Maximize your property’s equity through strategic expansions and new amenities. Modern Campground invites you to explore actionable ways to build long-term park value on the latest episode of MC Fireside Chats, airing live on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET.
This week’s discussion bridges the gap between guest experience and real estate investment, focusing on how physical property improvements translate directly into increased business valuation.
Special guest Zachery Shankel, Founder of Paradox Development Group, will share expert insights on property evaluations and master development planning. Attendees will discover how strategic expansions and the addition of modern amenities can maximize property equity and secure long-term financial success for their outdoor hospitality businesses.
Joining the conversation is host Brian Searl, who is thrilled to introduce a new recurring panelist: Landan Dory, Founder of North Star Brokerage Advisory, bringing specialized expertise in RV park real estate and acquisitions.
They are accompanied by our expert recurring panel: Zach Stoltenberg (Associate Principal of Architecture, LJA), Scott Foos (CEO, Horizon Outdoor Hospitality), Jayne Cohen (Founder and CEO, Campground Consulting Group), Jeremy Johnson (Owner, Camp Kona Hills), Kaleigh Day (Owner/Operator, Surf Junction), and Tom Mason (Chief Operating Officer, IVEE Group).
Their collective insights will provide actionable strategies for operators looking to scale their physical footprint and boost property value. Tune in live on November 11th at 2:00 PM ET to unlock new strategies for your campground’s future at https://mcfiresidechats.com/.
November 4th, 2026 Episode Recap
The November 4th, 2026 episode of MC Fireside Chats opened with host Brian Searl experiencing a few technical difficulties, relying entirely on his phone’s camera and a massive echo before finally stabilizing his connection. Broadcasting to a surprisingly sparse panel, Searl was joined by just three key industry figures: Michael Moore from the Texas Association of Campground Owners, Ben Hirsch of Campers Inn RV, and Rafael Correa of Blue Water. Despite the light attendance, the group dove right into a heavy discussion surrounding the previous night’s election results, the upcoming trade show season, and the economic challenges facing both RV dealerships and private campgrounds as they look toward 2027.
The conversation naturally kicked off with the elephant in the room: the national election. While the panel explicitly agreed to avoid partisan politics, they all acknowledged that the results clearly signaled a massive voter frustration with the cost of living. Ben Hirsch pointed to a specific ballot measure in Florida regarding property tax relief, which passed with overwhelming support, as proof that affordability is the absolute top priority for the average American right now. Hirsch stressed that politicians clearly understand this mandate, meaning that the outdoor hospitality industry must also hyper-focus on affordability if it hopes to keep families traveling.
Hirsch then transitioned this economic reality into a forecast for the recreational vehicle market. He noted that while new RV sales are currently down roughly sixteen percent year-over-year, the used RV market remains entirely flat. Because the used market significantly outsells the new market, Hirsch calculated that the total RV sector is only down about five percent overall. He explained that this data proves consumers are not abandoning the camping lifestyle; they are simply shifting their purchasing habits toward more affordable used models and holding onto their current loans for much longer periods. Consequently, Hirsch predicted that the new RV market will likely remain flat or decline by single digits into 2027 as consumers wait for economic relief.
Rafael Correa expanded on this economic anxiety from the perspective of a campground operator. Correa noted that operators are facing the exact same squeeze as consumers, grappling with flat revenues while the costs of labor, insurance, and utilities continue to skyrocket. He highlighted the frustrating juxtaposition of living in a country where artificial intelligence is driving massive stock market growth while the average consumer is actively struggling to afford basic healthcare.
Brian Searl brought another layer to the economic discussion by pointing out the growing political backlash against data centers. Searl noted that massive data center construction projects frequently boost local campground revenues by providing long-term stays for transient construction workers. Michael Moore confirmed that data centers were a massive, highly contentious issue in the recent Texas governor’s race. With the newly elected governor actively campaigning against their expansion, Moore warned that Texas campground owners who were banking on these multi-year construction projects to fill their extended-stay sites are now facing serious financial whiplash and uncertainty.
Despite the economic headwinds, the panel expressed strong optimism regarding the upcoming trade show season. Rafael Correa, speaking as a board member for OHI, revealed that advance ticket sales for the upcoming conference in Texas were actually pacing ahead of last year’s record-breaking numbers. He attributed this surge to the massive concentration of campgrounds in Texas and the central location’s appeal to West Coast operators. Correa expressed extreme excitement for the show, particularly to see the latest artificial intelligence software tools that major property management systems are preparing to unveil.
This excitement for technology naturally led the panel to discuss how they are personally utilizing AI to streamline their respective operations. Ben Hirsch shared that Campers Inn RV is aggressively developing custom AI tools to automate internal reporting and enhance the customer service lifecycle, ensuring that their front-line staff can focus entirely on relationship-building rather than data entry. Rafael Correa mirrored this approach, explaining how he built a custom AI command center that collates his emails and meeting transcripts into a living Jira task board, effectively replacing his need for a traditional executive assistant.
Correa emphasized that rather than eliminating jobs, AI is allowing his staff to level up into highly creative roles. He proudly shared that his former assistant, freed from mundane administrative tasks, is now using AI video editing tools to produce a highly professional YouTube series that demystifies third-party management for legacy campground owners. Both Correa and Hirsch agreed that any business—whether a massive RV dealership or a mom-and-pop campground—that fails to adopt these productivity tools will find itself at a massive competitive disadvantage within the next two years.
When asked for practical advice on how a struggling mom-and-pop operator should begin their AI journey, Michael Moore suggested starting with extreme simplicity. He noted that many legacy operators keep their entire business knowledge locked inside their heads, so the very first step is using AI to simply document and memorialize their standard operating procedures. Correa took a more financial approach, advising operators to purchase a basic AI subscription and connect it to their accounting software, utilizing the AI as an assistant controller to instantly identify wasteful spending and uncover new revenue opportunities.
The episode concluded with Brian Searl wrapping up the conversation and collecting final thoughts from the panel. Michael Moore expressed his excitement to welcome everyone to Texas for the OHI conference, while Ben Hirsch directed listeners to the Campers Inn RV website. Rafael Correa offered one final piece of encouragement, urging all operators to dive into artificial intelligence without fear of breaking things, promising that the initial learning curve will pay massive dividends. Searl then signed off, noting that he would be skipping his usual Outwired broadcast while he remained heads-down building new, industry-changing technology.
Shorter: During the November 4th, 2026 episode of MC Fireside Chats, industry leaders discussed the economic pressures facing consumers and how a shift toward affordability is impacting both RV sales and campground operations. To navigate these headwinds and remain competitive, the panel emphasized that operators must aggressively integrate artificial intelligence to streamline backend tasks and uncover new revenue opportunities.
About MC Fireside Chats
MC Fireside Chats is a live podcast experience dedicated to the outdoor hospitality and outdoor recreation industries. Hosted by Brian Searl, founder and CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, the show offers engaging discussions with industry leaders, innovators, and experts shaping the future of camping, RVing, glamping, and outdoor recreation.
Airing every Wednesday at 2 p.m. (ET), the show follows a structured weekly theme to deliver deep dives into the most relevant topics:
- Week 1: Industry Trends & Insights
- Week 2: Building Park Value
- Week 3: Business Operations & Management
- Week 4: Marketing, AI and Technology
Each episode features a panel of recurring guests, complemented by 1–2 rotating special guests, including industry analysts, campground owners, technology providers, sustainability advocates, and more. Whether exploring the latest market trends or innovative guest experience strategies, MC Fireside Chats delivers thought-provoking insights for professionals and enthusiasts across the outdoor recreation spectrum.
To explore previous episodes of MC Fireside Chats, visit: https://mcfiresidechats.com/
