issue. Advocates are pushing for its reauthorization through the America the Beautiful Act. The fund has directed significant capital toward infrastructure improvements at national parks and public lands — including campground upgrades at NPS properties. More federal investment in public campground infrastructure is broadly good for the outdoor hospitality sector. It validates the asset class and grows the overall camping population.
Campground modernization on public lands is the third thread. RVIA has spent years pushing for expanded and improved camping options on federal land. The argument is straightforward: there aren't enough sites to meet demand, and the ones that exist are often outdated. Private operators benefit when more people discover camping through public lands — the gateway effect is real and well documented.
What It Means
Policy advocacy is slow and unglamorous. The outcomes from this week's meetings won't show up as a line item on your P&L next quarter. But the funding, regulatory, and trade decisions being discussed in DC this week are the upstream inputs to the market conditions private campground operators will be operating in for the next several years. It's worth knowing what's on the table.