Key Takeaways
- •RVTI is expanding its Level 3 certification workshops in 2026 — the RV industry is investing in its workforce pipeline
- •Campground operators face the same skilled labor gap with no equivalent certification path
- •Parks that treat hiring as a year-round operation outperform those that scramble every spring
The RV Technical Institute is running Level 3 certification workshops throughout 2026. The program — built on a combined $10 million investment from RVIA and RVDA — trains technicians in advanced diagnostics, electrical systems, and appliance repair. Technicians who complete all five specialties earn a Level 4 Master Certification. The whole path takes 120 hours over five years.
That's a real workforce pipeline. Structured. Credentialed. Industry-backed.
Campground operators don't have one.
The Same Problem, No Equivalent Solution
RV dealerships need certified technicians who can diagnose complex systems. Campground operators need maintenance staff who can handle electrical hookups, water and sewer infrastructure, general facility upkeep, and increasingly EV charging systems. The talent pool for both draws from the same shrinking labor market.
The further a park sits from a metro, the worse the pipeline gets. Rural operators can't compete on wages with nearby towns for general labor — let alone skilled trades. And unlike dealers, there's no credential to point recruits toward. No certification that tells a hiring manager "this person knows how campground infrastructure works."
OHI offers operator resources. KOA runs internal training for franchisees. But the industry hasn't built anything at scale that functions the way RVTI does for the dealer side.
What the Best Operators Do Differently
The parks that consistently run fully staffed don't treat hiring as a spring project. They cross-train existing staff year-round. They build relationships with local trade programs before they need them. In rural markets, housing assistance has become a real recruiting tool. And they start the process in January — not April.
Memorial Day weekend just passed. If you ended it short-staffed, that's a February problem you didn't solve.
The Takeaway
The RV industry is investing real money into its labor pipeline. Campground operators who take staffing as seriously will have a structural advantage over everyone still scrambling every summer. The certification infrastructure doesn't exist yet for this side of the industry — but the operators who build their own internal version of it won't be waiting around for it.
Source: RVTI