COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The final day of the 2026 Route 66 RV Network Rally was dominated by discussion of and excitement surrounding the organization’s new offering, Route 66 Financial.
Route 66 Financial is a partnership with Source One and is a proprietary finance company for dealers inside the Route 66 RV Network.
As the program is just being unveiled at the rally at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs and it is specifically for members, many of the deep-dive specific details were not available for public consumption.
But representatives from Source One gave plenty of indications to members of the dealer network that if they wisely use the new option to get customers qualified for loans, they stand to see a dramatic increase in profitability from their finance departments.
Loans from Route 66 Financial are not for every situation, according to Joseph Krimker, Source One’s chief growth officer.
But for middle-of-the-road loans with low to average risk, dealers can get customers qualified and own the loan rather than turning over to a financial institute.
“Route 66 Financial has the potential to unlock unbelievable value for each and every one of you,” Krimker said. “The best part of what we are discussing today is you don’t have to do anything different than you are already doing other than make a commitment.”
Just as Forest River recently launched its own financial group (see: “Forest River Debuts New Financial Services Subsidiary”), now Route 66 dealers are part of a larger group that they can help build into a profitable organization.
The more members who choose to use Route 66 Financial, officials noted, the more opportunities are available for each member to see a profit.
“We are a real partner on this, and I really can’t make it any clearer than that,” said Source One President and CEO Michael Opdahl. “If you start off with the mindset that you own Route 66 Financial – because it is owned jointly by all the members of this group – you will have a lot more success as we build out.”
“Instead of just selling the paper and letting all of the residual income go, you own the paper, you own the customer and you own the entire finance experience,” he continued. “There’s a residual that keeps paying you and you’re able to build long-term equity for your store.”
Route 66 Co-Founders Steve Francis and Rob Merrill encouraged the members to look into the details of the program and explore the possibilities to see what is right for their dealerships.
“We want you to have every advantage that the big guys have,” Merrill said.
Handbook & Training
Later during the morning session, Partner Connor Francis gave an update on two additional new tools the network is offering its members.
The network will be releasing a co-branded handbook and maintenance log for customers. The book will be designed to help the customer have a better experience with tips and tricks for enjoying any RV as well as a place to keep track of service performed on the vehicle.
Route 66 also will offer quarterly employee training for dealerships. Q1 will focus on sales. Q2 will focus on finance. Q3 will focus on service and Q4 will focus on parts.
To close out the event, the Larry Coker Commitment Award was presented to Uncharted Recreation of Meridian, Idaho, owned by Robert Longshaw.
The award is given annually to a dealer who, in the words of Coker, “just gets it.” It goes to a dealer who lives out the Route 66 ideals.
“I’m super excited and super proud to be a part of this and hope to grow as much as we can,” Longshaw said.
The 2027 event will again be held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs from Oct. 11-13.
