Get FinancingVan City RV: Taking Full Advantage Of Editorial Ads On RVUniverse
For over 20 years, Van City RV has been known for selling several top-quality brands like Renegade and Leisure Travel RVs. They are noted for their red-carpet customer experience and exceptional service departments.
Editorial Ads: Show & Tell
Recreational vehicle dealers know that the more photos they show, the better. With RVs, it’s crucial to show buyers the interior as well as the exterior—especially with an “extreme RV” like a Rossmonster Baja or Storyteller GXV, which may be less familiar to motorhome buyers.
“Some people might want something more rugged—they can go on back trails, they have 4-wheel drive, they’re pretty heavy-duty,” says Charvelle, head of marketing for Van City RV in Las Vegas, Nevada. “At the same time, you can feel at home inside, and that’s the great thing about these. Even though they’re rugged, they’re very homey.”
Charvelle recalled Van City’s RVUniverse representative at the time, Tyler Jackson, saying, “‘You know, these would look good in an editorial ad,’ and I was like, ‘What are those?’”
Editorial ads in the weekly RVUniverse magazine give sellers half-page, full-page, and 2-page options to show a large photo and a detailed feature list for motorhomes or trailers for sale. The 2-page format seemed ideal for Van City to show buyers that even off-road RVs can have attractive interiors and comfortable amenities inside.
An editorial ad also includes a bordered premium listing topping the search results on RVUniverse.com. “It’s definitely neat to see people’s faces when they say, ‘What’s that? That thing is cool!’ or, ‘I saw this on RVUniverse and I was just curious, what all does it have?’” says Charvelle. “They get more interested, and that’s awesome.”
Getting Seen Is Priceless
Van City RV invests in the most high-impact ads RVUniverse magazine offers, including editorials, because the customer response is undeniable. The dealership runs four 2-page editorial ads concurrently in the print publication’s Eastern and Western regions to show different models to their best advantage. As of February 2025, their editorials highlight the Rossmonster Baja Trail EX and Baja Plus+, along with the Storyteller Overland GXV Hilt and GXV Next.
Phil Rizzio, owner of Van City RV, also uses editorial ads to promote his network across the country, which sells Chinook Motor Coach products. Phil says he’s had great success with RVUniverse and that’s why he has taken the opportunity to showcase Chinook products in editorial and full-page ads, so they can enjoy the same growth that Van City RV.
A Dealer & A Manufacturer
Van City RV has added locations in Montana, Missouri, and Colorado. The company sells numerous new and used Class B, Class B+, and Super C motorhomes from Coachmen, Thor, Winnebago, and more, plus parts, service, trades, and consignments.
Phil resurrected the Chinook Motor Coach brand back in 2013. Chinook rapidly become noticed as a top brand in the B van segment as well as the B+ segment. In fact, Chinook was voted “RV of the Year” for the B+ market, which was a great accomplishment.
Van City RV is not a dealer for Chinook, Phil explains. “They only sell units they have tested as prototypes or units with new product enhancements that need testing prior to sending them to the marketplace.” Chinook models include the Bayside Class B, Maverick Class B+, and Summit Class B+.
The knowledgeable Van City RV service department “understands the B+ market better than most,” says Phil, who adds that he is confident that if an RV passes their strict testing and earns a diagnosis of durability, then it’s good enough to release to their dealer network. Phil says he operates “the best testing ground, in my opinion, one at the factory and a second at his RV service center.
Phil opened a manufacturing plant in Indiana in 2019 to build updated versions of Chinook’s legendary designs, including four-season certified RVs usable year-round, even in the Canadian winter. “They’re super nice,” Charvelle says. “They took time with the design in getting it just right.” It’s a unique product, and Phil continues to improve on it as the company grows.
How To Get More Leads
Van City RV has been advertising in RVUniverse magazine since January 2020. Its initial 4-page display ad spreads assured the dealership of at least 80 featured listings in the upper tier of RVUniverse.com search results every month.
Today, Charvelle also adroitly uses priority pages, which unlock even better rankings online. She highlights new models on the front cover and a mix of larger Super Cs, vans, and trailers on the back cover.
“From what I see on the WebStats charts and leads coming in, you guys do an amazing job,” says Charvelle. “I see RVUniverse on our lead list all the time, which is great.”
She adds, “I see that it’s working well with print and web advertising put together. I do really like the print ad, and I think it complements everything you guys put on your website and what we have on ours. Some people say, you know, ‘Print’s dying out,’ but I just don’t believe that, because (the data) shows otherwise.”
Banner Ads = Digital Billboards
Van City’s current Sandhills rep is Kris Nitzsche. “He’s awesome,” Charvelle says. “Always happy, always laughing. You can tell he’s smiling when he’s on the phone. He helps so much. Sometimes I’m not able to get in there and change out the ads, and he’ll already have it done, and I’m like, ‘Whoa, thanks!’
“We try to help each other come up with ideas,” she continues. “He’s always thinking of what else can we do? So, he got us some banner ads on different sections of your website, and I said, ‘Yeah let’s use them!’ Because I’m a clicker. I like to click on banners and see what it takes me to, so… I know other customers are doing that, too.”
Charvelle uses digital banners for a variety of messaging on RVUniverse.com. “The banner ads are our main showcase of what we have going on,” including upcoming trade shows, price changes, and deals, citing a 2024 example announcing 20% off select models. “It actually improved a lot of our leads, and people clicking and looking, the numbers show.”
Trade Show Deals
“We’re going to have some exclusive pricing during our shows as well,” Charvelle announces. Van City’s Nevada location hosted its Vegas March Madness show in early March. The dealership also attended the Great American RV Show in Denver, Colorado, March 27-29. “The best idea is to go to the shows because you can get a better deal.”