I’ve been watching our local RV dealership for a while now. Slowly over the summer, their RV inventory decreased more and more, until only a few units remained on their sales lot. What was happening, I wondered. Then, suddenly, I knew! A brand-new name and logo appeared on the dealership. Look out, Camping World. Blue Compass RV is in town!
Who is Blue Compass RV?
Formerly RV Retailer LLC, Blue Compass RV is one of the fastest-growing retail companies in the United States, with over 100 full-service RV dealerships across 33 states and counting. Throughout 2023, Blue Compass RV has been busily acquiring and updating RV dealerships, rebranding them with the company’s distinctive logo, designed to reflect America’s love of traveling and exploring our great country.
Jon Ferrando, founder, president and CEO, explained the company’s goal: “Our goal is to create a powerful, iconic RV brand around an exceptional customer experience.” I like the sound of that! If they can deliver on its goal, it could quickly overtake the other “big boy” in the industry: Camping World.
National, but still local
I was duly impressed when my husband and I recently visited the Blue Compass RV dealership near my stix-n-brix home in Eureka, Missouri. It was the dealership’s grand opening, but we arrived too late to meet the corporate management. I was okay with that because I knew that a company is only as good as its people, and I wanted to meet the local workers. We were greeted by a genuinely friendly sales associate who directed us to the RVs we wanted to see. (I was happy to learn that Blue Compass RV retained the valuable folks who had worked for the previous owner.)
Afterward, the sales manager graciously gave us a tour of the entire facility, explaining more about their business model. When showing the many service bays, he explained, “We try to have any RV problems fixed within 48 hours. Blue Compass RV will service any and all RVs—even if you didn’t originally buy your rig from us.” He went on to explain that Blue Compass RV recognizes the importance of service after the sale. “No one wants to wait weeks or months for their RV to be fixed. They want to get back on the road.” Amen to that!
Time will tell
The RV business has seen an overall slump in sales recently—especially when compared to the buying frenzy of a couple of years ago. Will they come through this slowdown unscathed and continue its unprecedented growth within the RV industry? Will Blue Compass RV’s focus on customer service eventually unseat Camping World? I guess time will tell.
To learn more please visit their website.
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Deserves a follow-up report. With RV sales collapsing, things are going to get sticky. With many small RV places that seem to specialize in towable trailers, there has to be some fall out.
While I can report that the Blue Compass buyout of a local RV dealer did, in fact, deliver “an exceptional customer experience,” it was exceptionally bad. We had bought an RV from the local dealership owner and 2 years later started the buying process before finding out it was now Blue Compass. The finance man (an import from another state) who handled the closing was insulting with high-pressure and confusing pitches. It took months to get simple items taken care of under warranty. We mistakenly had them install solar upgrades and will now spend another $5,000+ to fix their mistakes. I will never stop telling people about my “exceptional experience” with Blue Compass every chance I get.
Not sure if they are better but they couldn’t be worse. More competition to my mind is always a good thing. The RV repair waters out there are treacherous no matter where you go. I have always had the best luck with mobile repair techs. I have used four of them and they have all been excellent. The bricks and sticks shops, not so much with one rare exception and that owner has since retired.
This company keeps changing names. But they keep the same bad employees and business practices.
I always wonder when businesses change their names.
Based on the reviews below, seems the most likely reason has prevailed yet again.
Our new local, excellent RV dealer was recently sold to this Blue Compass. The most of the excellent service department employees immediately resigned. Only the marginal and the bad employees remained. I had some major repairs scheduled for our antique travel trailer but the new owners canceled the work. They don’t work on anything that old!
My local dealer that I purchased my 32′ trailer from is now a Blue Compass. I needed some repairs done before going on a trip and dropped in to the location where I had purchased my rig. I had anticipated some lead time for an appointment and had allowed a little more than a month. When I inquired about an appointment, they were making reservations for 3 months out. I left and called RVS.com and was in and out in under 2 weeks. They are going to have to do much better to earn my business again.
Motor Home Specialist RV in Alvarado, TX is a Blue Compass.
It won’t be hard to over take Camping World. Nationwide there are thousands of very unhappy CW customers who are out thousands of dollars, from poor workmanship to unbacked, expensive, extended warranties. Go Blue Compass! Just hope you don’t repeat Mr. Lemonis foolishness.
Thank you, Gail! Good luck to Blue Compass.
Thank you Gail for the information. Our local Tom’s Camperland in Avondale AZ was one of the many RV dealerships you were writing about. I can attest to the fact that the staff were retained and the local ” we care about you before during and most importantly AFTER the sale”. We purchased a unit from Tom’s and then another from Blue Compass both were excellent with not one oz. of pressure tactics or pushy sales. We knew exactly what the costs were upfront with no hidden or bogus fees. They still kept the Military discount (approx. $1200) which is more than any other dealership in the Phoenix Metro area offers. The service department goes above and beyond for us~ honest and responsive.
I noticed when Blue Compass bought out BlueDog RV in the Pacific northwest, my life-time warranty yearly inspections (on my RV I purchased there in 2020) went from $100 per year to over $300 per year. That’s a HUGE price jump!! So it’s obvious, to me anyway, Blue Compass is more concerned with making money then taking care of customers. I have another RV dealer, that I purchased my current RV from, that is more than willing to do my yearly inspections, on the RV I bought at BlueDog, for $100. So that’s where I go now. Blue Compass priced themselves out of my pocketbook!
BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!! Blue Compass is a huge Nationwide Corporation with one goal, to take as much money from you and not provide any further assistance. Do a Web search and find out for yourself, the reviews say all you need to hear.