Thor Industries is a household name in the RV world. This isn’t surprising, considering how many name-brand RVs fall under the Thor umbrella. But the Thor family encompasses much more than just Thor RVs. And their family just got even bigger when Thor bought RVillage, the RV community and social platform.
If you’re one of the 350,000+ RVillage users, you’re probably wondering what that means for you. Is RVillage going away? Is it expanding? Do you need to be concerned about the privacy of your data?
We had many of the same questions. But lucky for you, we did the legwork to find out what this merger means. So keep reading to learn about the future of RVillage in the hands of Thor.
RVillage Bought by Togo Group, a Thor Joint Venture
Togo Group technically bought RVillage. But since Thor has 73.5% ownership in Togo Group, they have the final say for all major decisions in the smaller company. In the end, this means that Thor owns RVillage.
What Is RVillage?
The life of a full-time RVer can sometimes be lonely. While it’s amazing to travel, it’s hard to make those connections with other people that so many of us crave.
After all, most people don’t understand our lifestyle. And when we are constantly on the move, meeting people and developing strong bonds is downright impossible. Or rather, it used to be.
That was before RVillage came to be. RVillage lets you find RVers on the road wherever you want to go. You could even use it to plan your travels around where you’re likely to connect with other full-timers. The coolest thing about RVillage is that it is free to use!
You can use the features to check in at different campgrounds. Then, you can connect with other RVillage members in the area. There are sometimes formal get-togethers, but you can also chat with other members to plan smaller meetups of your own.
RVillage founder Curtis Coleman has over 30 years of RV experience. He engaged in several other entrepreneurial pursuits before forming RVillage. Since the foundation, the RVillage team has grown to include fellow RVers and travelers from all walks of life.
Who is Thor?
As we mentioned before, Thor Industries owns a lot of other RV companies like Airstream, Dutchman, Jayco, Hymer, and Four Winds, to name a few. This makes It the largest RV manufacturer in the world!
When it comes to RVs, Thor knows their stuff. They own 18 different RV companies and 3 other related companies. One of which is Togo RV. The other, Roadtrippers, is also a go-to resource for all travelers.
Peter Orthwein and Wade Thompson are the founders of Thor Industries. They began in 1980 with their first purchase, Airstream. They went public in 1984 and have continued to grow since then.
What is Togo Group?
There are multiple parties involved in Thor buying RVillage. The last one is Togo Group. You may not have heard of them before, but they’re a leader in the travel technology industry.
Their mission is to make travel easier by offering ways to own or rent an RV. They also provide useful information for RV maintenance, and of course, planning your trips!
What Does This Acquisition Mean for the 300k+ RVillage Users (and their data)?
If you’re a current member of RVillage, you may be wondering what this means for you. Keep reading to find out!
What Togo Group Has to Say
Togo Group has stressed that they “share the same commitment to community and member service that has been the bedrock of RVillage since the beginning.”
That would imply a continuation of data privacy protection.
Furthermore, the RVillage privacy policy continues to show that they won’t sell your data to third parties. You also have almost total control regarding what information you choose to supply to RVillage.
One of the important features is location sharing. This allows you to find other RVers in the area after all. But even that is up to you. If you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to.
One of the biggest changes users can expect to see is not in privacy but functionality. With the acquisition by Togo Group, a Gold member option will be added to their list of options.
This paid membership option allows users to have a better web experience with more features and usability. It seems like most users won’t experience many changes. But if you want a new experience, you can pay for the upgrade to Gold status.
What Might This Mean for the Future of RVillage?
It’s hard to say for sure what will happen now that Togo Group and Thor bought RVillage and are in charge. Based on our research, it sounds like it could be a good thing for the platform.
Everything that previous users loved about RVillage will still be available, the main change seems to be the paid membership option.
We hope this doesn’t mean that RVillage will eventually switch to a fully paid platform. It’s been a great resource for everyone. Only time will tell. But for now, you can take advantage of continued free access with all the data protection you’re used to.
Will Thor Bring More?
Thor seems to have it all. And even when you think they couldn’t possibly grow anymore, they do! The acquisition of RVillage by Thor seems to be a promising change for RVers who want an upgraded experience.
The downside?
You’ll have to pay for it. But if you are happy with what you’ve got, you can continue to use RVillage for free! Hopefully, that won’t change in the future.
Now you know.
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