Last April I went out on a limb. Citing the conversations I'm having with dealers, I said we are headed out of the recession. What I'm now seeing in the paper and elsewhere confirms that. We're facing one of those "Now" moments. We've always been told to plan for the future but live in the present. NOW is that time.

Signs are everywhere I'm looking and listening. Even to most pessimistic outlook shows us coming out of the recession. Anyone doubting that isn't paying attention or is making a choice to wallow in self-pity or suffers seriously from the "Chicken Little" syndrome.

The surplus inventory has been, for the most part, absorbed. Used units are bringing better than book at the auctions. Why are some salespeople still tolerating getting beat up for deals? The story needs to go out. The hard times and excessive discounts are over. It is still an excellent time for someone to buy an RV. Their chance to steal one is past.

The concern we ought to have is balancing what we know against the likely outcomes. I have a couple of concerns for dealers in general. First, that they don't react. Second, that they react inappropriately.

I'm hoping the recovery takes its time. One of the worst scenarios would be for business to spike when most stores and manufacturers have little inventory to meet demand. Let's hope it does as many say and builds back over time.

We will still lose dealers. Lost a couple this past couple of weeks. Others will look at the prospect of a typical winter, think of it as worse that it likely will be and -- give up. The stronger dealers have been paying attention to inventory and to expenses. They maintained core staff. They find themselves prepared to execute at whatever level of business we can stir up.

What are you doing to ensure your success?