RV, manufactured housing museum in Elkhart looks to expand

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) - Officials of a recreational vehicle and manufactured housing museum in Elkhart are looking to expand its space and cater to larger events.

President of the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum, Darryl Searer, unveiled a plan to expand the venue last week, The Elkhart Truth (http://bit.ly/2b6a5bI ) reported.

The $8 million to $10 million update includes adding a 60,000-square-foot event center, a 15,000-square-foot, a campground rally site, and pavilion with a stage and restrooms. Plans also include an expansion of the museum and existing office space.

"We are underutilizing the space we have right now," Searer said.

He estimates that it had to turn away 45 events over the last year because there wasn't room to host them.

"This expansion will allow us to be able to host those events and even attract new ones," Searer said.

Searer's hope is that in the future, thousands of visitors will come to Elkhart for an RV trade show, while hundreds more participate in an RV rally next door.

"They will have easy access to the site from the Toll Road," he said. "All of the RV sites will be pull through, which nobody else in the county has. Plus, we will be able to increase visits to the museum through tie-ins to the rallies."

Searer said he expects additional business from the expansion to bring in more than $400,000 each year.

"Everybody who holds an event here or comes here loves the facility," he said. "The best part is we are not just limited to RV-related shows. We hold weddings, reunions and even a gun show."

Construction for the expansion could begin by 2020.

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Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.elkharttruth.com