MARVAC’s ‘Knowledge Summit’ to Address GMI Issues – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Hosted by the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds, the Regional Knowledge Summit will be held later this month, and MARVAC President and CEO John Lindley hopes to see you there.
The first of the two Regional Knowledge Summit sessions will be April 22 at Suburban Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi, Mich., while the second one will be April 23 on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University, 7400 Bay Road, Saginaw, Mich. The program on both days runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On the agenda for both days are three talks. First, attorney Bonnie Mayfield will speak on new employment laws, including Michigan’s new Earned Sick Time Act. After lunch, Lindley wills speak on the new state legislature and regulatory landscape. Finally, Curtis Hemmeler will speak on the new Ground Monitor Interrupter (GMI) requirements going into effect in 2026.
Hemmeler, who is the executive director of the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) and senior vice president of standards for the RV Industry Association (RVIA), is working to spread the word about these new requirements.
The GMI devices will serve a simple, yet potentially life-saving purpose. Once installed, they will protect RV owners from “hot skin,” which can happen if an RV’s electrical system is plugged into an improperly grounded receptacle. “Hot skin” refers to when any metal item, including an RV’s metal exterior, becomes electrified, raising the risk of shock or fire.
Hemmeler explained that a bad electrical ground can “energize” the whole RV. To counteract this, RVs built in 2026 will be required to have a GMI device installed on the unit. “So, if there’s any kind of issue with a campground’s pedestal, it’s going to trip the GMI on the RV.” (For further background see: “Grounding Monitor Interrupters on RVs Coming in 2026”)
The RV industry is looking to educate as many people as possible – including RV dealers and campground owners – about the new GMI requirement. Hemmeler’s talk will cover industry standards, inspections, and how the new ground monitoring devices will work. Also on the agenda, tips for how campgrounds can prepare for the new equipment. This will include guidance on maintenance plans, electrical inspections, and risk mitigation.
Hemmeler says the independence of the RV industry is maintained by its self-regulation, adding that’s a perk they don’t want to lose. But the biggest goals are consumer safety and campground readiness, he said.
“The whole idea of the change is for safety,” Hemmeler said. “The second piece would be to make sure the campground is ready – make sure the consumer doesn’t have any problems when they try to hook up, so that the consumer has a good experience. If they don’t have a good experience, they’re less likely to continue to recreate or camp, and they might choose an alternative. Obviously, our goal is to try to keep them in the RV world, so that they can continue to purchase within the industry, but also so they can create those family memories that are very positive versus being an unhappy experience.”
Lindley agrees with the importance of safety and a good customer experience.
“At the end of the day, user experience and user safety are as important as any other factor when it comes to the industry and the industry’s success,” he said.
Lindley says registration for the Regional Knowledge Summit is easy. You can do so by calling MARVAC at (517) 349-3300, or emailing [email protected]. Registration costs $50 for members, and $150 for non-members, with $100 credited toward a MARVAC membership if joining within seven days of the event. He’s hoping to see a good turnout at this year’s summit.
“These events provide a great opportunity for colleagues to get together with colleagues,” he said. “Those are truly extraordinarily valuable conversations that members of the association have with each other that we’re able to facilitate.”
