Brown & Brown Dealer Services introduced its new Ultimate RV Protection plan to dealership professionals at the company’s annual F&I School over the weekend.
Brown &Brown President of RV and Marine F&I Shawn Moran said he would define the new product as the ultimate wear-and-tear coverage. Full details on the program will be available in December. Dealers can begin selling the product Jan. 1, 2026.
The policy has a $5,000 cap on total paid benefits to limit the provider’s financial exposure.
Moran said the plan will include up to $1,000 of coverage for each of five areas, including ductwork, water and electrical surges, plumbing, RV leak repair and RV modification and adjustment.
Ductwork coverage includes leaks, breaks, vapor barriers, plenums, dampers and registers essential for airflow control. The plan covers clearing plumbing stoppages in sinks, bathtubs, laundry drains and toilets.
Leak repair includes coverage for leaks in sidewalls, slide outs and various roofs. Leaks from roof penetrations and roof-mounted installations are excluded from coverage.
The policy provides coverage for water damage from burst pipes and hose failures. The policy covers lightning and electrical surges to electronics, appliances, outlets, LEDs and wiring.
The RV modification and adjustment section of the policy covers regular adjustments to slide out mechanisms, cabinetry doors/handles and locks and security components.
At the F&I School, Brown & Brown also introduced its new AI-based training initiative, Sim 365.
The school focused on the ins and outs of the finance approval process. Dealer participants heard from more than a dozen lenders on the specifics of each bank’s RV and marine lending programs. Lending changes were minimal in many programs, but students return to the school annually to improve their dealerships’ F&I process.
Moran said he hears professionals with 10 to 30 years of experience asking questions about the process.
“That means they are learning something new, and that is really important,” Moran said. “That is the whole concept of this school. The vice president of our division at Brown & Brown said ‘The only constant is this thing called change.’ That is why we have F&I professionals coming to this school over and over again. Something is always changing in this industry.”
The school attracted 163 students this year, with numerous first-time attendees.
Jamie Paterson of Hava City Recreation in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was among those first-time attendees. With less than two years of F&I experience, she said she had plenty of questions. The family-owned dealership signed on with Brown & Brown in the past year, which she said is how she found out about the school.
“I took a lot of notes, specifically as our bank reps were talking, for little nuances: what they are looking for in a deal, what they are not looking for in a deal, where their niche markets are credit-wise and rate-wise,” Paterson said. “I think that is the biggest takeaway for me is to be able to go back and get those deals bought.”
Paterson benefited from the opportunity to speak directly with one bank leader as she sought to resolve an administrative issue created by the fact that her dealership sells RVs and boats.
“The higher up was not even aware that this was an issue,” Paterson said. “I was able to bring that up and we are working on a solution. Coming to the school provided me with that opportunity. I am already planning on coming back next year because this was a great experience.”
Moran said Paterson’s experience is the interaction that makes the annual school so valuable.
“There is something to be said when you can walk up and shake a hand and get to know those people from the lenders,” Moran said. “Maybe you sat and had dinner with that person during the school. You are a person now. You are no longer just Shawn, you know, the finance guy that I talked to on the phone over there at ABC RV. Instead, I am Shawn, the person that I now know and now there is a relationship. There is so much value in that.”
In addition to presentations on Brown & Brown programs and bank programs, attendees heard from service providers such as Menu Metric, Pauldron and 700 Credit.
The three-day school wrapped up with several compliance-related sessions Monday led by Brown & Brown Dealer Services National Director of Compliance Tom O’Neil. He addressed various issues ranging from misleading advertising to the Connecticut Cars Rule that went into effect Oct. 1. He said any RV dealer who has locations in the state, advertises in the state or sells to residents of the state needs to understand the new rule.
“I do not want to scare you,” he said, “but I do want you to be informed.”
Moran said teaching dealership employees ways to efficiently and effectively manage the F&I process offers more families the opportunity to join the RV lifestyle.
“We want to help these dealership personnel achieve that better F&I experience and a better experience of the customer,” Moran said. “When we sell more protection programs, the customer ultimately is protected better for their adventure ahead in the RV trip. We also create that profitability for the dealer. That is probably more needed than ever this past year and now in the year ahead.”
