Dale Russell Hopkins
Dale Russell Hopkins, former chairman of the RV Dealers Association (RVDA) of Canada who worked for 30 years at RV City, with two locations in the greater Edmonton area, died unexpectedly on Nov. 26, 2025, due to a car accident.
After completing his CPA in 1999, Hopkins dedicated 30 years of his professional career to RV City, where his exceptional skills and commitment saw him rise through the ranks to become the chief operating officer. During that time, he worked hard to improve the RV industry for both dealers and customers. He served as the president of the RVDA of Alberta, and later as the chairman of the RVDA of Canada.
Hopkins’ colleagues revered him not only for his business acumen but also for his genuine care for the people around him. His leadership was characterized by fairness, optimism, and an unwavering dedication to his team and the broader community.
Dave Hoefer Sr.
RV and manufactured housing industry entrepreneur Dave Hoefer Sr. passed away on Oct. 24, 2025, at the age of 82 at his Auburn, Ind., residence surrounded by his family.
Hoefer also “envisioned and co-founded” Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc., Four Winds International Corp. (now Thor Motor Coach), Hart Housing (now Clayton Homes Wakarusa) and Dutch Housing, among others, while also serving for a time as a director and RV Group President of THOR Industries Inc.
His resume includes key roles in an array of companies with early positions at Coachmen Industries Inc., Carriage Inc., Gulf Stream Coach Inc. and Friendship Homes among others.
Hoefer’s busy resume also includes roles at Pilgrim International, Advanced Laminated Housing, Malibu Tanning Inc., Coppercon LLC, Spring Meadow Farm Golf Club, T&D International Aircraft Corp. and Friendship Manufactured Housing. He also served as a director of the Florida RV Trade Association )FRVTA) and the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association-Recreation Vehicle Indiana Council (IMHA-RVIC).
Garry Bewernick
Garry Bewernick, owner of Atlas Trailer Coach Products, passed away Sept. 29, 2025, surrounded by family and friends at his home in Chestermere, Alberta. His family issued the following statement:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Garry Bewernick, owner of Atlas Trailer Coach Products. He was a pioneer in the Canadian RV industry. His hard work and dedication were recently rewarded as Atlas was named RV Aftermarket Distributor of the Year and Garry was inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame. It will be a great loss, but his legacy will continue as his sons carry that legacy into the future. The kind words and encouragement already shared have brought great comfort to the family, and they are sincerely thankful.”
Lawrence “Larry” Lippert
Lippert Components Inc. founder and patriarch, Lawrence “Larry” Lippert, passed away on Aug. 19, 2025.
After working for manufactured home builder Redman Homes following a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Lippert convinced the Redman family to allow him to start supplying galvanized roofs to Redman and other local housing manufacturers. B&L Industries was born, and after the acquisition of a local frame builder, Riverdale Steelworks, he would rename the company Lippert Components.
He would lead Lippert through periods of growth and tremendous financial hardships, but his entrepreneurial spirit always kept the company going, eventually becoming the manufacturing powerhouse that it is today. Lippert retired in 1977, entrusting the next generations of his family to carry on his vision. In 2013, he was honored with induction into the RV/MH Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to the industry and the values he instilled into the business.
Ruben B. Gerzeny
Ruben B. Gerzeny, founder of Gerzeny’s RV World and creator of Coach House Class B motorhomes, passed away peacefully on Aug. 12, 2025, at the age of 90.
After relocating his family to Florida in 1976, Gerzeny founded Venice-Nokomis Auto World, specializing in new conversion vans and used cars. In the early 1980s, he shifted to selling recreational vehicles, renaming the business to RV World Inc., of Nokomis. Later in his career, he expanded to three additional locations on the West Coast of Florida and changed the name to Gerzeny’s RV World.
In 1985, Gerzeny launched Coach House, producing custom-built Class B motorhomes in a modest Venice workshop. His pursuit of excellence led to a breakthrough in 2000: a patented, one-piece, carbon-fiber-reinforced fiberglass motorhome body. The result was a quieter, sturdier, virtually leak-proof design that redefined quality in the industry.
Coach House earned a respected reputation for luxury and craftsmanship, producing a limited number of high-end Class B and C units that reflected Gerzeny’s exacting standards.
Chuck Boyd
The RV Dealers Association (RVDA) announced the Aug. 3, 2025, passing of Dealer Services Manager Chuck Boyd, who served the association and its members over the course of three decades.
Throughout his tenure, Boyd played a key role in strengthening the dealer community through his leadership in member retention and recruitment. He also managed the Go RVing Dealer Tie-In Program and served as team leader for the RVDA/RV Learning Center booth at major industry events across the country.
Boyd’s contributions helped enhance the visibility of RVDA at trade shows and conventions, and his efforts in building dealer engagement have left a lasting legacy at RVDA.
James “Jimbo” Eugene Hansen
James “Jimbo” Eugene Hansen, 61 of White Pigeon, Mich., formerly of Middlebury, Ind., passed away suddenly on July 1, 2025.
A lifelong Middlebury native, Hansen developed several businesses with his most successful and significant achievement being Jimbo & Company Transport, which he and his sons started in 2010. With Hansen’s knowledge, guidance and support, they were able to build a fleet of over 300 owner operators. His lifelong dream was creating something that his children would continue to enjoy and share the same commitment into the future as he’s always shared.
Donald Anthony Gedert
Donald Anthony Gedert, 89, passed away May 20, 2025, peacefully at home in Cloverdale, Ind., following a brief illness.
His sales career included autos, insurance and affordable housing for local families. In 1967, he began Ottawa Instant Homes. He was the President of the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association in 1978. In 1989, he became the sole developer of Stardust Hills.
Bud Styer
A legendary figure in the North American campground industry, Bud Styer died of a massive heart attack on April 11, 2025. He was 72.
Styer was a one-of-a-kind entrepreneur who mentored and inspired private park operators in Wisconsin and across the country to believe in themselves for nearly 50 years.
The Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners (WACO) presented its first-ever President’s Award to Styer in 2022 in recognition of his more than four decades of service to the industry. Styer not only served on both the WACO and OHI boards, but volunteered his time, talents and insights at countless industry conventions for WACO, OHI and the Campground Owners Expo (COE), which he co-founded with WACO Executive Director Lori Severson in Branson, Mo., in 2021.
He owned and operated several family campgrounds throughout the course of his career, sharing his accumulated wisdom with both existing and aspiring park operators. His company, Bud Styer & Associates LLC, offered comprehensive consulting services, including marketing, operations training and campground improvement strategies aimed at empowering campground owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve their business goals.
Joe Range
Past RV Dealers Association (RVDA) Chairman Joe Range of Range RV in Hesperia, Calif., died March 29, 2025, at the age of 87.
After having founded Range RV in 1971 in Colorado, in 1985, he relocated Range RV to Vista, Calif. In 1991, Range RV moved to the High Desert in Hesperia, Calif., where the business continues to operate by the second and third generations of his family.
Range was a passionate advocate for RV dealers in his home state of California and across the nation. During his tenure on the RVDA Board of Directors, he worked on several industry initiatives, including drafting the first RVDA Model Dealer Agreement. For his extraordinary service to RVDA, in 2006 Joe was recognized with
Russell Wegge
Russell Wegge, founder of longtime RV Dealers Association (RVDA) member dealership Burlington RV Superstore in Wisconsin, passed away on March 21, 2025, at the age of 92.
Wegge and his wife Pat raised five children and founded Burlington Camping and LP Gas Service. There they started out by renting folding camping trailers from their front yard. The business grew with the popularity of the camping lifestyle. They eventually changed the name to Burlington Camping & Travel, and then to Burlington RV Superstore, and through several expansions, became the largest RV dealership in Wisconsin.
The dealership drew camping enthusiasts from all over Wisconsin and northern Illinois. It was only fitting that he and Pat would create the Jayco Big Birds Camping Club. In 2006, after outgrowing the property in Burlington, the company moved to its current location off Highway 20 and I-94 in Sturtevant, Wisc. After 58 years in business, it was sold in 2021 to Lazydays RV, and was since recently acquired by Camping World.
William “Bill” S. Stewart
RV Technical Institute (RVTI) Director of Education William “Bill” S. Stewart, age 67, of Canton, Ohio, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2025, after a brief illness.
Stewart joined the RVTI staff in 2021 as its director of Education. In addition to being a Level 4 Certified RV technician, Stewart held certifications from Cummins, Grand Design, Heartland and several others. He was master certified in both Mercury Marine and ASE automotive and light-duty trucks.
Stewart’s responsibilities included the continued improvement of the RVTI signature curriculum and the development of additional curriculum to meet the needs of the RVTI customers.
“Bill’s passion is training and motivating people to achieve goals they did not think were possible,” RVTI officials stated. “He recognizes that a business leader’s most important role is to coach, train, and develop people’s skillsets, emphasizing that this can change their life. His goal at RV Technical Institute is to train technicians to better serve customers.”
Kenneth (Kenny) Kafer
The RV Dealers Association (RVDA) informed its membership that Kenneth (Kenny) Kafer, 78, founder of Pontiac RV in Pontiac, Ill., passed away Feb. 19, 2025, at his residence in Mesa, Ariz.
Founded in 1980 by Ken & Gail Kafer, Pontiac RV now has three generations of the Kafer family on its staff.
Kafer was an avid golfer, traveler and entrepreneur. He loved to have a putter in his hands shooting for “birdie” at Indian Creek Country Club in Illinois and at Alta Mesa Golf Course in Arizona, his home courses.
However, his faith and love for family trumped all other aspects in his life.
George Keller
George Keller, founder of Keller Marine & RV, Port Trevorton, Pennsylvania, died on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.
He opened Keller Marine Service, Inc. in 1958, and started selling campers in the 1970’s. He retired from the company in 1993. He served as president of the National Marine Distributors Association and the Warehouse Distributors Association and chairman of the board for Sun Bank. He was a 25-year member of the Kiwanis Club; served the Susquehanna Economic Development Association – Council of Governments and was a regional vice president for the Central Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Margaret; children Lori Morrow and her husband Kevin and G. Michael Keller and his wife Michele; grandchildren, Morgan Hockenbrock and her husband Matt, Taylor Morrow and her fiance Wayne Thomas, Michael Keller and his wife Danielle, Benjamin Morrow and his wife Claire and George Matthew Keller and his fiance Mary Patterson; six great grandchildren; and a sister, Lorna Yoder.
