RV supplier sets up camp in Jackson

Camping World of Jackson, which caters to the recreational vehicle lifestyle, is now open at 4601 I-55 S. Frontage Road.

The Jackson location is the second one in Mississippi for the supplier that has 130 locations across the country and specializes in RV sales, service, parts and accessories. The other location in Mississippi is in Olive Branch, near Memphis.

The facility includes a 9,300-square-foot retail store that stocks more than 10,000 RV and camping products and accessories. Online and catalog shopping is available at www.campingworld.com.

The opening of Camping World of Jackson allows the business to expand its RV dealer network and reinforces its brand’s presence while supporting economic growth, said Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam, an RV owners organization.

The Jackson market had been considered through the years as a possible location for Camping World and it moved up in priority after Lemonis visited in 2014.

“I fell in love with the area,” he said, noting that he has distant cousins who live in the metro area. “Jackson is a great town, has great highways running right through it, and people love the outdoors.”

Also important, many consumers in the area can afford to buy an RV, Lemonis said.

One in 10 Americans own an RV, he said, and it’s not the retired crowd any more. The average age of an RV user was once 60 years old but is now 40 to 45 years old, he said.

While Camping World sells brand new, top-of-the-line motor homes, it also has new and used fifth wheels, travel trailers, pop-ups and more, he said.

Manufacturers and brands include Winnebago Industries, Fleetwood, Thor Motor Coach, Itasca, Coleman, Heartland, Keystone, Forest River, Crossroads, Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Jayco, Starcraft and Coachmen.

RVs are popular because they offer an affordable way for families to vacation, enjoy state and national parks and see the country, Lemonis said.

Depending on the make and model and terms of financing, the monthly payment on a small RV can be less costly than one night’s lodging in a hotel, he said.

The interest paid on an RV with full facilities is tax deductible, Lemonis said. To qualify for the home mortgage interest deduction, the RV must be used as security for the loan, have basic sleeping, cooking and toilet facilities, be rented no more than 15 days of the year and interest paid must exceed the taxpayer’s standard deduction.

About 30 people work at Camping World of Jackson and employment is expected to grow to about 45, he said. Job applications are available online at www.campingworldgoodsamjobs.com/.

Founded in 1966, Camping World is based in Chicago, next door to Indiana where many RVs are made, and Chicago offers easy access by air to all of the stores, said Lemonis, who is host of CNBC’s prime time reality series, “The Profit,” in which he lends his expertise to struggling small businesses around the country and judges businesses based on a “Three P” principle: people, process and product.

Contact Nell Luter Floyd at nellfloyd@bellsouth.net.