FROG Rally Day 2: eBikes, Starlink and Dogs are Everywhere – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tony Barthel, who with his wife, Peggy, produces the Stressless Camping podcast and website, is attending the Forest River Owners Group (FROG) International Rally this week at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds in Goshen, Ind. He is providing a daily update on the FROG Rally for RVBusiness.

With the official start of the 2023 FROG International Rally comes workshops, seminars, manufacturer meet-and-greets, and more. Last year, this reporter answered a lot of questions about his e-bike and, this year, they were everywhere. 

While electric bicycles may have been a novelty just a year ago, this year it seemed like half the attendees had electric bicycles. That was also true of Starlink dishes which reached for the sky like bandits in an old west movie. A good number of RVs had Starlink dishes on them. 

If nothing else, RVers talk and share what they love and what they don’t and Lectric eBikes and Starlink service have won the hearts of many an RVer. 

High-performance solar and lithium battery systems may be the next wave on the horizon based on the attendance in the workshops held on this subject. We attended seminars by ABC Upfitters, who provide a number of Forest River brands with OEM power and solar systems, as well as offering these systems as aftermarket upfits. 

“We saw a great response and great questions from RVers at our workshop.  In general, people are very intrigued and want to learn more about the capabilities of  what solar and lithium systems are truly capable of,” said Ben Miller of ABC Upfitters. “Many folks that attended our workshop stopped by our booth afterwards to see our systems and our people. We are excited about the response, and look forward to showcasing this technology for the rest of the week!”

Solar, lithium, boondocking, and power seminars were filled with attendees of the FROG rally who brought their curiosity on the subject and had plenty of questions. 

If last year’s bicycle questions were any indication of trends, next year’s rally may be populated by RVers with advanced solar and lithium systems. 

Many RVers travel with pets and they, too, were in attendance at the FROG rally. While one might assume that dogs were the choice of RVers on the go, cats are making a strong showing with birds taking third place, based on our observation. 

Canine travelers not only rode with their traveling humans but also boarded strollers and carriers and attended seminars. 

Factory-authorized technicians were scattered among the various RVs affecting repairs with up to three items taken care of for attendees with rigs three model years old or newer. But there were still a tremendous number of attendees who had no need for repairs and were just there to see friends they’ve made in the past. 

Sitting in the Tiki Lounge were RVers gathered around a propane fire pit and sharing stories of their adventures over the past year since they had last seen one another. Meanwhile music filled the air as talented travelers share their tunes. 

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/frog-rally-day-2-ebikes-starlink-and-dogs-are-everywhere/