Freedom RV and Marine settles into new home

Even though it was pouring rain Thursday afternoon at Freedom RV and Marine, a few hardy souls braved the showers to buy some RVs.

Come rain, sleet, hail or snow, the change of seasons isn’t enough to slow the RV business down at Freedom, which keeps up brisk sales to snowbirds headed south for the winter, said Steve Trammell, the shop’s general manager.

Freedom RV and Marine moved from a location on Sprague Avenue to its new spot just inside the western edge of Liberty Lake city limits. Employees moved 200 or so units, totaling between $6 million and $7 million in inventory, to the new spot and there’s plenty of room to grow, said owner Murray Danzig.

And business has stayed busy throughout the move, even picking up at the new location.

“When the season ends for Lake Coeur d’Alene, you get the people wanting to go south for winter,” Trammell said. “It’s not a dead season, it’s just a little slower.”

The lot is filled with RVs right now, from $6,500 pop-up trailers to $300,000-plus diesel buses.

Freedom RV and Marine joins a group of RV shops, including RV’s Northwest and R & R RV, all located within a two-mile stretch of Interstate 90.

Freedom broke ground last March at the new facility, and workers were putting together the interior finishing touches Thursday afternoon. The snack machine was filled with chips, and parts were being placed on shelves. One of the biggest challenges in the move has been relocating 20,000 different parts for the repair shop, Danzig said.

During the move a master mechanic’s toolset spilled over on the roadway, scattering tools that took three days to pick up, Trammell said. But everything is up and running and the store even has that “new store smell,” he said.

Danzig said owning an RV shop is fun because, for many people, owning an RV is a major goal.

“This is a dream some people want,” he said. “It feels good to be able to give that to them.”

Other than making sales this fall, the company is getting ready for the January RV show and then the hectic spring season of selling boats, Trammell said. Freedom RV also features a full-service repair shop with two master technicians.