Coachmen RV brands Apex and Remote have parted ways after sharing a product manager and production line in recent years.
Max Keagle will continue to oversee Apex, a brand he has worked with for most of the past decade. Matt Popovic has taken over as Remote’s product manager, where he will look to expand the company’s ultra-lite line.
Both were on hand at Forest River’s 16th annual Product Expo this week to introduce dealers to new models, including the Apex 246 BARV and the Remote 14R.
General Manager Andy Brock, who oversees Apex and Remote, said each brand having its own leader is important.
“When I have seen a great product developed in the past, it has always been a matter of total focus,” he said. “Whoever develops the product wakes up in the morning and thinks, ‘How can I make the best product possible?’ Generally, when product design for two brands falls under one person, you just do not get stuff that is as creative. This move is all about product focus and providing the best product to the market.”
Keagle developed Remote’s 14R before turning the brand over to Popovic. Moving forward, Popovic will guide the design process.
“This will allow us to have better focus on our products, better service for our dealers, and a better direction and focus for our customers and what they want,” Keagle said. “We created a really cool, unique product in the 7(-foot)-wide that people really bought into and like. I do think it is gonna really be able to flourish with somebody whose sole focus is that brand.”
Keagle said he believes the Remote 14R will be “a real rock star in the industry.” The trailer weighs 2,700 pounds and includes a queen bed, dinette and full bath while measuring in under 18 feet in length.
“Typically, an RV that weighs less than that is something you have to crawl into,” Keagle said. “We were really trying to give people something that was a traditional RV experience, but at teardrop weights, and that 14R is going to be a killer.”
Coachmen RV President Bob Dumm said the decision to separate the two brands was made a couple of months ago based on Apex’s recent growth and Remote’s potential to follow.
“Remote is kind of a different animal,” Dumm said. “So, we thought we would build Remote up into its own brand. Of course, there are a lot of Apex dealers that have the Remote. We are going to continue to develop that, and we have put a great product guy in place to do just that.”
Roughly a month ago, Apex’s Nano trailer production moved to a new plant. Nano’s former home now solely builds Remote. Popovic said the plant will grow to serve the overland market with lightweight towables.
“We are going to continue to grow as our vision, our plant and our dealer base grows,” Popovic said. “We are going to continue to grow into the 8-foot-wide market segment and into every niche market that encompasses the name Remote—anything that involves getting off the main path.”
Popovic said he envisions developing overlanding products that compress the price point as much as possible. He said Remote will have limited production the remainder of 2025 while ramping up to full production after the first of the year.
Brock said, “Matt is motivated, excited and totally focused on making Remote his. He has brought his vision to the dealers that walk through here at the Expo. They are buying in hook, line and sinker. So, it is exciting.”
