RVIA: Meet Geneva Long, Leading Innovation at Bowlus – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a News & Insights report from the RV Industry Association (RVIA).
As the CEO of Bowlus, Geneva Long is continuing the company’s legacy of luxury RV travel— a reputation that spans the last nine decades.
Bowlus is a riveted aluminum travel trailer that was first designed and built by Hawley Bowlus in 1934. Currently, the company is based in Oxnard, CA.
“Bowlus has quite a fascinating history,” Geneva reflects. “It was known in the 1930s era as a luxury travel trailer. Hawley Bowlus, who had previously built the Spirit of St Louis in 1927, returned to the aerospace industry during World War II and beyond.”
Geneva’s family has experienced its prominence firsthand. At the time, Geneva was completing her degree at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with her Bachelor of Science: “My family had a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief that was restored over many years, and we took it on a cross-country road trip. I was finishing up at Wharton at that time and I was interested in a career different from banking. The Bowlus’s ease of travel fostered a desire for road trip adventures.”
Throughout her family’s adventure across the country, their Bowlus received great interest from other RVers on the road. Geneva realized that there was a potential market for the product; additionally, the Bowlus name had not yet been trademarked. As a result, an ownership group led by Geneva was able to prototype the modern Bowlus over the course of a few years. The first modern Bowlus was produced in 2013.
Although the updated Bowlus looks similar to its vintage version, there is a marked difference upon closer inspection. “We have a full monocoque design, which means that when one dimension changes, every dimension changes,” Geneva explains. “We spent a few years prototyping that design and then we started making them. We’ve been manufacturing the Bowlus ever since— about 12 model years now.”
During the last decade, Bowlus has positioned itself as an innovative leader in the RV market by implementing technological advancements in its products. The company provided its consumers with heated floors in 2014 and lithium power in 2016. Bowlus also turned its attention to the electric vehicle market, creating a fully electric Bowlus RV and making them model-wide in 2022. And just this year, Bowlus produced a self-powered, self-maneuvering remote-controlled RV. “We’re definitely always at the forefront of innovation,” says Geneva.
And Bowlus’s enterprising spirit won’t be stopping anytime soon: “We started our first dealer relationships in late 2023 and we’ll be continuing that expansion. We hope to have Bowlus dealers close to all major markets within the next year and we’re excited to bring that closer to customers.”
“We’re continuing to innovate as well. We launched the 2025 Bowlus Rivet, which has a lower cost but it’s still in the premium segment. We’ve proven that there is a market for premium towables. And now that we’ve proven that we’re an established player for quality and lightweight, we’re now ready to enter that premium segment at a price point that’s popular with both consumers and dealers.”
As the CEO of such a prestigious company, Geneva has embraced her ever-changing daily responsibilities. “I built this business so at one time or other I’ve done everyone’s job, and I can really appreciate what it takes to get this business to where it has over the last decade,” she remarks. “My day to day is varied, which I love. Our team enjoys the marketing aspects and the product aspects, as well as manufacturing. We also love building our relationships with our customers. We still sell direct out of our dealership in California and it’s a pleasure interacting with customers and hearing about their use cases and adventures with their Bowlus. My role is something different every day, which is great for me.”
Along with her duties at Bowlus, Geneva has also begun taking on a larger role with the RV Industry Association. She is currently in the process of joining the Public Relations Committee and the Emerging Leaders Coalition.
Additionally, she has begun attending events hosted by the RV Industry Association. “Bowlus recently joined the Association and we attended the March Leadership Conference. We’re so impressed with all of the effort that Craig Kirby and his team put into an event like that,” Geneva says. “The people we met were fantastic and the panelists were wonderful. It was just a wonderful week. It’s impressive seeing everyone come together as an industry.”
