Leave it to the American people to figure out how to go on vacation in the middle of a pandemic.
To keep themselves safe and socially distant during their travel excursions this summer, more and more people are leasing or buying campers, motorhomes, and other recreational vehicles. In fact, according to a recent Ipsos survey, about 15% of the population (46 million people) have an RV trip on their calendars.
As a CNN headline put it, “it’s the summer of the RV.”
That bodes well for RV dealerships, which until now have been among the businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. But more sales also mean more legal risks and uncertainties.
Like all automotive retail operations, RV dealers face a cavalcade of regulatory requirements on both the state and federal levels. There are rules about Buyers Guides, information safeguarding, advertising disclosures, reporting, recordkeeping, and more—on top of myriad safety, human resources, and administrative considerations.
Here are just a few questions an RV dealer should be able to answer in the affirmative:
- Does each used vehicle, that requires a Buyers Guide, have a completely filled out Buyers Guide on display?
- Have all applicable employees been trained on the Red Flags Rule?
- Do all employees have access to required PPE?
- Do you have a library of policies, regulatory documents, and compliance resources available to all sales and F&I employees?
- Can you ensure that all new hires have completed and signed their state and federal forms (such as I-9, W-4, and withholding forms)?
- Do you maintain a 24-hour emergency phone response line?
- Are your OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 Forms complete and up-to-date?
- Have you prepared a written Emergency Response Plan?
- In the event someone is exposed to a hazardous substance, can every employee quickly and easily access your SDS library?
RV dealers can’t take their eyes off of their compliance concerns or let a boost in business lead to accidents and oversights. More Americans may be hitting the road, but the Federal Trade Commission certainly isn’t taking any vacations this summer.
Are you aware of and effectively managing all the regulatory, safety, and HR issues that impact your RV business? Find out by downloading our RV Dealership Compliance Checklist. This free resource covers more than 100 potential risk areas your dealership needs to look out for.
Get the RV Dealership Compliance Checklist here.
When you’ve finished looking over this checklist, KPA is ready to help you ensure compliance and maximize your profit. Ask us about saving money and reducing risk at your RV dealership.
