Camping World Holdings, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

[X]ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

OR

[   ]TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _____ to_____

Commission file number:  001-37908

CAMPING WORLD HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

250 Parkway Drive, Suite 270

Lincolnshire, IL 60069

Telephone: (847) 808‑3000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including

area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  Yes ☐   No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the new registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ☐   No ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, as of June 30, 2017, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $720,383,000. Solely for purposes of this disclosure, shares of common stock held by executive officers and directors of the Registrant as of such date have been excluded because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates.

As of March 12, 2018, the registrant had 36,799,978 shares of Class A common stock outstanding, 50,836,629 shares of Class B common stock outstanding, and one share of Class C common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement relating to its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 are incorporated herein by reference in Part III.

 

 

 

 

Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Form 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017

INDEX

 

 

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”), unless the context otherwise requires, references to:

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD‑LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K may be forward-looking statements. Statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including, among others, statements regarding expected new retail location openings, including greenfield locations and acquired locations, as well as Gander Outdoors locations; profitability of new retail locations; our working capital needs and the funding thereof; including our intent to increase borrowings in the near term to fund certain store openings and dealership acquisitions; use of proceeds from our borrowings under the Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities (as defined below); sufficiency of our sources of liquidity and capital and potential need for additional financing; future capital expenditures and debt service obligations; refinancing, retirement or exchange of outstanding debt; our plans to increase product offerings and grow our businesses to enhance revenue and cash flow, and increase our overall profitability; expectations regarding consumer behavior and growth; our comparative advantages; our plans and ability to expand our consumer base; our ability to respond to changing business and economic conditions; volatility in sales and potential impact of miscalculating the demand for our products or our product mix; our ability to drive growth; capacity of our contact centers; anticipated impact of certain business acquisitions and opening and operation of the related retail locations; the number of Gander Outdoors locations the Company expects to open and operate and the anticipated timing of such store openings; anticipated timing of the completion of the accounting to reflect the effect of the 2017 Tax Act (as defined below); expectations regarding increase of certain expenses are forward-looking statements; the Company’s plan with regards to the disposition of its investments in CWGS, LLC and its expectations related to realization of a portion of certain outside basis deferred tax asset; the Company’s intent to complete the remediation process related to material weaknesses identified as promptly as possible and to not consider the material weaknesses remediated until our enhanced controls are operational for a sufficient period of time and tested; and the possibility that the Company’s management may decide to take additional measures to address the material weaknesses or modify its current remediation plan. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘expects,’’ ‘‘plans,’’ ‘‘anticipates,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘intends,’’ ‘‘targets,’’ ‘‘projects,’’ ‘‘contemplates,’’ ‘‘believes,’’ ‘‘estimates,’’ ‘‘predicts,’’ ‘‘potential’’ or ‘‘continue’’ or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We believe that these important factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. For a further discussion of the risks relating to our business, see “Item 1A—Risk Factors” in Part I of this Form 10-K.

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Restatement of Consolidated Financial Results 

On March 10, 2018, the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors concluded that our previously issued consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016, and as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2017, three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 (collectively, the “Affected Periods”), should no longer be relied upon. As a result, this Form 10-K includes the restatement of our consolidated financial statements and the related disclosures as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016. The Audit Committee reached this conclusion based on our review of our deferred tax asset related to our acquisition of our direct interest in CWGS, LLC through newly issued LLC units in connection with our IPO in October 2016 and our subsequent public offering of our Class A common stock in May 2017. Following the purchase of newly issued LLC units from CWGS, LLC in connection with these offerings, our deferred tax balances have reflected the differences in the book and tax basis of our investment in CWGS, LLC (i.e., outside basis). In connection with preparing our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, including considerations for the provisional impact of the recently enacted U.S. tax reform legislation commonly referred to as the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”), we determined that a portion of the outside basis deferred tax asset related to our acquisition of the direct interest in CWGS, LLC through newly issued LLC units is not expected to be realized unless we were to dispose of our investment in CWGS, LLC, which we have no current plan to

do. Accordingly, we have determined that we should have established a valuation allowance of $102.7 million against this portion of our deferred tax asset that was recorded through equity as of December 31, 2016.

In addition, along with restating our consolidated financial statements for the correction discussed above, we have adjusted for certain immaterial items with respect to the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 and each quarterly period within the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. Although the effect of these corrections was not material to the previously issued financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the interim quarterly periods therein or the interim quarterly periods in the year ended December 31, 2017. In conjunction with the restatement described above, we have determined it would be appropriate to also record these adjustments for the respective periods.

The following items of this Form 10-K include restated financial data: (i) Part II, Item 6—Selected Financial Data; (ii) Part II, Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; (iii) Part II, Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data and (iv) Part IV, Item 15—Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements sets forth, in a comparative presentation, the previously reported, restatement adjustments and restated amounts for those line items in the 2016 and 2015 consolidated financial statements affected by the restatement and corrections of immaterial errors. This Form 10-K also includes disclosure regarding the impact of the restatement on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures in Part II, Item 9A.— Controls and Procedures. 

We have not amended our previously-filed Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (the “2016 Annual Report”), and the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016 contained in the 2016 Annual Report should no longer be relied upon. Instead, such financial statements are superseded in their entirety by the restated consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016 contained in this Form 10-K.

 

 

 

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

For purposes of this Form 10-K, we define an "Active Customer" as a customer who has transacted with us in any of the eight most recently completed fiscal quarters prior to the date of measurement. Unless otherwise indicated, the date of measurement is December 31, 2017, our most recently completed fiscal quarter. Additionally, references herein to the approximately 9 million U.S. households that own a recreational vehicle are based on The RV Consumer in 2011, an industry report published by the University of Michigan in 2011 (the "RV Survey"), which we believe to be the most recent such survey.

Our Company

We believe we are the only provider of a comprehensive portfolio of services, protection plans, products and resources for recreational vehicle (“RV”) enthusiasts. Approximately 9 million households in the U.S. own an RV, and of that installed base, we have approximately 3.6 million Active Customers related to the RV industry. We generate recurring revenue by providing RV owners and enthusiasts the full spectrum of services, protection plans, products and resources that we believe are essential to operate, maintain and protect their RV and to enjoy the RV lifestyle. We provide these offerings through our two iconic brands: Good Sam and Camping World.

 

We believe our Good Sam branded offerings provide the industry’s broadest and deepest range of services, protection plans, products and resources, including: extended vehicle service contracts and insurance protection plans, roadside assistance, membership clubs and financing products. A majority of these programs are on a multi‑year or annually renewable basis. Across our extended vehicle service

contracts, emergency roadside assistance, property and casualty insurance programs and membership clubs, for each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we experienced high annual retention rates that ranged between 64% and 71%, 65% and 74%, and 66% and 74%, respectively. We also operate the Good Sam Club, which we believe is the largest RV organization in the world, with approximately 1.8 million members as of December 31, 2017. Membership benefits include a variety of discounts, exclusive benefits, specialty publications and other membership benefits, all of which we believe enhance the RV experience, drive customer engagement and provide cross‑selling opportunities for our other services, protection plans and products.

Our Camping World brand operates the largest national network of RV‑centric retail locations in the United States through our 140 retail locations in 36 states, as of December 31, 2017, and through our e‑commerce platforms. We believe we are significantly larger in scale than our next largest competitor. We provide new and used RVs, repair parts, RV accessories and supplies, RV repair and maintenance services, protection plans, travel assistance plans, RV financing, and lifestyle products and services for new and existing RV owners. Our retail locations are staffed with knowledgeable local team members, providing customers access to extensive RV expertise. Our retail locations are strategically located in key national RV markets. In 2017, our network generated approximately 3.7 million transactions, continuing to build our Active Customer database.

We attract new customers primarily through our retail locations, e‑commerce platforms and direct marketing. Once we acquire our customers through a transaction, they become part of our customer database where we leverage customized customer relationship management (“CRM”) tools and analytics to actively engage, market and sell multiple products and services. Our goal is to consistently grow our customer database through our various channels to increasingly cross‑sell our products and services.

Our Strengths

Our Iconic Brands.  With over fifty years of history dating back to 1966, we believe Camping World and Good Sam are iconic, industry defining brands that are synonymous with the RV lifestyle. Our consistent quality, breadth and depth of offerings, as well as our comprehensive range of RV lifestyle resources, have resulted in our customers having passionate loyalty to and enduring trust in our brands.

Comprehensive Portfolio of Services, Protection Plans and Products.  We believe we are the only provider of a comprehensive portfolio of services, protection plans, products and resources for RV enthusiasts. We offer more than 10,000 products and services through our retail locations and membership clubs. Our offerings are based on over 50 years of experience and customer feedback from RV enthusiasts. Further, we evaluate new products and, through acquisitions or our supplier collaborations, offer certain unique products that are developed based on customer feedback, including private label products.

Customer Database.  We have over 15.1 million unique RV contacts in our database of which approximately 3.6 million are Active Customers related to our RV products. We use a customized CRM system and database analytics to track customers and selectively market and cross‑sell our offerings. We believe our customer database is a competitive advantage and significant barrier to entry.

Leading Market Position and Scale.  Camping World is the largest national RV retail network in the United States, and we believe Good Sam is the largest RV organization in the world, with each of our businesses having a distinct web presence through our e‑commerce platforms. Our scale and our long‑term stability make us attractive to our suppliers, financiers and real estate investors. The strong relationship with our suppliers enables us to negotiate attractive product pricing and availability. We also align with our suppliers on product development in which we leverage our customer base to provide feedback in exchange for exclusive early launch periods for new products. In recent years, we have also leveraged our supplier relationships to introduce private label products, which has improved our product availability.

Core of High Margin, Recurring Revenue.  At the core of our offerings are certain high margin products and services targeting the installed base of RV households that generate recurring revenue streams. These offerings include certain Consumer Services and Plan offerings, which we believe are characterized by increased customer engagement, such as our extended vehicle service contracts, emergency roadside

assistance, property and casualty insurance programs and membership clubs. As of December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, we had 2.8 million, 2.6 million, and 2.5 million participants, respectively, across these Consumer Services and Plan offerings, including those who participated in more than one of our offerings. The increased engagement of our customers in these areas has led to high annual retention rates. Across our extended vehicle service contracts, emergency roadside assistance, property and casualty insurance programs and membership clubs, for each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, we experienced high annual retention rates that ranged between 64% and 71%, 65% and 74%, and 66% and 74%, respectively. These offerings also include our Retail parts, services and other offerings, which we believe to be stable and more consistent than the sale of new and used vehicles. Concentrating on our Consumer Services and Plans and Retail parts, services and other offerings has allowed us to grow a core of recurring revenue with gross margins of 58.2% and 44.1% respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017, which is significantly higher than our consolidated gross margins of 29.1% for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Variable Cost Structure and Capital Efficient Model.  Our decentralized and flat management structure coupled with incentive programs focused on profitability have allowed us to achieve a highly variable cost structure. Our database analytics provide us significant flexibility and meaningfully improve our marketing efficiency via nimble, targeted marketing programs. We believe our model leads to strong and stable margins through economic cycles, resulting in what we believe to be high cash flow generation, low capital expenditure requirements and impressive returns on invested capital. As a result, we have been successful in generating access to highly attractive real estate and floor plan financing terms, thereby reducing costs and significantly reducing our need for capital. This capital efficient model provides a large share of capital funding at attractive terms for new locations and acquisitions.

Experienced Team.  Our management team has an average of 22 years of industry experience. We offer highly competitive compensation tightly tied to performance, which has allowed us to attract and retain our highly experienced management team. Since 2013, our team has increased total revenue from $2.3 billion to $4.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2017, increased net income from $16.9 million to $233.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and increased Adjusted EBITDA from $164.6 million to $399.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. For a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income, the most closely comparable GAAP measure, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K.

Our Growth Strategy

Outdoor and Active Sports Retail Strategy

While we have traditionally focused on the RV-centric outdoor enthusiasts, we believe there is significant opportunity for us to offer our comprehensive portfolio of services, protection plans, products and resources beyond the traditional RV enthusiasts to a broader group of outdoor and active sports enthusiasts who enjoy hunting, fishing, boating, non-RV camping, biking, snow skiing, snowboarding, sailboarding, skateboarding and other outdoor active sports and activities. By expanding our array of products and services to include outdoor products, apparel and gear and active sportswear and gear through several strategic acquisitions listed below (“Outdoor and Active Sports Retail”) to target this broader group of outdoor and active sports enthusiasts, and by enhancing the benefits of membership in our Good Sam Club to provide additional benefits and savings to this broader group of outdoor and active sports enthusiasts, we believe we have the opportunity to expand our base of Active Customers and enhance the long-term value of the Good Sam consumer services and plans. Consistent with this new strategy, we made several strategic acquisitions in the retail space in 2017 and early 2018.

Gander Mountain and Overton’s.  On May 26, 2017, we acquired certain assets of Gander Mountain Company (“Gander Mountain”) and its Overton’s, Inc. (“Overton’s”) marine and watersports business through a bankruptcy auction. Prior to the bankruptcy, Gander Mountain operated 160 retail locations and an e-commerce business that serviced the hunting, camping, fishing, shooting sports, and outdoor markets. Following our acquisition, we rebranded the Gander Mountain business as Gander Outdoors. As of December 31, 2017, we were operating two Gander Outdoors stores, two Overton’s retail stores, and the Gander Outdoors and Overton’s online business and had 4.5 million unique contacts pertaining to these two brands. We plan to operate a total of 74 Gander Outdoors stores by May 2018.

Active Sports, Inc.  On August 17, 2017, we acquired Active Sports, Inc. which included TheHouse.com, an online retail component of the business, specializing in bikes, sailboards, skateboards, wakeboards, snowboards and outdoor gear.

W82.  On September 22, 2017, we acquired EIGHTEEN0THREE LLC, dba W82 (“W82”), which specializes in snowboarding, skateboarding, longboarding, swimwear, footwear, apparel and accessories.

Uncle Dan's Outfitters.  On October 19, 2017, we acquired Uncle Dan's LTD, a specialty retailer of outdoor gear, apparel and camping supplies.

Erehwon Mountain Outfitter.  On January 30, 2018, we acquired Erehwon Mountain Outfitter, a Midwest specialty retailer of outdoor gear and apparel, with three Chicagoland area locations and the flagship location in the Milwaukee area.

We believe that these recently acquired businesses will allow us to pursue our Outdoor and Active Sports Retail strategy, are complementary to our existing businesses, will enhance our product offerings, will allow us to expand our base of Active Customers, will enhance the long-term value of the Good Sam consumer services and plans, and will provide us with a strong foundation in the outdoor lifestyle market for future growth, with the goal for us to become a go-to destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

RV Growth Strategy

Grow Our Active Base of Customers.  We believe our strong brands, leading market position, ongoing investment in our service platform, broad product portfolio and full suite of resources will continue to provide us with competitive advantages in targeting and capturing a larger share of consumers with whom we do not currently transact in addition to the growing number of new RV enthusiasts that will enter the market. We expect to continue to grow the Active Customer base primarily through three strategies:

Cross‑Sell Growing Portfolio of Services, Protection Plans and Products.  We believe our customer database of 15.1 million unique RV-related contacts, in addition to 4.5 million unique Outdoor and Active Sports Retail contacts, provides us with the opportunity to continue our growth through the cross‑selling of our products and services. We use our customized CRM system and database analytics to proactively market and cross‑sell to Active Customers. We also seek to increase the penetration of our customers who exhibit higher multi‑product attachment rates.

New Products and Vertical Acquisitions.  Introduction of new products enhances our cross‑selling effort, both by catering to evolving customer demands and by bringing in new customers. Through relationships with existing suppliers and through acquisitions, we will look to increase the new products we can offer to our customers. Similarly, an opportunistic vertical acquisition strategy allows us to earn an increased margin on our services, protection plans and products, and we evaluate such acquisitions that can allow us to capture additional sales from our customers at attractive risk‑adjusted returns.

Our Services, Protection Plans, Products and Resources

We operate through two reportable segments: Consumer Services and Plans and Retail. See Note 22 — Segment Information to our consolidated financial statements for further information regarding our reportable segments. Through our retail locations, e commerce platforms and clubs, we offer RV owners and RV enthusiasts the full spectrum of services, protection plans, products and resources that we believe are essential to operate, maintain, protect and to enjoy the RV lifestyle, including, among others:

Good Sam Offerings

Consumer Services and Plans

Extended vehicle service contracts:  We offer a mechanical breakdown insurance program developed and offered exclusively for the members of the Good Sam Club and underwritten and insured by QBE Europe Insurance Ltd (“QBE”). The contracts cover the cost of parts, labor and repairs to motorized and towable RVs as well as autos, pick-up trucks and SUVs. The contracts ensure the members will have continuous protection during the life of the contracts. QBE assumes full underwriting risk associated with the contracts and we are compensated on a commission basis. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 68,000 contracts in force underwritten by QBE.

Emergency roadside assistance:  We offer roadside assistance for RVs, autos and motorcycles. Our roadside assistance services include towing, jump start, tire change, mobile mechanic and other services. Membership prices range from $70 to $160 per year depending on coverage, with our Good Sam Club members receiving a discount. We contract with Signature’s Nationwide Motor Club, Inc. to handle dispatch calls through its network of tow providers and we pay a fee per incident or call. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 643,000 members in our emergency roadside assistance plan.

Property and casualty insurance programs:  We provide third-party auto, RV, motorcycle and boat specialty insurance and home insurance through arrangements with underwriters, including National General, Progressive, Nationwide and Safeco. For the year ended December 31, 2017, we sold, through third-party insurance providers, insurance policies with an aggregate net written premium of $241 million. We do not share the underwriting risk of the insurance programs and we receive a marketing fee based on the amount of premium paid to the insurance providers.

Membership clubs:  We operate two membership clubs: The Good Sam Club and the Coast to Coast Club. The Good Sam Club members enjoy savings on purchases at Camping World retail locations, discounts on nightly rates at affiliated Good Sam RV parks and other benefits related to the RV lifestyle. We believe the Good Sam Club is the largest RV enthusiast organization in the world. The Coast to Coast Club provides access to, and savings at, private membership campgrounds and other travel related benefits. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 1.8 million members across our two clubs.

Vehicle financing and refinancing:  We market third-party financing and refinancing solutions for new and used RVs and boats through an arrangement with Essex Credit, a Division of Bank of the West. Essex Credit provides the financing and assumes full underwriting and credit risk, and we receive a marketing fee based on the referred business.

Travel protection:  We contract with On Call International to offer travel protection plans through Good Sam TravelAssist, where On Call International primarily assumes the underwriting risk through third-party underwriters. The plans provide 24/7 coverage for emergency medical evacuation, return-home services, emergency medical monitoring, as well as other travel assistance services. Prices range from $60 to $170 per policy per year depending on coverage. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 197,000 contracts in force primarily underwritten by On Call International’s underwriter, Inter Hannover.

Co-branded credit cards:  We contract with Visa and Comenity Capital Bank to offer a Good Sam | Camping World Visa® branded credit card. Cardholders receive enhanced rewards points, which are referred to as REC rewards, for money spent at our retail locations, on our e-commerce platforms and at private campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 153,000 issued and open co-branded credit card accounts.

Consumer activities and resources:

Camping World Offerings

New and Used Vehicles

New Vehicles:  We offer a comprehensive selection of new RVs across a range of price points, classes and floor plans, from entry level travel trailers to Class A diesel pushers, at our retail locations and on our e-commerce platform. We have formed strategic alliances with leading RV manufacturers, including Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc. The table below sets forth certain information on our primary offerings for the year ended December 31, 2017.

 

Used Vehicles:  We sell a comprehensive selection of used RVs at our retail locations, including the vehicle types listed in the table above. The primary source of used RVs is through trade-ins at the time of the sale of new and used RVs. Used RVs are generally reconditioned in our service departments prior to sale. Used RVs that do not meet our standards for retail sale are typically sold at wholesale auctions.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, we sold approximately 66,800 new and 30,300 used vehicles at our retail locations and through our e-commerce platforms.

Parts, Services and Other

Repair and Maintenance:  We offer repair and maintenance services at our 140 retail locations nationwide as of December 31, 2017 and perform warranty repairs for RVs. With over 1,500 RV technicians, we are equipped to offer comprehensive repair and maintenance services for most RV components.

Installation of parts and accessories:  Our full-service repair facilities enable us to install all parts and accessories that we sell in our retail locations, including, among other items, towing and hitching products, satellite systems, braking systems, leveling systems and appliances. While other RV dealerships may be able to install RV parts and accessories and other retailers may be able to sell certain parts and accessories, our ability to both sell and install necessary parts and accessories affords us a competitive advantage over online retailers and big box retailers that do not have service centers designed to accommodate RVs and over RV dealerships that do not offer a comprehensive inventory of parts and accessories.

Collision repair:  We offer collision repair services at most of our service centers, and over 30% of our service facilities are equipped with full body paint booths. Our facilities are equipped to offer a wide selection of collision repair services, including fiberglass front and rear cap replacement, windshield replacement, interior remodel solutions and paint work. We perform collision repair services for a wide array of insurance carriers, including Progressive, National General and Nationwide.

OEM and aftermarket parts and accessories:  Through our retail stores and e-commerce platform, we offer a comprehensive range of original and aftermarket RV parts, accessories and supplies, including towing and hitching, satellite and GPS systems, appliances and furniture, leveling systems, braking systems, generators and electrical products, supplies and other products necessary or desirable for the RV enthusiast and RV lifestyle.

Dealership Finance and Insurance

Vehicle financing:  Through arrangements with third-party lenders, such as Bank of America, Bank of the West, US Bank, Ally Bank and M&T Bank, and other regional and local banks and credit unions, we are

able to provide financing for most new and used RVs we sell through our retail locations. Generally, our financing transactions are structured through long-term retail installment sales contracts (with terms of up to 20 years), which we enter into with our customers on behalf of our third-party lenders, which have provided initial, non-binding approval to assume our position as creditor. The retail installment sales contracts are assigned on a non-recourse basis, with the third-party lender assuming underwriting and credit risk. In 2017, we arranged financing transactions for approximately 71% of our total annual number of new and used units sold.

Protection Plans:  We offer and sell a variety of protection plans and services to the purchasers of our RVs as part of the delivery process, including, among others, our Good Sam branded extended vehicle service contracts, emergency roadside assistance and travel assist plans, and gap, wheel, tire and fabric protection plans. These products are primarily underwritten and administered by independent third parties, and we are primarily compensated on a commission basis.

Customers and Markets

The estimated number of U.S. households that own an RV is approximately 9 million, which we believe has grown consistently over the past 20 years, including during the last economic downturn. We have approximately 3.6 million Active Customers throughout our RV product lines, and aim to market and sell our services, protection plans, products and resources to the growing number of new market entrants.

The recreational vehicle industry is characterized by RV enthusiasts’ investment in, and steadfast commitment to, the RV lifestyle. Owners spend on insurance, extended service contracts, roadside assistance and regular maintenance in order to protect and maintain their RV. They typically invest in new accessories and the necessary installation costs as they upgrade their RV. They also spend on services and resources as they plan, engage in, and return from their road trips. Furthermore, based on industry research and management’s estimates, we believe that RV owners typically trade-in to buy another RV every four to five years.

In 2017, approximately 505,000 new RVs were shipped by manufacturers. Overall, from 2012 to 2017, the number of RV shipments grew by 12% annually. There are two main categories of RVs: motorhomes (motorized units) and towables (units that are towed behind a car, van or pickup). Motorized units include Class C Motorhomes, with prices for new units typically ranging from $57,000 to $92,000, Class A Gas Motorhomes, with prices for new units typically ranging from $75,000 to $114,000, Class A Diesel Motorhomes, with prices for new units typically ranging from $128,000 to $318,000, and Class B Motorhomes, with prices for new units typically ranging from $64,000 to $104,000. Towable units include travel trailers with prices for new units typically ranging from $15,000 to $29,000 and fifth wheel trailers, with prices for new units typically ranging from $35,000 to $63,000. According to data gathered by Statistical Surveys, Inc., which tracks the number of RV registrations in every state except Hawaii and Alaska, from 2011 to 2017, the average annual new unit sales growth of diesel motorhomes, gas motorhomes and towables was 6.8%, 20.2% and 13.2%, respectively. RV manufacturers are now producing more innovative models, such as lightweight towables and smaller, fuel efficient motorhomes. In addition, green technologies, such as solar panels and energy efficient components are appearing on an increasing number of RVs.

Generally, used RVs are sold at a lower price level than comparable new RVs and the sale of used vehicles has historically been more stable through business cycles than the sale of new vehicles.

We believe RV trips remain the least expensive type of vacation and allow RV owners to travel more while spending less. RV trips offer savings on a variety of vacation costs, including, among others, airfare, lodging and dining. While fuel costs are a component of the overall vacation cost, we believe fluctuations in fuel prices are not a significant factor affecting a family’s decision to take RV trips. We believe the average annual mileage use of an RV is between 3,000 miles and 5,000 miles.

The RV owner installed base has benefited positively from the aging and the increased industry penetration of the baby boomer consumer demographic, those aged 52 to 70 years old. In addition to growth from baby boomers, the RVIA estimates the fastest growing RV owner age group includes Generation X consumers, those currently 35 to 54 years old. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that approximately 83

million Americans were of the age 35 to 54 years old in 2016. Furthermore, according to the RV Survey, RV ownership is most concentrated among those 35 to 64 years old and the median age of an RV owner is 48 years old.

In addition to positive age trends, according to the RV Survey, the typical RV customer has, on average, a household income of approximately $75,000. This is approximately 50% higher than the median household income of the broader United States population at the time of the RV survey, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The higher average income has resulted in a more resilient RV consumer with greater buying power across economic cycles.

Taken together, we believe the savings RVs offer on a variety of vacation costs, an increase in the pool of potential RV customers due to an aging baby boomer demographic, and the increased RV ownership among younger consumers should continue to grow the installed base of RV owners, and will have a positive impact on RV usage.

Our Camping World Stores

As of December 31, 2017, we operated 140 Camping World retail locations across 36 states. Our retail locations are strategically located in key RV markets. Generally, our retail locations provide repair and installation services, collision repair, parts, services and accessories for RVs and RV enthusiasts, and 124 of our locations sell new and used RVs. We believe our retail store strategy of offering a comprehensive range of parts, services, accessories, products, and in most instances, new and used RVs, generates powerful cross-selling opportunities. The following map shows our retail location footprint as of December 31, 2017:

Store Design and Layout

We present our broad and deep array of services, protection plans, products and resources in a convenient and engaging atmosphere to meet the everyday needs of RV enthusiasts. Our retail locations generally range in size from approximately 30,000 to 45,000 square feet and are typically situated on approximately eight to 18 acres. Approximately 15% of typical retail location floor space is devoted to a new and used RV sales area; approximately 25% is devoted to the sale of RV parts, services, accessories and products, a customer service area and a technical information counter; approximately 55% is comprised of a service, repair and installation facility, which generally contains 8 to 30 repair, installation and collision bays; and approximately 5% is allocated to office and warehouse space. Large parking areas provide sufficient space to facilitate maneuvering of RVs, and the area devoted to new and used RV inventory typically ranges from five to 12 acres.

Our retail locations feature service centers staffed with expert, in-house trained product specialists and are equipped with merchandise demonstrations to assist in educating customers about RV performance products. Our retail locations also provide opportunities to promote a more interactive and consultative selling environment. Our staff is trained to cross-sell and explain the benefits of our breadth of services, protection plans and products to which our customers have become accustomed, such as extended service contracts, emergency roadside assistance products, club memberships, discount camping and travel assistance.

We regularly refresh our retail locations to enhance the customers’ shopping experience and maximize product and service offerings. New products and services are introduced in order to capitalize on the advances of the RV industry and to satisfy our customers’ needs. Store dress, promotional signage and directional signage are also periodically refreshed to further enhance our customers’ shopping experience at our retail locations.

Expansion Opportunities and Site Selection

Our disciplined expansion and acquisition strategy focuses on growing our Active Customer base. We have developed a rigorous and flexible process that employs proprietary data and analytical tools to identify target markets for new store openings and acquisitions. We select sites for new locations or evaluate acquisition opportunities based on criteria such as local demographics, traffic patterns, proximity to RV parks and campgrounds, proximity to major interstates, analytics from our Active Customer database, RV sales and registrations, product availability and availability of attractive acquisition and/or lease terms. Members of our development team spend considerable time evaluating markets and prospective sites. Our prospective sites are typically located on major highways with convenient access and high visibility. Depending on market demographics, our prospective sites generally include eight to 18 acres and accommodate a 30,000 to 45,000 square foot retail footprint and five to 12 acres for RV inventory. Our greenfield locations typically reach profitability within three months. Acquisitions are typically profitable within two full calendar months after an acquisition, with the exception of acquisitions we consider turn-around opportunities, which are typically profitable within two to four months.

As the market leader, with a scalable cost structure, we have an established track record of successful acquisitions. Over the last three years ended December 31, 2017, we have spent over $290 million, net of financing under the floor plan facility (“Floor Plan Facility”), on 18 acquisitions that included 30 retail locations, at multiples of acquired EBITDA in the low to mid-single digit range. We expect most acquisitions to result in cash-on-cash payback periods of under a year, and have designed an identification, assessment, negotiation, acquisition, and closing set of processes and procedures that allow us to move quickly on opportunities.

Store Level Management and Training

Our President of Camping World oversees all retail operations. Our retail locations are each managed by a vice president of operations, each of whom is typically responsible for 13 to 34 retail locations. Depending on the number of retail locations managed by any vice president of operations, the vice president of operations may have one or more market managers responsible for a smaller number of retail locations. Our vice presidents of operations have, on average, 24 years of experience in the RV industry and have been employed by us for 13 years.

Each retail location employs a general manager or a general sales manager (in either case, the “GM”) that has responsibility for the daily operations of the retail location. Areas of responsibility include inventory management, hiring, associate training and development, maintenance of the facilities, customer service and customer satisfaction. A GM’s management team includes a sales manager, a parts and accessories manager, a service manager, and a finance and insurance manager to help oversee the operations of each retail location department. A typical retail location employs approximately 30 to 110 full-time equivalent employees.

We employ a national director of inventory and a centralized inventory management team to oversee our RV inventory and provide consistency and controls in the ordering, purchasing and distribution of RV

inventory. We also employ a national director of service, a national director of parts and accessories, and a national director of finance and insurance to assist in the management and training for the respective areas.

We actively seek to improve our ability to assess talent during the interview process and hire talented people and provide extensive training programs and opportunities for our employees, including, among others, new-hire training and orientations, e-learning and training modules, national training directors and certification programs for our RV technicians.

Product Sourcing and Distribution

Sourcing

New and Used RVs

We generally acquire new RVs for retail sale directly from the applicable manufacturer. We have strategic contractual arrangements with leading RV manufacturers, including Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc., with such manufacturers supplying approximately 78%, 12%, and 7%, respectively, of our new RV inventory as of December 31, 2017. According to each such company’s latest Form 10-K, we are the largest customer of Thor Industries, Inc., representing 20% of this suppliers’ latest fiscal year revenue, and the second largest customer of Winnebago Industries, Inc., representing 10% of this suppliers’ latest fiscal year revenue. We maintain a central inventory management and purchasing group to manage and maintain adequate inventory levels and mix. RVs are transported directly from a manufacturer’s facility to our retail locations via a third-party transportation company.

Our strategy is to partner with financially sound manufacturers that make quality products, have adequate manufacturing capacity and distribution, and maintain an appropriate product mix. In certain instances, our manufacturing partners produce private label products exclusively available at our retail locations and through our e-commerce platforms.

Our supply arrangements with manufacturers are typically governed by dealer agreements, which are customary in the RV industry. Our dealer agreements with manufacturers are generally made on a location-by-location basis. The terms of these dealer agreements are typically subject to, among other things, us meeting all the requirements and conditions of the manufacturer’s applicable programs, us maintaining certain minimum inventory requirements and meeting certain retail sales objectives, us performing services and repairs for all owners of the manufacturer’s RVs (regardless from whom the RV was purchased) that are still under warranty and us carrying the manufacturer’s parts and accessories needed to service and repair the manufacturer’s RVs in stock at all times, us actively advertising and promoting the manufacturer’s RVs and us indemnifying the manufacturer under certain circumstances. Our dealer agreements generally designate a specific geographical territory for us, which is often exclusive to us, provided that we are able to meet the material obligations of the applicable dealer agreement. In addition, many of our dealer agreements contain stocking level requirements and certain of our dealer agreements contain contractual provisions concerning minimum advertised product pricing for current model year units. Wholesale pricing is generally established on a model year basis and is subject to change in the manufacturer’s sole discretion. In certain cases, the manufacturer may also establish a suggested retail price, below which we cannot advertise that manufacturer’s RVs.

We generally acquire used RVs from customers, primarily through trade-ins, as well as through auctions and other sources, and we generally recondition used RVs acquired for retail sale in our parts and service departments. Used RVs that we do not sell at our retail locations generally are sold at wholesale prices through auctions.

We finance the purchase of substantially all of our new RV inventory from manufacturers through our Floor Plan Facility. Used vehicles may also be financed from time to time through our Floor Plan Facility. For more information on our Floor Plan Facility, see “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Description of Senior Secured Credit Facilities and Floor Plan Facility” included in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K and Note 3 — Inventories, net

and Notes Payable — Floor Plan, net to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Parts and Accessories

The purchasing activities for our parts and accessories departments are focused on RV maintenance products, outdoor lifestyle products, RV parts and accessories, such as, among others, generators and electrical, satellite receivers and GPS, towing and hitching products and RV appliances, essential supplies and other products and services necessary or desirable for the RV lifestyle. We maintain central purchasing, replenishment and distribution functions to manage inventory planning, allocate merchandise to our retail locations and oversee the replenishment of basic merchandise to our distribution centers. We have no long-term purchase commitments. During the year ended December 31, 2017, we purchased merchandise from approximately 1,300 vendors with no vendor accounting for more than approximately 6% of total merchandise purchased. During the year ended December 31, 2017, approximately 5% of our RV-related merchandise was imported directly from vendors located in foreign countries, with a substantial portion of the imported merchandise being obtained directly from vendors in China. We have established long-standing, continuous relationships with our largest vendors. We believe that the volume of merchandise we purchase from domestic and international suppliers and our ability to buy direct from manufacturers enables us to obtain merchandise at costs which compare favorably to local RV dealers and retailers.

Our merchant team located in Bowling Green, Kentucky currently manages our parts and accessories sourcing. To ensure our product offerings are tailored to local market conditions and demand, our merchant team routinely meets one-on-one with vendors, attends trade shows, reviews trade periodicals and evaluates merchandise offered by other retail and online merchants. We also consistently gather feedback and new product reviews from our store management and employees, as well as from reviews submitted by our customers. We believe this feedback is valuable to our vendor-partners and improves our access to new models and technologies.

Distribution and Fulfillment

We distribute our RV merchandise from three leased distribution and fulfillment centers located in Franklin, Kentucky, Bakersfield, California, and Fort Worth, Texas, which are 250,000, 169,123, and 197,400 square feet, respectively. The three distribution centers support replenishment of parts and accessories for our 140 RV retail locations as of December 31, 2017 and manage the fulfillment of Camping World direct-to-consumer e-commerce and catalog orders. We use common carriers for replenishment of our retail locations and ship merchandise to our e-commerce customers via courier service. An experienced distribution management team leads a staff of approximately 110 full-time distribution center employees.

We distribute our Gander Outdoors, Overton’s and other Outdoor and Active Sports Retail merchandise from three leased and one owned distribution centers in Greenville, South Carolina, Lebanon, Indiana, St. Paul, Minnesota and Skokie, Illinois, which are 496,443, 707,952, 200,348 and 6,000 square feet, respectively. These four distribution centers support replenishment of Gander Outdoors, Overton’s and our other Outdoor and Active Sports Retail merchandise for our retail locations as of December 31, 2017 and manage the fulfillment of our Gander Outdoors, Overton’s and other outdoor and active sports direct-to-consumer e-commerce orders. We use common carriers for replenishment of our retail locations and ship merchandise to our e-commerce customers via courier service. Our experienced distribution management team leads a staff of approximately 160 full-time employees at these distribution centers.

Our distribution centers have scalable systems and processes that we believe can accommodate continued new store growth. We use an Oracle enterprise system to procure inventory, manage online customer and retail demand and fulfill orders through the warehouse management module. Additionally, we have customized an order packing and shipping software package to handle the specific requirements of the e-commerce and retail business. We have the capability to both case pick and item pick, which is designed to ensure our retail locations have sufficient quantities of product while also allowing us to maintain in inventory slow moving but necessary items. This balance allows us to stock the right products at the necessary locations, all at the right time and in the correct quantity.

Marketing and Advertising

We market our Good Sam branded offerings through retail point of sale, websites, e-mail, direct mail, inserts, paid search, space advertisements, promotional events, member-get-a-member campaigns, and telemarketing. In 2017, retail point of sale marketing efforts accounted for approximately 72% of new paid enrollments in our Good Sam Club. We generally use our internal proprietary database for marketing and advertising. We have over 15.1 million unique RV contacts in our database and 3.6 million Active Customers.

We market our Camping World brand through the strategic location of our retail stores in high traffic RV areas, in-store promotions, our websites, mail order catalogs, direct mail retail flyers, local TV and radio, RV and outdoor shows, billboards, newspaper, email, paid search, advertisements in national and regional industry publications, vendor co-op advertising programs, promotional events, and personal solicitations and referrals. Camping World’s principal marketing strategy is to capitalize on its broad name recognition among RV owners.

We currently operate an extensive network of RV lifestyle related websites, including www.goodsamclub.com,  www.campingworld.com and www.goodsamcamping.com, that experienced more than 95 million visitor sessions in 2017. Our websites feature RV and RV lifestyle associated content, as well as the ability to purchase parts, services and accessories that enhance the RV lifestyle. We believe our network of websites provide RV owners and enthusiasts with the most expansive access to RV related content and e-commerce in the RV industry. Our websites also allow RV owners and enthusiasts to read about the RV lifestyle, make purchases and gather more information about RV parks and other RV-related entities.

In addition to websites, our digital presence includes apps and services that enable current and potential RV owners and enthusiasts to research RVs, read product reviews written by RV experts and other RV owners and enthusiasts, plan RV trips (including mapping routes and planning which RV parks to visit) and purchase thousands of products to support their RV lifestyle. We use various digital tools and services to foster the RV lifestyle and to introduce new and/or future RV owners and enthusiasts to our network of websites and the products and services we offer. Our wide reaching digital presence provides extensive marketing for the products and services we sell, while providing the RV community with access to valuable content and tools to enhance the RV lifestyle.

We also use promotional events as marketing tools. During 2017, we promoted and operated 23 consumer shows in 17 cities across 11 states which are primarily RV, boat, and sport shows. The total audience of RV, Boating, powersports and outdoor recreation enthusiasts who attended our shows during 2017 exceeded 262,000. Our consumer show division acquired three new shows in two cities in two states in the second quarter of 2017. In addition, we have sponsored sporting events such as Major League Baseball, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, and the College Football Camping World Independence Bowl. Periodically we promote the opening of each new retail location through grand opening celebrations at which we may have special events and discounted prices.

E-Commerce Platform and Digital Strategy

We believe our websites and other digital marketing channels enable us to provide instant, on-demand access to the wide array of content, products and services we offer. Our content, such as RV park descriptions, ratings and user reviews, encourage RV owners and enthusiasts, whether or not current customers or members, to visit our websites.

We use a combination of targeted email, social media and e-newsletters to promote ongoing communication with our customers and members. We believe that by communicating with our customers and members on an ongoing basis, we build affinity and the likelihood of a continued consumer to business relationship.

We believe our websites help attract new customers who may not live near one of our retail locations, who desire to transact business online or who are discovering us for the first time. Additionally, we believe many people who transact at our retail locations visit our websites prior to visiting our retail locations. To

attract new customers to our websites we use a combination of online marketing methods, including social media, paid search, search engine optimization and other web-based marketing methods. We test new online marketing methods on an ongoing basis. Once a customer interacts with us online and elects to receive our e-newsletters and/or promotional emails, we offer ongoing email-based content delivery and promotions. We also use customer data to enable cross-selling of complementary products and services.

Our Camping World website works in concert with our retail locations and logistics operations, with orders for stocked inventory shipped from the same distribution centers that support our network of retail locations. We currently offer more than 20,000 products on www.campingworld.com and associated websites, which include products that are not available in our retail locations. To further support sales, we make use of various affiliate relationships, which helps us reach the RV community across a wide array of websites.

We continually invest in our network of websites and point of sale technology. Knowing our customers’ purchasing history provides us with the opportunity to have a greater understanding of the wants and needs of our customers. Our websites enable simplified access to all Good Sam content and services in an integrated fashion through www.goodsam.com. The Camping World website, www.campingworld.com, features access to product search and optimized product presentation, as well as shopping and checkout processes. We invest in our websites on an ongoing basis to continually improve our customers’ experience, and to increase visits and purchases by new and returning customers.

Customer Service

We believe customer service and access to a live person is a critical component of our digital marketing and sales operation. Our sales and customer service centers in Englewood, Colorado, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, are multi-channel, full-service contact centers. RV enthusiasts call, email, internet chat and use social media to contact us regarding products, consumer services and protection plans, concerns and anything else related to the RV lifestyle. RV enthusiasts can also speak with our customer service specialists for help with orders, to receive answers to questions and to make purchases for any product offered through our websites.

Our contact center in Englewood, Colorado is an approximately 230-seat contact center that is over 20,000 square feet. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Englewood, Colorado contact center handled approximately 2.0 million calls and responded to over 250,000 emails and social media contacts. Our contact center in Bowling Green, Kentucky provides service and support to the Camping World internet and catalog product sales. This contact center also houses a retail support team that handles our retail location overflow calls. For the year ended December 31, 2017, this team handled over 200,000 calls. With the Gander/Overton’s acquisition, we added a third contact center in Greenville, North Carolina. This contact center has 100+ seats and will be able to handle over 500,000 inbound calls annually from Outdoor enthusiasts for Gander Outdoors and Overton’s products and services. Our multiple contact center strategy gives us the opportunity to establish redundant systems and cross training. This provides back up in the event of a natural disaster, power outages or weather issues that can affect any individual location, and allows calls to be routed to another contact center to ensure our customer experience stays at a high level.

Our contact center specialists are extensively trained to assist customers with complex orders and provide a level of service that leads to long-term customer relationships. In addition, our quality assurance team monitors contacts daily and provides the leadership team with tools to maintain sales and service standards. With low turnover, we retain our employees longer than the industry average, which we believe allows our callers to be assisted by experienced contact center agents who are familiar with the RV lifestyle and our services, protection plans and products.

Management Information Systems

We utilize sophisticated computer systems to support our operations, including a third-party dealer management system, point-of-sale registers (“POS”), enterprise resource planning system, supply chain management system, CRM, event business management system and marketing database. In addition, we utilize proprietary membership systems and data warehouses to provide analytical views of our data.

To support the applications, we have multiple data centers with advanced servers, storage and networking capabilities. We have a secure wide area network that facilitates communication within and between our offices and provides both voice and data services. Business critical systems are replicated in real time and all systems are protected with on and off site backups.

A database containing all customer activity across our various businesses and programs has been integrated into our websites and contact centers. Comprehensive information on each customer, including a profile of the purchasing activities, is made available to our CRM, POS and marketing database. We utilize information technology and analytics to actively market and sell multiple products and services to our Active Customers, including list segmentation and merge and purge programs, to select prospects for direct mail solicitations and other direct marketing efforts. We employ publishing software for publication makeup, content and advertising to support our publications operations.

Our management information systems and electronic data processing systems consist of an extensive range of retail, mail order, financial and merchandising systems, including purchasing, inventory distribution and logistics, sales reporting, accounts payable and merchandise management. Our POS and dealer management systems report comprehensive data in near real time to our data warehouses, including detailed sales volume, inventory information by product, merchandise transfers and receipts, special orders, supply orders and returns of product purchases to vendors. The registers capture Good Sam Club member numbers and associated sales and references to specific promotional campaigns. In conjunction with its nightly polling, our central computer sends price changes to registers at the point of sale. Management monitors the performance of each retail location and mail order operations to evaluate inventory levels, determine markdowns and analyze gross profit margins by product.

Competition

We face competition in all of our business segments. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our industry are breadth and depth of product selection, value pricing, convenient retail locations, technical services and customer service. Our competitors vary in size and breadth of their product offerings. We compete directly or indirectly with the following types of companies:

Additional competitors may enter the businesses in which we currently operate. Moreover, some of our mass merchandising competitors do not currently compete in many of the product categories we offer, but may choose to offer a broader array of competing products in the future.

Trademarks and Other Intellectual Property

We own a variety of registered trademarks and service marks related to our brands and our services, protection plans, products and resources, including Good Sam, Camping World, Gander Outdoors and Overton’s. We also own the copyrights to certain articles in our publications and numerous domain names, including www.goodsamclub.com, www.campingworld.com, www.ganderoutdoors.com, www.overtons.com, www.the-house.com, w82.com, and www.udans.com, among others. We believe that our trademarks and other intellectual property have significant value and are important to our marketing efforts. We do not know of any material pending claims of infringement or other challenges to our right to use our intellectual property in the United States or elsewhere.

Government Regulation

Our operations are subject to varying degrees of federal, state and local regulation, including our RV sales, firearm sales, vehicle financing, outbound telemarketing, direct mail, roadside assistance programs, extended vehicle service contracts and insurance activities. These laws and regulations include consumer protection laws, so-called “lemon laws,” privacy laws, escheatment laws, anti-money laundering laws and other extensive laws and regulations applicable to new and used vehicle dealers, as well as a variety of other laws and regulations. These laws also include federal and state wage and hour, anti-discrimination and other employment practices laws. Furthermore, new laws and regulations, particularly at the federal level, may be enacted that could also affect our business. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Our business is subject to numerous federal, state and local regulations.” in Item 1A of Part I of this Form 10-K.

Motor Vehicle Laws and Regulations

Our operations are subject to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation and the rules and regulations of various state motor vehicle regulatory agencies. We are also subject to federal and numerous state consumer protection and unfair trade practice laws and regulations relating to the sale, transportation and marketing of motor vehicles, including so-called “lemon laws.” Federal, state and local laws and regulations also impose upon vehicle operators various restrictions on the weight, length and width of motor vehicles that may be operated in certain jurisdictions or on certain roadways. Certain jurisdictions also prohibit the sale of vehicles exceeding length restrictions. Federal and state authorities also have various environmental control standards relating to air, water, noise pollution and hazardous waste generation and disposal.

Our financing activities with customers are subject to federal truth-in-lending, consumer leasing and equal credit opportunity laws and regulations as well as state and local motor vehicle finance laws, leasing laws, installment finance laws, usury laws and other installment sales and leasing laws and regulations, some of which regulate finance and other fees and charges that may be imposed or received in connection with motor vehicle retail installment sales. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law may be asserted against us or our retail locations by individuals, a class of individuals, or governmental entities and may expose us to significant damages or other penalties, including revocation or suspension of our licenses to conduct retail operations and fines.

The Dodd-Frank Act, which was signed into law on July 21, 2010, established the CFPB, an independent federal agency funded by the United States Federal Reserve with broad regulatory powers and limited oversight from the United States Congress. Although automotive dealers are generally excluded, the Dodd-Frank Act could lead to additional, indirect regulation of automotive dealers, in particular, their sale and marketing of finance and insurance products, through its regulation of automotive finance companies and other financial institutions. In March 2013, the CFPB issued supervisory guidance highlighting its concern that the practice of automotive dealers being compensated for arranging customer financing through discretionary markup of wholesale rates offered by financial institutions (“dealer markup”) results in a significant risk of

pricing disparity in violation of the ECOA. The CFPB recommended that financial institutions under its jurisdiction take steps to address compliance with the ECOA, which may include imposing controls on dealer markup, monitoring and addressing the effects of dealer markup policies, and eliminating dealer discretion to markup buy rates and fairly compensating dealers using a different mechanism that does not result in disparate impact to certain groups of consumers.

Firearms Laws and Regulations

Regulation and Legislation

Because we sell firearms at certain of our retail stores, we are subject to regulation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (the “ATF”). Each applicable store has a federal firearms license permitting the sale of firearms, and our applicable distribution centers have obtained federal firearms licenses to store and distribute firearms. Certain states require a state license to sell firearms, and we have obtained these licenses for the states in which we operate that have such a requirement.

We must comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations, including the National Firearms Act of 1934 (the “NFA”), and the Gun Control Act of 1968 (the “GCA”), all of which have been amended from time to time. The NFA and the GCA require our business to, among other things, maintain federal firearms licenses for our applicable locations and perform a pre-transfer background check in connection with all firearms purchases. We perform this background check using either the FBI-managed National Instant Criminal Background Check System (“NICS”) or, if required by state law, state government-managed system that relies on NICS and any additional information collected by the state. These background check systems either confirm that a transfer can be made, deny the transfer or require that the transfer be delayed for further review, and provide us with a transaction number for the proposed transfer. We are required to record the transaction number on an ATF Form 4473 and retain this form in our records for auditing purposes for 20 years for each approved transfer and five years for each denied or delayed transaction.

The federal categories of prohibited purchasers are the prevailing minimum for all states. States (and, in some cases, local governments) on occasion enact laws that further restrict permissible purchasers of firearms. We are also subject to numerous other federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding firearm sale procedures, record keeping, inspection and reporting, including adhering to minimum age restrictions regarding the purchase or possession of firearms or ammunition, residency requirements, applicable waiting periods, importation regulations and regulations pertaining to the shipment and transportation of firearms.

Over the past several years, bills have been introduced in the United States Congress that would restrict or prohibit the manufacture, transfer, importation or sale of certain calibers of handgun ammunition, impose a tax and import controls on bullets designed to penetrate bullet-proof vests, impose a special occupational tax and registration requirements on manufacturers of handgun ammunition and increase the tax on handgun ammunition in certain calibers. Recently, Congress has debated certain gun control measures that were supported by the prior administration.

In September 2004, Congress declined to renew the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 (“AWB”), which prohibited the manufacture of certain firearms defined as “assault weapons” restricted the sale or possession of “assault weapons,” except those that were manufactured prior to the law’s enactment; and placed restrictions on the sale of new high capacity ammunition feeding devices. Various states and local jurisdictions, including Colorado, Maryland and New York, (states in which we operate or plan to operate applicable stores), have adopted their own versions of the AWB or high capacity ammunition feeding device restrictions, some of which restrictions apply to the products we sell in other states. If a statute similar to the AWB were to be enacted or re-enacted at the federal level, it would impact our ability to sell certain products. Additionally, state and local governments have proposed laws and regulations that, if enacted, would place additional restrictions on the manufacture, transfer, sale, purchase, possession and use of firearms, ammunition and shooting-related products. For example, several states, such as Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington have enacted laws and regulations that are more restrictive than federal laws and regulations that limit access to and sale of certain firearms. Additionally, Connecticut and New York impose mandatory screening of ammunition purchases; California and the District

of Columbia have requirements for microstamping (that is, engraving the handgun’s serial number on each cartridge) of new handguns; and some states prohibit the sale of guns without internal or external locking mechanisms. Other state or local governmental entities may also explore similar legislative or regulatory initiatives that may further restrict the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession or use of firearms, ammunition and shooting-related products.

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which became effective in October 2005, prohibits civil liability actions from being brought or continued in any federal or state court against federally licensed manufacturers, distributors, dealers or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages, punitive damages, injunctive or declaratory relief, abatement, restitution, fines, penalties or other relief resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a qualified product by third parties. The legislation does not preclude traditional product liability actions.

We are also subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to, among other things, protection of the environment, human health and safety, advertising, pricing, weights and measures, product safety, and other matters. Some of these laws affect or restrict the manner in which we can sell certain items, such as handguns, smokeless powder, black powder substitutes, ammunition, bows, knives and other products. We believe that we are in substantial compliance with the terms of such laws and that we have no liabilities under such laws that we expect could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

Compliance

We are routinely inspected by the ATF and various state agencies to ensure compliance with federal and local regulations with regards to the manufacture, transfer, importation or sale of firearms and related products. While we view such inspections as a starting point, we employ more thorough internal compliance inspections to help ensure we are in compliance with all applicable laws. We dedicate significant resources to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state and local regulations, including to in-store training and other training materials such as learning management system training modules, training manuals, and standard operating procedures. Our compliance department conducts random internal audits which modeled after those conducted by ATF inspectors. Our staff at retail locations are required to adhere to compliance direction from training materials. We utilize a database and application program to track acquisitions and dispositions of serialized inventory that are designed to meet all federal standards. Additionally, we use an internet-enabled application to assist in completing the federally required records and background checks for firearms.

We are also subject to a variety of state laws and regulations relating to, among other things, advertising and product restrictions, some of which prohibit or limit the sale, in certain states and locations, of certain items, such as black powder firearms, ammunition, bows, knives, and similar products. Our compliance department administers various restriction codes and other software tools to prevent the sale of such jurisdictionally restricted items.

Insurance Laws and Regulations

As a marketer of insurance programs, we are subject to state rules and regulations governing the business of insurance including, without limitation, laws governing the administration, underwriting, marketing, solicitation and/or sale of insurance programs. The insurance carriers that underwrite the programs that we sell are required to file their rates for approval by state regulators. Additionally, certain state laws and regulations govern the form and content of certain disclosures that must be made in connection with the sale, advertising or offer of any insurance program to a consumer. We review all marketing materials we disseminate to the public for compliance with applicable insurance regulations. We are required to maintain certain licenses and approvals in order to market insurance programs.

Marketing Laws and Regulations

The Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) and each of the states have enacted consumer protection statutes designed to ensure that consumers are protected from unfair and deceptive marketing

practices. We review all of our marketing materials for compliance with applicable FTC regulations and state marketing laws.

Our e-commerce business is subject to the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule and related regulations promulgated by the FTC which affect our catalog mail order operations. FTC regulations, in general, govern the solicitation of orders, the information provided to prospective customers, and the timeliness of shipments and refunds. In addition, the FTC has established guidelines for advertising and labeling many of the products we sell.

In 2003, the FTC amended its Telemarketing Sales Rule to establish a National “Do Not Call” Registry. As of September 2016, the “Do Not Call” Registry included approximately 226 million phone numbers. To comply with the rule, companies are required to match their call lists against the “Do Not Call” Registry prior to conducting outbound telemarketing and remove the names of consumers who have requested they not be called. In addition, the amended Telemarketing Sales Rule requires additional disclosures and sales practices for goods and services sold over the phone. We match our call lists with the “Do Not Call Registry” and implement telemarketing scripts to comply with this regulation.

On December 29, 2010, federal legislation entitled the “Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act” was enacted (“ROSCA”). The legislation prohibits the acquisition of consumers’ credit or debit card account numbers automatically from our partners when a consumer enrolls in one of our programs immediately after making a purchase through one of our partners’ websites and requires additional disclosure relating to the online marketing of, and billing for, membership programs in the online post-transaction environment. We have put procedures in place to address compliance with ROSCA.

Effective October 2011, Florida passed legislation similar to ROSCA, but with some additional requirements, and effective January 2012, Oregon passed legislation regulating free trial offers. The Florida law, like ROSCA, requires that an online post-transaction third-party seller must obtain the express informed consent of the consumer to the sale by obtaining from the consumer the full account number of the account to be charged. The Florida law also requires that online post-transaction third-party sellers must send a written notice confirming the transaction to the consumer by first class U.S. mail or by email. The Oregon legislation prohibits a person from causing a consumer to incur a financial obligation as a result of accepting a free offer unless the person obtains the consumer’s billing information directly from the consumer. We have put procedures in place to address compliance with these laws.

In addition to the discussion of the Dodd-Frank Act above in connection with our automotive activities, see “— Motor Vehicle Laws and Regulations,” we are also subject to Dodd-Frank Act in connection with our various marketing efforts.

Environmental, Health and Safety Laws and Regulations

Our operations involve the use, handling, storage and contracting for recycling and/or disposal of materials such as motor oil and filters, transmission fluids, antifreeze, refrigerants, paints, thinners, batteries, cleaning products, lubricants, degreasing agents, tires and propane. Consequently, our business is subject to a complex variety of federal, state and local requirements that regulate the environment and public health and safety.

Most of our retail locations utilize aboveground storage tanks, and to a lesser extent underground storage tanks, primarily for petroleum-based products. Storage tanks are subject to periodic testing, containment, upgrading and removal requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its state law counterparts. Clean-up or other remedial action may be necessary in the event of leaks or other discharges from storage tanks or other sources. In addition, water quality protection programs under the federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), the Safe Drinking Water Act and comparable state and local programs govern certain discharges from some of our operations. Similarly, air emissions from our operations, such as RV painting, are subject to the federal Clean Air Act and related state and local laws. Certain health and safety standards promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor and related state agencies also apply.

Although we incur costs to comply with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the ordinary course of our business, we do not presently anticipate that such costs will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We do not have any material known environmental commitments or contingencies.

Insurance

We use a combination of insurance and self-insurance plans to provide for the potential liabilities for workers’ compensation, product liability, general liability, business interruption, property insurance, director and officers’ liability insurance, environmental, vehicle liability and employee health care benefits. Liabilities associated with the risks that are retained by us are estimated, in part, by considering historical claims experience, demographic factors, severity factors and other actuarial assumptions. Where we have retained risk through self-insurance or similar arrangements, we utilize third-party actuarial firms to assist management in assessing the financial impact of risk retention. Our results could be adversely affected by claims and other expenses related to such plans and policies if future occurrences and claims differ from these assumptions and historical trends.

Employees

As of December 31, 2017, we had 9,877 full-time and 699 part-time or seasonal employees. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or are party to a collective bargaining agreement, and we have had no labor-related work stoppages. We believe that our employee relations are good.

Seasonality

We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, variability in revenues and net income as a result of annual seasonality in our business. Because RVs are used primarily by vacationers and campers, demand for services, protection plans, products and resources generally declines during the winter season, while sales and profits are generally highest during the spring and summer months. Conversely, we expect demand for non-RV-related outdoor and active sports products to generally decline during the first and second fiscal quarters and we expect sales and profits to generally be higher in the third and fourth fiscal quarters. In addition, unusually severe weather conditions in some geographic areas may impact demand. On average over the last three years ended December 31, 2017, we generated 30.4% and 28.9% of our annual revenues in the second and third fiscal quarters, respectively, which include the spring and summer months. Additionally, the average quarterly revenue percentage generated over the last three years ended December 31, 2017 from our Consumer Services and Plans segment was 25.1%, 24.5%, 23.9% and 26.5% for the first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, and the average quarterly revenue percentage generated over the last three years ended December 31, 2017 from our Retail segment was 21.2%, 30.4%, 28.9% and 19.5% for the first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. We have historically incurred additional expenses in the second and third fiscal quarters due to higher purchase volumes, increased staffing in our retail locations and program costs. For further discussion, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Seasonality” in Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K.

Our Corporate Information

We were incorporated in the State of Delaware in 2016. Our principal executive offices are located at 250 Parkway Drive, Suite 270, Lincolnshire, IL 60069 and our telephone number is (847) 808 3000. We make available the following public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) free of charge through our website at www.campingworld.com in the “Investor Relations” section under “Financial Info” as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC:

•  our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and any amendments thereto;

•  our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any amendments thereto; and

•  our Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments thereto.

The information contained in, or accessible through, our website does not constitute a part of this annual report on Form 10-K. Any materials we file with the SEC are available at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. Additional information about the operation of the Public Reference Room can also be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains a web site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including us.

 

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the other information included in this Form 10-K. The occurrence of any of the following risks may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects. In these circumstances, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline. Other events that we do not currently anticipate or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Business

Our business is affected by the availability of financing to us and our customers.

Our business is affected by the availability of financing to us and our customers. Generally, RV dealers, including us, finance their purchases of inventory with financing provided by lending institutions. As of December 31, 2017, we had up to $1.415 billion in maximum borrowing capacity under the Floor Plan Facility of which $974.0 million was outstanding and, after deducting $77.1 million for approved purchases that were in process at the manufacturers and $31.3 million of borrowings included in accounts payable for sold inventory, the available line for future inventory purchases as of December 31, 2017 was $226.4 million. The Floor Plan Facility also provides a $35.0 million revolving line of credit. No borrowings were outstanding under the revolving line of credit as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 89.0% of the invoice cost of new RV inventory and no used RV inventory was financed under the Floor Plan Facility. A decrease in the availability of this type of wholesale financing or an increase in the cost of such wholesale financing could prevent us from carrying adequate levels of inventory, which may limit product offerings and could lead to reduced sales and revenues.

Furthermore, many of our customers finance their RV purchases. Although consumer credit markets have improved, consumer credit market conditions continue to influence demand, especially for RVs, and may continue to do so. There continue to be fewer lenders, more stringent underwriting and loan approval criteria, and greater down payment requirements than in the past. If credit conditions or the credit worthiness of our customers worsen, and adversely affect the ability of consumers to finance potential purchases at acceptable terms and interest rates, it could result in a decrease in the sales of our products and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Fuel shortages, or high prices for fuel, could have a negative effect on our business.

Gasoline or diesel fuel is required for the operation of RVs. There can be no assurance that the supply of these petroleum products will continue uninterrupted, that rationing will not be imposed or that the price of or tax on these petroleum products will not significantly increase in the future. Shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel have had a material adverse effect on the RV industry as a whole in the past and any such shortages or substantial increases in the price of fuel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our success depends to a significant extent on the well‑being, as well as the continued popularity and reputation for quality, of our manufacturers, particularly Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc.

Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc. supplied approximately 77.8%, 11.9%, and 6.7%, respectively, of our new RV inventory as of December 31, 2017. We depend on our manufacturers to provide us with products that compare favorably with competing products in terms of quality, performance, safety and advanced features. Any adverse change in the production efficiency, product development efforts, technological advancement, marketplace acceptance, reputation, marketing capabilities or financial condition of our manufacturers, particularly Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc., could have a substantial adverse impact on our business. Any difficulties encountered by any of our manufacturers, particularly Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc., resulting from economic, financial, or other factors could adversely affect the quality and amount of products that they are able to supply to us and the services and support they provide to us.

The interruption or discontinuance of the operations of Thor Industries, Inc., Forest River, Inc., and Winnebago Industries, Inc. or other manufacturers could cause us to experience shortfalls, disruptions, or delays with respect to needed inventory. Although we believe that adequate alternate sources would be available that could replace any manufacturer as a product source, those alternate sources may not be available at the time of any interruption, and alternative products may not be available at comparable quality and prices.

Our supply arrangements with manufacturers are typically governed by dealer agreements, which are customary in the RV industry. Our dealer agreements with manufacturers are generally made on a location‑by‑location basis, and each retail location typically enters into multiple dealer agreements with multiple manufacturers. Our dealer agreements also generally provide for a one‑year term, which is typically renewed annually. The terms of our dealer agreements are typically subject to:

Our dealer agreements generally designate a specific geographical territory for us, which is often exclusive to us, provided that we are able to meet the material obligations of the applicable dealer agreement.

In addition, many of our dealer agreements contain stocking level requirements and certain of our dealer agreements contain contractual provisions concerning minimum advertised product pricing for current model year units. Wholesale pricing is generally established on a model year basis and is subject to change in the manufacturer’s sole discretion. In certain cases, the manufacturer may also establish a suggested retail price, below which we cannot advertise that manufacturer’s RVs. Any change, non‑renewal, unfavorable renegotiation or termination of these arrangements for any reason could adversely affect product availability and cost and our financial performance.

Our business model is impacted by general economic conditions in our markets, and ongoing economic and financial uncertainties may cause a decline in consumer spending that may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a business that relies on consumer discretionary spending, we may be adversely affected if our customers reduce, delay or forego their purchases of our services, protection plans, products and resources as a result of:

We also rely on our retail locations to attract and retain customers and to build our customer database. If we close retail locations or are unable to open or acquire new retail locations due to general economic conditions or otherwise, our ability to maintain and grow our customer database and our Active Customers will be limited, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

Decreases in Active Customers, average spend per customer or retention and renewal rates for our consumer services and plans would negatively affect our financial performance, and a prolonged period of depressed consumer spending could have a material adverse effect on our business. Promotional activities and decreased demand for consumer products could also affect our profitability and margins. In addition, adverse economic conditions may result in an increase in our operating expenses due to, among other things, higher costs of labor, energy, equipment and facilities. Due to recent fluctuations in the U.S. economy, our sales, operating and financial results for a particular period are difficult to predict, making it difficult to forecast results for future periods. Additionally, we are subject to economic fluctuations in local markets that may not reflect the economic conditions of the U.S. economy. Any of the foregoing factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the success of our recurring Good Sam consumer services and plans depends, in part, on our customers’ use of certain RV sites and/or the purchase of services, protection plans, products and resources through participating merchants. If general economic conditions worsen, our customers may perceive that they have less disposable income for leisure activities or they may not be able to obtain credit for discretionary purchases. As a result, they may travel less frequently, spend less when they travel and purchase and utilize our services, protection plans, products and resources less often, if at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, if we face increased competition from other businesses with similar product and service offerings, we may need to respond by establishing pricing, marketing and other programs or by seeking out additional strategic alliances or acquisitions that may be less favorable to us than we could otherwise establish or obtain in more

favorable economic environments. In addition, declines in the national economy could cause merchants who participate in our programs to go out of business. It is likely that, should the number of merchants entering bankruptcy rise, the number of uncollectible accounts would also rise. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on our ability to attract and retain customers.

Our future success depends in large part upon our ability to attract and retain Active Customers for our services, protection plans, products and resources. The extent to which we achieve growth in our customer base and sustain high renewal rates of our recurring consumer services and plans materially influences our profitability. Any number of factors could affect our ability to grow our customer base and sustain high renewal rates of our recurring consumer services and plans. These factors include consumer preferences, the frequency with which customers utilize our services, protection plans, products and resources, general economic conditions, our ability to maintain our retail locations, weather conditions, the availability of alternative services, protection plans, products and resources, significant increases in gasoline prices, the disposable income of consumers available for discretionary expenditures and the external perception of our brands. Any significant decline in our customer base, the growth of our customer base or the usage of our services, protection plans, products or resources by our customers, including the renewal rates of our recurring consumer services and plans, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Competition in the market for services, protection plans, products and resources targeting the RV lifestyle or RV enthusiast could reduce our revenues and profitability.

The markets for services, protection plans, products and resources targeting RV, outdoor and active sports enthusiasts are highly fragmented and competitive. Major competitive factors that drive the RV, outdoor and active sports markets are price, product and service features, technology, performance, reliability, quality, availability, variety, delivery and customer service. We compete directly or indirectly with the following types of companies:

Additional competitors may enter the businesses in which we currently operate. Moreover, some of our mass merchandising competitors do not currently compete in many of the product categories we offer, but may choose to offer a broader array of competing products in the future. Particularly in the larger outdoor goods and services market outside the RV market, our competitors may have a larger number of stores and greater market presence, name recognition and financial, distribution and marketing resources than us. Moreover, some of our competitors may build new stores in or near our existing locations. In addition, an increase in the number of aggregator and price comparison sites for insurance products may negatively

impact our sales of these products. If any of our competitors successfully provides a broader, more efficient or attractive combination of services, protection plans, products and resources to our target customers, our business results could be materially adversely affected. Our inability to compete effectively with existing or potential competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our expansion into new, unfamiliar markets, businesses, products lines or categories presents increased risks that may prevent us from being profitable in these new markets, businesses, product lines or categories. Delays in opening or acquiring new retail locations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We intend to continue to expand by building or acquiring new retail locations in new markets and may elect to acquire new business, product lines or categories. As a result, we may have less familiarity with local consumer preferences and less business, product or category knowledge with respect to new businesses, product lines or categories, and could encounter difficulties in attracting customers due to a reduced level of consumer familiarity with our brands or reduced product or category knowledge. Other factors that may impact our ability to open or acquire new retail locations in new markets and to operate them profitably or acquire new businesses, product lines or categories, many of which are beyond our control, include:

Once we decide on a new market and identify a suitable location or acquisition opportunity, any delays in opening or acquiring new retail locations could impact our financial results. It is possible that events, such as delays in the entitlements process or construction delays caused by permitting or licensing issues, material shortages, labor issues, weather delays or other acts of god, discovery of contaminants, accidents, deaths or injuries, could delay planned openings beyond their expected dates or force us to abandon planned openings altogether.

As we grow, we will face the risk that our existing resources and systems, including management resources, accounting and finance personnel and operating systems, may be inadequate to support our growth. We cannot assure you that we will be able to retain the personnel or make the changes in our systems that may be required to support our growth. Failure to secure these resources and implement these systems on a timely basis could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, hiring additional personnel and implementing changes and enhancements to our systems will require capital expenditures and other increased costs that could also have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

Our expansion into new markets, businesses, products or categories may also create new distribution and merchandising challenges, including additional strain on our distribution centers, an increase in information to be processed by our management information systems and diversion of management attention from existing operations. To the extent that we are not able to meet these additional challenges, our sales could decrease and our operating expenses could increase, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Finally, the size, timing, and integration of any future new retail location openings or acquisitions or the acquisition of new businesses, product lines or categories may cause substantial fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter to quarter. In particular, with respect to the additional 72 Gander Outdoors locations we plan to open by May 2018, given our lack of operating history of the store locations, we expect to be exposed to longer start up times to reach profitability than our traditional greenfield location openings. We anticipate that these new store locations will negatively impact our retail segment margins during this ramp up period. Consequently, our results of operations for any quarter may not be indicative of the results that may be achieved for any subsequent quarter or for a full fiscal year. These fluctuations could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

As a result of the above factors, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in operating our retail locations in new markets or acquiring new businesses, product lines or categories on a profitable basis, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Unforeseen expenses, difficulties, and delays frequently encountered in connection with expansion through acquisitions could inhibit our growth and negatively impact our profitability.

Since January 1, 2012, we have acquired 51 Camping World retail locations, nine Outdoor and Active Sports Retail locations, and two Overton’s retail locations; opened two Gander Outdoors locations; and sold two Camping World retail locations. Each acquired retail location operated independently prior to its acquisition by us. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to make successful acquisitions and to integrate the operations of acquired retail locations, including centralizing certain functions to achieve cost savings and pursuing programs and processes that promote cooperation and the sharing of opportunities and resources among our retail locations and consumer services and plans. Unforeseen expenses, difficulties and delays frequently encountered in connection with rapid expansion through acquisitions could inhibit our growth and negatively impact our profitability.

We also may be unable to identify suitable acquisition candidates or to complete the acquisitions of candidates that we identify. Increased competition for acquisition candidates or increased asking prices by acquisition candidates may increase purchase prices for acquisitions to levels beyond our financial capability or to levels that would not result in the returns required by our acquisition criteria. Acquisitions also may become more difficult or less attractive in the future as we continue to acquire the most attractive dealers and stores. In addition, we may encounter difficulties in integrating the operations of acquired dealers and stores with our own operations or managing acquired dealers and stores profitably without substantial costs, delays, or other operational or financial problems.

Our ability to continue to grow through the acquisition of additional retail locations will depend upon various factors, including the following:

As a part of our acquisition strategy, we frequently engage in discussions with various dealerships and other Outdoor and Active Sports Retail businesses regarding their potential acquisition by us. In connection with these discussions, we and each potential acquisition candidate exchange confidential operational and financial information, conduct due diligence inquiries, and consider the structure, terms, and conditions of the potential acquisition. Potential acquisition discussions frequently take place over a long period of time and involve difficult business integration and other issues, including in some cases, management succession and related matters. As a result of these and other factors, a number of potential acquisitions that from time to time appear likely to occur do not result in binding legal agreements and are not consummated. In addition, we may have disagreements with potential acquisition targets, which could lead to litigation. Any of these factors or outcomes could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to maintain the strength and value of our brands could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends on the value and strength of our key brands, including Good Sam, Camping World, Gander Outdoors and Overton’s. These brands are integral to our business as well as to the implementation of our strategies for expanding our business. Maintaining, enhancing, promoting and positioning our brands, particularly in new markets where we have limited brand recognition, will depend largely on the success of our marketing and merchandising efforts and our ability to provide high quality services, protection plans, products and resources and a consistent, high quality customer experience. Our brands could be adversely affected if we fail to achieve these objectives, if we fail to comply with local laws and regulations, if we are subject to publicized litigation or if our public image or reputation were to be tarnished by negative publicity. Some of these risks may be beyond our ability to control, such as the effects of negative publicity regarding our manufacturers, suppliers or third-party providers of services or negative publicity related to members of management. Any of these events could result in decreases in revenues. Further, maintaining, enhancing, promoting and positioning our brands image may require us to make substantial investments in areas such as merchandising, marketing, store operations, community relations, store graphics and employee training, which could adversely affect our cash flow and which may ultimately be unsuccessful. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our failure to successfully order and manage our inventory to reflect consumer demand in a volatile market and anticipate changing consumer preferences and buying trends could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends upon our ability to successfully manage our inventory and to anticipate and respond to merchandise trends and consumer demands in a timely manner. Our products appeal to consumers who are, or could become, RV owners and/or outdoor and active sports enthusiasts across North America. The preferences of these consumers cannot be predicted with certainty and are subject to change. Further, the retail consumer industry, by its nature, is volatile and sensitive to numerous economic factors, including consumer preferences, competition, market conditions, general economic conditions and other factors outside of our control. We cannot predict consumer preferences with certainty, and consumer preferences often change over time. We typically order merchandise well in advance of the following selling season. The extended lead times for many of our purchases may make it difficult for us to respond rapidly to new or changing product trends, increases or decreases in consumer demand or changes in prices. If we misjudge either the market for our merchandise or our consumers’ purchasing habits in the future, our

revenues may decline significantly and we may not have sufficient quantities of merchandise to satisfy consumer demand or sales orders or we may be required to discount excess inventory, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our same store sales may fluctuate and may not be a meaningful indicator of future performance.

Our same store sales may vary from quarter to quarter. A number of factors have historically affected, and will continue to affect, our same store sales results, including:

An unanticipated decline in revenues or same store sales may cause the price of our Class A common stock to fluctuate significantly.

The cyclical nature of our business has caused our sales and results of operations to fluctuate. These fluctuations may continue in the future, which could result in operating losses during downturns.

The RV, outdoor and active sports specialty retail industries are cyclical and are influenced by many national and regional economic and demographic factors, including:

As a result of the foregoing factors, our sales and results of operations have fluctuated, and we expect that they will continue to fluctuate in the future.

Our business is seasonal and this leads to fluctuations in sales and revenues.

We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, variability in revenue, net income and cash flows as a result of annual seasonality in our business. Because RVs are used primarily by vacationers and campers, demand for services, protection plans, products and resources generally declines during the winter season, while sales and profits are generally highest during the spring and summer months. Conversely, we expect demand for non-RV related outdoor and active sports products to generally decline during the first and second fiscal quarters and we expect sales and profits for our outdoor and active sports products to generally be higher in the third and fourth fiscal quarters. In addition, unusually severe weather conditions in some geographic areas may impact demand.

On average, over the three years ended December 31, 2017, we have generated 30.1% and 28.6% of our annual revenue in the second and third fiscal quarters, respectively, which include the spring and summer months. We have historically incurred additional expenses in the second and third fiscal quarters due to higher purchase volumes, increased staffing in our retail locations and program costs. If, for any reason, we miscalculate the demand for our products or our product mix during the second and third fiscal quarters, our sales in these quarters could decline, resulting in higher labor costs as a percentage of sales, lower margins and excess inventory, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Additionally, SG&A expenses as a percentage of gross profit tend to be higher in the first and fourth quarters due to the timing of acquisitions and the seasonality of our business. We prefer to acquire new retail locations in the first and fourth quarters of each year in order to provide time for the location to be re-modeled and to ramp up operations ahead of the spring and summer months. The timing of our acquisitions in the first and fourth quarters, coupled with generally lower revenue in these quarters has resulted in SG&A expenses as a percentage of gross profit being higher in these quarters. In 2018, we plan to open 72 additional Gander Outdoors locations by May 2018, which we expect to further impact this trend.

Due to our seasonality, the possible adverse impact from other risks associated with our business, including atypical weather, consumer spending levels and general business conditions, is potentially greater if any such risks occur during our peak sales seasons.

Our ability to operate and expand our business and to respond to changing business and economic conditions will depend on the availability of adequate capital.

The operation of our business, the rate of our expansion and our ability to respond to changing business and economic conditions depend on the availability of adequate capital, which in turn depends on cash flow generated by our business and, if necessary, the availability of equity or debt capital. We also require sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations under our existing debt agreements. As of December 31, 2017, we had a credit agreement that included a $945.0 million term loan (the “Existing Term Loan Facility”) and $35.0 million of commitments for revolving loans and letters of credit (the “Existing Revolving Credit Facility” and, together with the Existing Term Loan Facility, the “Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities”). Additionally, as of December 31, 2017, we also had up to $1.415 billion in maximum borrowing availability under the Floor Plan Facility. The Floor Plan Facility also provides a letter of credit commitment of $15.0 million and a $35.0 million revolving line of credit. As of December 31, 2017, we had $916.9 million of term loans outstanding under the Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities, net of $6.0 million of unamortized original issue discount and $14.2 million of finance costs, no revolving borrowings outstanding under the Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities aside from letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $3.2 million outstanding under the Existing Revolving Credit Facility, and $974.0 million in floor plan notes payable outstanding under the Floor Plan Facility, with $31.8 million of additional borrowing capacity under our Existing Revolving Credit Facility, $226.4 million of available line for future inventory purchases under our Floor Plan Facility, and no revolving borrowings outstanding under the Floor Plan Facility revolving line of credit. The proceeds from the Existing Term Loan Facility were used to repay the Company’s previous senior secured credit facilities (“Previous Senior Secured Credit Facilities”).

Our Existing Term Loan Facility, which we entered into on November 8, 2016, as amended on March 17, 2017 and October 6, 2017, requires us to make quarterly principal payments of $2.4 million. We paid total

cash interest on our Existing Term Facility of $37.6 million and $45,000 during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We also paid total cash interest on our Previous Senior Secured Credit Facilities of $41.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. We paid total floor plan interest on our Floor Plan Facility of $26.8 million and $18.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition to interest paid on our Existing Senior Credit Facilities, our Previous Senior Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility, we paid cash interest of $0.8 million and $1.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Existing Term Loan Facility also provides for an excess cash flow payment following the end of each fiscal year beginning with our fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 such that our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, CWGS Group, LLC (the “Borrower”), will be required to prepay the term loan borrowings in an aggregate amount equal to 50% of excess cash flow for such fiscal year if the total leverage ratio is greater than 2.00 to 1.00. The required percentage of excess cash flow prepayment is reduced to 25% if the total leverage ratio is 1.50 to 1.00 or greater, but less than 2.00 to 1.00, and 0% if the total leverage ratio is less than 1.50 to 1.00. As of December 31, 2017, CWGS Group, LLC had no Excess Cash Flow, as defined. See “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Description of Senior Secured Credit Facilities and Floor Plan Facility” in Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K and Note 7 — Long-Term Debt to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K. We are dependent to a significant extent on our ability to finance our new and certain of our used RV inventory under our Floor Plan Facility. Floor plan financing arrangements allow us to borrow money to buy a particular new RV from the manufacturer or a used RV on trade in or at auction and pay off the loan when we sell that particular RV. We may need to increase the capacity of our existing Floor Plan Facility in connection with our acquisition of dealerships and overall growth. In the event that we are unable to obtain such incremental financing, our ability to complete acquisitions could be limited.

We cannot assure you that our cash flow from operations or cash available under our Existing Revolving Credit Facility or our Floor Plan Facility will be sufficient to meet our needs. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows from operations in the future, and if availability under our Existing Revolving Credit Facility or our Floor Plan Facility is not sufficient, we may have to obtain additional financing. If we obtain additional capital by issuing equity, the interests of our existing stockholders will be diluted. If we incur additional indebtedness, that indebtedness may contain significant financial and other covenants that may significantly restrict our operations. We currently intend to increase our borrowings in the near term to fund our current plan to open an additional 72 Gander Outdoors stores by May 2018, and to provide working capital for dealership acquisition opportunities. We cannot assure you that we could obtain refinancing or additional financing on favorable terms or at all.

Our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility contain restrictive covenants that may impair our ability to access sufficient capital and operate our business.

Our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility contain various provisions that limit our ability to, among other things:

In addition, the restrictive covenants in our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility require us to maintain specified financial ratios. See “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Description of Senior Secured Credit Facilities and Floor Plan Facility” in Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K and Note 7 — Long-Term Debt to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K. Our ability to comply with those financial ratios may be affected by events beyond our control, and our failure to comply with these ratios could result in an event of default.

These covenants may affect our ability to operate and finance our business as we deem appropriate. Our inability to meet obligations as they become due or to comply with various financial covenants contained in the instruments governing our current or future indebtedness could constitute an event of default under the instruments governing our indebtedness.

If there were an event of default under the instruments governing our indebtedness, the holders of the affected indebtedness could declare all of the affected indebtedness immediately due and payable, which, in turn, could cause the acceleration of the maturity of all our other indebtedness. We may not have sufficient funds available, or we may not have access to sufficient capital from other sources, to repay any accelerated debt. Even if we could obtain additional financing, the terms of the financing may not be favorable to us. In addition, substantially all of our assets are subject to liens securing our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility. If amounts outstanding under our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility were accelerated, our lenders could foreclose on these liens and we could lose substantially all of our assets. Any event of default under the instruments governing our indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We primarily rely on seven fulfillment and distribution centers for our retail, e‑commerce and catalog businesses, and, if there is a natural disaster or other serious disruption at either facility, we may be unable to deliver merchandise effectively to our stores or customers.

We currently rely on seven distribution and fulfillment centers located in Franklin, Kentucky, Bakersfield, California, Fort Worth, Texas, Greenville, South Carolina, Lebanon, Indiana, St. Paul, Minnesota and Skokie, Illinois for our retail, e‑commerce and catalog businesses. We handle almost all of our e‑commerce and catalog orders and distribution to our retail stores through these seven facilities. Any natural disaster or other serious disruption at either facility due to fire, tornado, earthquake, flood or any other cause could damage our on‑site inventory or impair our ability to use such distribution and fulfillment center. While we maintain business interruption insurance, as well as general property insurance, the amount of insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover our losses in such an event. Any of these occurrences could impair our ability to adequately stock our stores or fulfill customer orders and harm our results of operations.

Natural disasters, whether or not caused by climate change, unusual weather condition, epidemic outbreaks, terrorist acts and political events could disrupt business and result in lower sales and otherwise adversely affect our financial performance.

The occurrence of one or more natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, floods, hail storms and earthquakes, unusual weather conditions, epidemic outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika virus or measles, terrorist attacks or disruptive political events in certain regions where our stores are located could adversely affect our business and result in lower sales. Severe weather, such as heavy snowfall or extreme temperatures, may discourage or restrict customers in a particular region from traveling to our stores or utilizing our products, thereby reducing our sales and profitability. Natural disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, hail storms and earthquakes may damage our stores or other operations, which may

materially adversely affect our consolidated financial results. In addition to business interruption, our retailing business is subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the concentration of property at our retail locations. To the extent these events also impact one or more of our key suppliers or result in the closure of one or more of our distribution centers or our corporate headquarters, we may be unable to maintain inventory balances, maintain delivery schedules or provide other support functions to our stores. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on our relationships with third-party providers of services, protection plans, products and resources and a disruption of these relationships or of these providers’ operations could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our business depends in part on developing and maintaining productive relationships with third-party providers of services, protection plans, products and resources that we market to our customers. During the year ended December 31, 2017 we sourced our products from approximately 3,700 domestic and international vendors. Additionally, we rely on certain third-party providers to support our services, protection plans, products and resources, including insurance carriers for our property and casualty insurance and extended service contracts, banks and captive financing companies for vehicle financing and refinancing, Comenity Capital Bank as the issuer of our co‑branded credit card and a tow provider network for our roadside assistance programs. We cannot accurately predict when, or the extent to which, we will experience any disruption in the supply of products from our vendors or services from our third-party providers. Any such disruption could negatively impact our ability to market and sell our services, protection plans, products and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, Comenity Capital Bank could decline to renew our services agreement or become insolvent and unable to perform our contract, and we may be unable to timely find a replacement bank to provide these services.

We depend on merchandise purchased from our vendors to obtain products for our retail locations. We have no contractual arrangements providing for continued supply from our key vendors, and our vendors may discontinue selling to us at any time. Changes in commercial practices of our key vendors or manufacturers, such as changes in vendor support and incentives or changes in credit or payment terms, could also negatively impact our results. If we lose one or more key vendors or are unable to promptly replace a vendor that is unwilling or unable to satisfy our requirements with a vendor providing equally appealing products at comparable prices, we may not be able to offer products that are important to our merchandise assortment.

Because certain of the products that we sell are manufactured abroad, we may face delays, and increased cost or quality control deficiencies in the importation of these products, which could reduce our net sales and profitability.

Like many other outdoor and active sports oriented retailers, a portion of the products that we purchase for resale, including those purchased from domestic suppliers, is manufactured abroad in China and other countries. In addition, we believe most of our private label merchandise is manufactured abroad. Foreign imports subject us to the risks of changes in, or the imposition of new, import tariffs, duties or quotas, new restrictions on imports, loss of “most favored nation” status with the United States for a particular foreign country, antidumping or countervailing duty orders, retaliatory actions in response to illegal trade practices, work stoppages, delays in shipment, freight expense increases, product cost increases due to foreign currency fluctuations or revaluations and economic uncertainties. If any of these or other factors were to cause a disruption of trade from the countries in which the suppliers of our vendors are located or impose additional costs in connection with the purchase of our products, we may be unable to obtain sufficient quantities of products to satisfy our requirements and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

To the extent that any foreign manufacturers which supply products to us directly or indirectly utilize quality control standards, labor practices or other practices that vary from those legally mandated or commonly accepted in the United States, we could be hurt by any resulting negative publicity or, in some cases, face potential liability.

In addition, instability in the political and economic environments of the countries in which our vendors or we obtain our products, or general international instability, could have an adverse effect on our operations. In the event of disruptions or delays in supply due to economic or political conditions in foreign countries, such disruptions or delays could adversely affect our results of operations unless and until alternative supply arrangements could be made. In addition, merchandise purchased from alternative sources may be of lesser quality or more expensive than the merchandise we currently purchase abroad.

We also are subject to risks, such as the price and availability of raw materials and fabrics, labor disputes, union organizing activity, strikes, inclement weather, natural disasters, war and terrorism and adverse general economic and political conditions that might limit our vendors’ ability to provide us with quality merchandise on a timely and cost‑efficient basis. We may not be able to develop relationships with new vendors, and products from alternative sources, if any, may be of a lesser quality and more expensive than those we currently purchase. Any delay or failure in offering quality products and services to our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We offer emergency roadside assistance to our customers at a fixed price per year and we pay our tow provider network based on usage. If the amount of emergency roadside claims substantially exceeds our estimates or if our tow provider is unable to adequately respond to calls, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

With respect to the insurance programs that we offer, we are dependent on the insurance carriers that underwrite the insurance to obtain appropriate regulatory approvals and maintain compliance with insurance regulations. If such carriers do not obtain appropriate state regulatory approvals or comply with such changing regulations, we may be required to use an alternative carrier or change our insurance products or cease marketing certain insurance related products in certain states, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are required to use an alternative insurance carrier or change our insurance related products, it may materially increase the time required to bring an insurance related product to market. Any disruption in our service offerings could harm our reputation and result in customer dissatisfaction.

Additionally, we provide financing to qualified customers through a number of third-party financing providers. If one or more of these third-party providers ceases to provide financing to our customers, provides financing to fewer customers or no longer provides financing on competitive terms, or if we were unable to replace the current third-party providers upon the occurrence of one or more of the foregoing events, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We also offer a co‑branded credit card issued by Comenity Capital Bank, a third-party bank that manages and directly extends credit to our customers. The cardholders can earn promotional points on a variety of qualifying purchases, such as purchases at Camping World, Gander Outdoors, Overton’s, Uncle Dan’s and TheHouse.com on Good Sam purchases and at private campgrounds across the United States and Canada. We earn incentive payments from our card network partner based on the use of the credit card. A decrease in the popularity and use of our co‑branded credit card could reduce our ability to earn incentive payment income as part of the program and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A portion of our net income is from financing, insurance and extended service contracts, which depend on third-party lenders and insurance companies. We cannot assure you third-party lending institutions will continue to provide financing for RV purchases.

A portion of our net income comes from the fees we receive from lending institutions and insurance companies for arranging financing and insurance coverage for our customers. The lending institution pays us a fee for each loan that we arrange. If these lenders were to lend to our customers directly rather than through us, we would not receive a fee. In addition, if customers prepay financing we arranged within a specified period (generally within six months of making the loan), we are required to rebate (or “chargeback”) all or a portion of the commissions paid to us by the lending institution. Our revenues from financing fees and vehicle service contract fees are recorded net of a reserve for estimated future chargebacks based on historical operating results. Lending institutions may change the criteria or terms they use to make loan

decisions, which could reduce the number of customers for whom we can arrange financing, or may elect to not continue to provide these products with respect to RVs. Our customers may also use the internet or other electronic methods to find financing alternatives. If any of these events occur, we could lose a significant portion of our income and profit.

Furthermore, new and used vehicles may be sold and financed through retail installment sales contracts entered into between us and third‑party purchasers. Prior to entering into a retail installment sales contract with a third‑party purchaser, we typically have a commitment from a third‑party lender for the assignment of such retail installment sales contract, subject to final review, approval and verification of the retail installment sales contract, related documentation and the information contained therein. Retail installment sales contracts are typically assigned by us to third‑party lenders simultaneously with the execution of the retail installment sales contracts. Contracts in transit represent amounts due from third‑party lenders from whom pre‑arranged assignment agreements have been determined, and to whom the retail installment sales contract have been assigned. We recognize revenue when the applicable new or used vehicle is delivered and we have assigned the retail installment sales contract to a third‑party lender and collectability is reasonably assured. Funding from the third‑party lender is provided upon receipt, final review, approval and verification of the retail installment sales contract, related documentation and the information contained therein. Retail installment sales contracts are typically funded within ten days of the initial approval of the retail installment sales contract by the third‑party lender. Contracts in transit are included in current assets in our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K and totaled $46.2 million and $29.0 million as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Any defaults on these retail installment sales contracts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are unable to retain senior executives and attract and retain other qualified employees, our business might be adversely affected.

Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, hire, train and retain qualified managerial, sales and marketing personnel. Competition for these types of personnel is high. We may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining the personnel we require to conduct our operations successfully and, in such an event, our business could be materially and adversely affected. Our success also depends to a significant extent on the continued service and performance of our senior management team, including our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Marcus Lemonis. The loss of any member of our senior management team could impair our ability to execute our business plan and could therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, certain members of our management team, including Mr. Lemonis, currently pursue and may continue to pursue other business ventures, which could divert their attention from executing on our business plan and objectives. We do not currently maintain key‑man life insurance policies on any member of our senior management team or other key employees. We have entered into employment agreements with Marcus A. Lemonis, our Chief Executive Officer, Thomas F. Wolfe, our Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, Brent L. Moody, our Chief Operating and Legal Officer, and Roger L. Nuttall, our President of Camping World.

Our business depends on our ability to meet our labor needs.

Our success depends in part upon our ability to attract, motivate and retain a sufficient number of qualified employees, including market managers, general managers, sales managers, department managers and sales associates. Qualified individuals of the requisite caliber and number needed to fill these positions may be in short supply in some areas, and the turnover rate in the retail industry is high. If we are unable to hire and retain sales associates capable of consistently providing a high level of customer service, as demonstrated by their enthusiasm for our culture and knowledge of our merchandise, our business could be materially adversely affected. Although none of our employees are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements, our employees may elect to be represented by labor unions in the future, which could increase our labor costs. Additionally, competition for qualified employees could require us to pay higher wages to attract a sufficient number of employees. An inability to recruit and retain a sufficient number of qualified individuals in the future may delay the planned openings of new stores. Any such delays, any material increases in employee turnover rates at existing stores or any increases in labor costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are subject to risks associated with leasing substantial amounts of space.

We lease substantially all of the real properties where we have operations, including, as of December 31, 2017, 133 of our 140 of our Camping World retail locations in 36 states, two Gander Outdoors retail locations, two Overton’s locations, three Uncle Dan’s locations and our six RV retail distribution centers. Our leases generally provide for fixed monthly rentals with escalation clauses and range from five to twenty years. The profitability of our business is heavily dependent on operating our current store base with favorable margins, opening and operating new stores at reasonable profit, renewing leases for stores in desirable locations and, if necessary, identifying and closing underperforming stores or potentially relocating these stores to alternative locations in a cost-effective manner. Typically, a large portion of a store’s operating expense is the cost associated with leasing the location.

The operating leases for our retail properties, distribution centers and corporate offices expire at various dates through 2050. A number of leases have renewal options for various periods of time at our discretion. We are typically responsible for taxes, utilities, insurance, repairs, and maintenance for these properties. Rent expense for 2017 was $86.6 million and our future minimum rental commitments for 2018 for all operating leases in existence as of December 31, 2017 is approximately $101.3 million, which does not include rent for Gander Outdoors stores where the lease was signed in 2018. The rental commitment for the fiscal years 2018 through 2050 is approximately $1.2 billion. We expect that many of the new stores we open will also be leased to us under operating leases, which will further increase our operating lease expenditures and require significant capital expenditures. We depend on cash flows from operations to pay our lease expenses and to fulfill our other cash needs. If our business does not generate sufficient cashflow from operating activities, and sufficient funds are not otherwise available to us from borrowings under our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facility, we may not be able to service our lease expenses or fund our other liquidity and capital needs, which would materially affect our business. In addition, when leases for the stores in our ongoing operations expire, we may be unable to negotiate renewals, either on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, which could cause us to close stores in locations that may be desirable. We may be unable to relocate these stores cost-effectively or at all and there can be no assurance that any relocated stores will be successful.

Additionally, over time our current store locations may not continue to be desirable because of changes in demographics within the surrounding area or a decline in shopping traffic, including traffic generated by other nearby stores. Although we have the right to terminate some of our leases under specified conditions by making certain payments, we may not be able to terminate a particular lease if or when we would like to do so. If we decide to close stores, we are generally required to either continue to pay rent and operating expenses for the balance of the lease term or, for certain locations, pay exercise rights to terminate, which in either case could be expensive. Even if we are able to assign or sublease vacated locations where our lease cannot be terminated, we may remain liable on the lease obligations if the assignee or sublessee does not perform.

       If we are unable to service our lease expenses or are unable to, on favorable terms, negotiate renewals of leases at desirable locations or identify and close underperforming locations, we may be forced to seek alternative sites in our target markets, which may be difficult and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is subject to numerous federal, state and local regulations.

Our operations are subject to varying degrees of federal, state and local regulation, including our RV sales, firearms sales, RV financing, outbound telemarketing, direct mail, roadside assistance programs and insurance activities. New regulatory efforts may be proposed from time to time that have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate our businesses or our results of operations. For example, in the past a principal source of leads for our direct response marketing efforts was new vehicle registrations provided by motor vehicle departments in various states. Currently, all states restrict access to motor vehicle registration information.

We are also subject to federal and numerous state consumer protection and unfair trade practice laws and regulations relating to the sale, transportation and marketing of motor vehicles, including so‑called

“lemon laws.” Federal, state and local laws and regulations also impose upon vehicle operators various restrictions on the weight, length and width of motor vehicles that may be operated in certain jurisdictions or on certain roadways. Certain jurisdictions also prohibit the sale of vehicles exceeding length restrictions. Federal and state authorities also have various environmental control standards relating to air, water, noise pollution and hazardous waste generation and disposal which affect our business and operations.

Further, certain federal and state laws and regulations affect our activities. Areas of our business affected by such laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, labor, advertising, consumer protection, real estate, promotions, quality of services, intellectual property, tax, import and export, anti‑corruption, anti‑competition, environmental, health and safety. Compliance with these laws and others may be onerous and costly, at times, and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction which further complicates compliance efforts.

The Dodd‑Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd‑Frank Act”), which was signed into law on July 21, 2010, established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), an independent federal agency funded by the United States Federal Reserve with broad regulatory powers and limited oversight from the United States Congress. Although automotive dealers are generally excluded, the Dodd‑Frank Act could lead to additional, indirect regulation of automotive dealers, in particular, their sale and marketing of finance and insurance products, through its regulation of automotive finance companies and other financial institutions. In March 2013, the CFPB issued supervisory guidance highlighting its concern that the practice of automotive dealers being compensated for arranging customer financing through discretionary markup of wholesale rates offered by financial institutions (dealer markup) results in a significant risk of pricing disparity in violation of The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (the “ECOA”). The CFPB recommended that financial institutions under its jurisdiction take steps to address compliance with the ECOA, which may include imposing controls on dealer markup, monitoring and addressing the effects of dealer markup policies, and eliminating dealer discretion to markup buy rates and fairly compensating dealers using a different mechanism that does not result in disparate impact to certain groups of consumers.

In addition, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “Affordable Care Act”), which was signed into law on March 23, 2010, may increase our annual employee health care costs that we fund and has increased our cost of compliance and compliance risk related to offering health care benefits.

Furthermore, our property and casualty insurance programs that we offer through third-party insurance carriers are subject to various state laws and regulations governing the business of insurance, including, without limitation, laws and regulations governing the administration, underwriting, marketing, solicitation or sale of insurance programs. Our third-party insurance carriers are required to apply for, renew, and maintain licenses issued by state, federal or foreign regulatory authorities. Such regulatory authorities have relatively broad discretion to grant, renew and revoke such licenses. Accordingly, any failure by such parties to comply with the then current licensing requirements, which may include any determination of financial instability by such regulatory authorities, could result in such regulators denying their initial or renewal applications for such licenses, modifying the terms of licenses or revoking licenses that they currently possess, which could severely inhibit our ability to market these products. Additionally, certain state laws and regulations govern the form and content of certain disclosures that must be made in connection with the sale, advertising or offer of any insurance program to a consumer. We review all marketing materials we disseminate to the public for compliance with applicable insurance regulations. We are required to maintain certain licenses and approvals in order to market insurance programs.

We are also subject to the rules and regulations of the ATF. If we fail to comply with ATF rules and regulations, the ATF may limit our growth or business activities, levy fines against us or, ultimately, revoke our license to do business. Our business, as well as the business of all producers and marketers of ammunition and firearms, is also subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations and protocols. Applicable laws:

•require the licensing of all persons manufacturing, exporting, importing or selling firearms and ammunition as a business;

• require background checks for purchasers of firearms;

•impose waiting periods between the purchase of a firearm and delivery of a firearm;

•prohibit the sale of firearms to certain persons, such as those below a certain age and persons with criminal records; • regulate the use and storage of gun powder or other energetic materials;

•regulate the interstate sale of certain firearms;

•prohibit the interstate mail-order sale of firearms;

•regulate our employment of personnel with criminal convictions; and

•restrict access to firearm manufacturing facilities for individuals from other countries or with criminal convictions.

Several states currently have laws in effect that are similar to, and in certain cases, more restrictive than, these federal laws. Compliance with all of these regulations is costly and time-consuming. Inadvertent violation of any of these regulations could cause us to incur fines and penalties and may also lead to restrictions on our ability to manufacture and sell our products and services and to import or export the products we sell.

We have instituted various and comprehensive policies and procedures to address compliance. However, there can be no assurance that employees, contractors, vendors or our agents will not violate such laws and regulations or our policies and procedures. For more information on the various regulations applicable to our business, see “Item I. Business—Government Regulation” under Part I of this Form 10-K.

Regulations applicable to the sale of extended service contracts could materially impact our business and results of operations.

We offer extended service contracts that may be purchased as a supplement to the original purchaser’s warranty. These products are subject to complex federal and state laws and regulations. There can be no assurance that regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which these products are offered will not seek to regulate or restrict these products. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in fines or other penalties including orders by state regulators to discontinue sales of the warranty products in one or more jurisdictions. Such a result could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We currently transfer the majority of the administration and liability obligations associated with these extended service contracts to a third party upon purchase by the customer. State laws and regulations, however, may limit or condition our ability to transfer these administration and liability obligations to third parties, which could in turn impact the way revenue is recognized from these products. Failure to comply with these laws could result in fines or other penalties, including orders by state regulators to discontinue sales of these product offerings as currently structured. Such a result could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If state dealer laws are repealed or weakened, our dealerships will be more susceptible to termination, non‑renewal or renegotiation of dealer agreements.

State dealer laws generally provide that a manufacturer may not terminate or refuse to renew a dealer agreement unless it has first provided the dealer with written notice setting forth good cause and stating the grounds for termination or non‑renewal. Some state dealer laws allow dealers to file protests or petitions or attempt to comply with the manufacturer’s criteria within the notice period to avoid the termination or non‑renewal. Though unsuccessful to date, manufacturers’ lobbying efforts may lead to the repeal or revision of state dealer laws. If dealer laws are repealed in the states in which we operate, manufacturers may be able to terminate our dealer agreements without providing advance notice, an opportunity to cure or a showing of good cause. Without the protection of state dealer laws, it may also be more difficult for our dealerships to renew their dealer agreements upon expiration.

The ability of a manufacturer to grant additional dealer agreements is based on several factors which are not within our control. If manufacturers grant new dealer agreements in areas near or within our existing markets, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in government policies and firearms legislation could adversely affect our financial results.

The sale, purchase, ownership and use of firearms are subject to numerous and varied federal, state and local governmental regulations. Federal laws governing firearms include the National Firearms Act, the Federal Firearms Act, the Arms Export Control Act and the Gun Control Act of 1968. These laws generally govern the manufacture, import, export, sale and possession of firearms and ammunition.

Currently, some members of the federal legislature and several state legislatures are considering additional legislation relating to the regulation of firearms and ammunition. These proposed bills are extremely varied. If enacted, such legislation could effectively ban or severely limit the sale of affected firearms or ammunition. In addition, if such restrictions are enacted and are incongruent, we could find it difficult, expensive or even practically impossible to comply with them, which could impede new product development and the distribution of existing products. We cannot assure you that the regulation of our business activities will not become more restrictive in the future and that any such restriction will not have a material adverse effect on our business. For more information on the government policies and firearms legislation applicable to our business, see “Item I. Business—Government Regulation—Firearms Laws and Regulations” under Part I of this Form 10-K.

Our failure to comply with certain environmental regulations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations involve the use, handling, storage and contracting for recycling and/or disposal of materials such as motor oil and filters, transmission fluids, antifreeze, refrigerants, paints, thinners, batteries, cleaning products, lubricants, degreasing agents, tires and propane. Consequently, our business is subject to a complex variety of federal, state and local requirements that regulate the environment and public health and safety and we may incur significant costs to comply with such requirements. Our failure to comply with these regulations could cause us to become subject to fines and penalties or otherwise have an adverse impact on our business. In addition, we have indemnified certain of our landlords for any hazardous waste which may be found on or about property we lease. If any such hazardous waste were to be found on property that we occupy, a significant claim giving rise to our indemnity obligation could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Climate change legislation or regulations restricting emission of “greenhouse gases” could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the RVs we sell.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has adopted rules under existing provisions of the federal Clean Air Act that require a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases from motor vehicles. The adoption of any laws or regulations requiring significant increases in fuel economy requirements or new federal or state restrictions on vehicles and automotive fuels in the United States could adversely affect demand for those vehicles and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A failure in our e‑commerce operations, security breaches and cybersecurity risks could disrupt our business and lead to reduced sales and growth prospects and reputational damage.

Our e‑commerce business is an important element of our brands and relationship with our customers, and we expect it to continue to grow. In addition to changing consumer preferences and shifting traffic patterns and buying trends in e‑commerce, we are vulnerable to additional risks and uncertainties associated with e‑commerce sales, including rapid changes in technology, website downtime and other technical failures, security breaches, cyber‑attacks, consumer privacy concerns, changes in state tax regimes and government regulation of internet activities. Our failure to successfully respond to these risks and uncertainties could

reduce our e‑commerce sales, increase our costs, diminish our growth prospects and damage our brands, which could negatively impact our results of operations and stock price.

In addition, there is no guarantee that we will be able to expand our e‑commerce business. Our competitors may have e‑commerce businesses that are substantially larger and more developed than ours, which places us at a competitive disadvantage. Although we continually update our websites, we may not be successful in implementing improved website features and there is no guarantee that such improvements will expand our e‑commerce business. If we are unable to expand our e‑commerce business, our growth plans will suffer and the price of our common stock could decline.

We may be unable to enforce our intellectual property rights and we may be accused of infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We own a variety of registered trademarks and service marks for the names of our clubs, magazines and other publications. We also own the copyrights to certain articles in our publications. We believe that our trademark and copyrights have significant value and are important to our marketing efforts. If we are unable to continue to protect the trademarks and service marks for our proprietary brands, if such marks become generic or if third parties adopt marks similar to our marks, our ability to differentiate our products and services may be diminished. In the event that our trademarks or service marks are successfully challenged by third parties, we could lose brand recognition and be forced to devote additional resources to advertising and marketing new brands for our products.

From time to time, we may be compelled to protect our intellectual property, which may involve litigation. Such litigation may be time‑consuming, expensive and distract our management from running the day‑to‑day operations of our business, and could result in the impairment or loss of the involved intellectual property. There is no guarantee that the steps we take to protect our intellectual property, including litigation when necessary, will be successful. The loss or reduction of any of our significant intellectual property rights could diminish our ability to distinguish our products from competitors’ products and retain our market share for our proprietary products. Our inability to effectively protect our proprietary intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Other parties also may claim that we infringe their proprietary rights. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, injunctions against us or the payment of damages. These claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are unable to maintain or upgrade our information technology systems or if we are unable to convert to alternate systems in an efficient and timely manner, our operations may be disrupted or become less efficient.

We depend on a variety of information technology systems for the efficient functioning of our business. We rely on certain hardware, telecommunications and software vendors to maintain and periodically upgrade many of these systems so that we can continue to support our business. Various components of our information technology systems, including hardware, networks, and software, are licensed to us by third-party vendors. We rely extensively on our information technology systems to process transactions, summarize results and manage our business. Additionally, because we accept debit and credit cards for payment, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (the “PCI Standard”), issued by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. The PCI Standard contains compliance guidelines with regard to our security surrounding the physical and electronic storage, processing and transmission of cardholder data. We are currently in compliance with the PCI Standard, however, complying with the PCI Standard and implementing related procedures, technology and information security measures requires significant resources and ongoing attention. Costs and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded systems and technology such as those necessary to maintain compliance with the PCI Standard or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems could also disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations. Any material interruptions or failures in our

payment‑related systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any disruptions to our information technology systems or breaches of our network security could interrupt our operations, compromise our reputation, expose us to litigation, government enforcement actions and costly response measures and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on the integrity, security and successful functioning of our information technology systems and network infrastructure across our operations. We use information technology systems to support our consumer services and plans, manage procurement and our supply chain, track inventory information at our retail locations, communicate customer information and aggregate daily sales, margin and promotional information. We also use information systems to report and audit our operational results.

In connection with sales, we transmit encrypted confidential credit and debit card information. Although we are currently in compliance with the PCI Standard, there can be no assurance that in the future we will be able to continue to operate our facilities and our customer service and sales operations in accordance with PCI or other industry recommended or contractually required practices. Even if we continue to be compliant with such standards, we still may not be able to prevent security breaches.

We also have access to, collect or maintain private or confidential information regarding our customers, associates and suppliers, as well as our business. For example, we have over 15.1 million unique RV contacts in our database, plus an additional 4.5 million from the Gander Outdoors and Overton’s businesses, as of December 31, 2017. This customer database includes information about our approximately 1.8 million club members and our 3.6 million RV Active Customers as of December 31, 2017. In addition, the protection of our customer, club member, associate, supplier and company data is critical to us. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with the frequent imposition of new and constantly changing requirements across our business. In addition, customers have a high expectation that we will adequately protect their personal information from cyber‑attack or other security breaches. We have procedures in place to safeguard such data and information. However, a significant breach of club member, customer, employee, supplier, or company data could attract a substantial amount of negative media attention, damage our club member, customer and supplier relationships and our reputation, and result in lost sales, fines and/or lawsuits.

An increasingly significant portion of our sales depends on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems, including but not limited to our point‑of‑sale system and our credit card processing systems. Our information technology, communication systems and electronic data may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, acts of war or terrorist attacks, floods, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, power loss and outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, loss of data, unauthorized data breaches, usage errors by our associates or our contractors or other attempts to harm our systems, including cyber‑security attacks, hacking by third parties, computer viruses or other breaches of cardholder data. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. The occurrence of a natural disaster, intentional sabotage or other unanticipated problems could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. Any errors or vulnerabilities in our systems, or damage to or failure of our systems, could result in interruptions in our services and non‑compliance with certain regulations or expose us to risk of litigation and liability, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, we have centralized the majority of our computer systems in our facilities in Englewood, Colorado and Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is possible that an event or disaster at our facilities in Englewood, Colorado and Bowling Green, Kentucky could materially and adversely affect the performance of our company and the ability of each of our stores to operate efficiently.

Increases in the minimum wage could adversely affect our financial results.

From time to time, legislative proposals are made to increase the federal minimum wage in the United States, as well as the minimum wage in a number of individual states. As federal or state minimum wage rates increase, we may be required to increase not only the wage rates of our minimum wage employees, but

also the wages paid to our other hourly employees as well. Any increase in the cost of our labor could have an adverse effect on our operating costs, financial condition and results of operations.

Increases in paper costs, postage costs and shipping costs may have an adverse impact on our future financial results.

The price of paper is a significant expense relating to our publications and direct mail solicitations. Postage for publication distribution and direct mail solicitations is also a significant expense. In addition, shipping costs are a significant expense for our business. Paper, postage and shipping costs have increased in the past and may be expected to increase in the future. Such increases could have an adverse effect on our business if we are unable to pass them on to our customers.

We may be subject to product liability claims if people or property are harmed by the products we sell.

Some of the products we sell may expose us to product liability claims relating to personal injury, death, or environmental or property damage, and may require product recalls or other actions. Although we maintain liability insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred or that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all. In addition, some of our agreements with our vendors and sellers do not indemnify us from product liability. In addition, even if a product liability claim is not successful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding a product recall or any assertion that our products caused property damage or personal injury could damage our brand identity and our reputation with existing and potential consumers and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have a self‑insured retention (“SIR”) for products liability and personal injury matters ranging from $25,000 to $500,000 depending on the product type and when the occurrence took place. Generally, any occurrence (as defined by our insurance policies) after June 1, 2007 is subject to the $500,000 SIR. Amounts above the SIR, up to a certain dollar amount, are covered by our excess insurance policy. Currently, we maintain excess liability insurance aggregating $150.0 million with outside insurance carriers to minimize our risks related to catastrophic claims in excess of our self‑insured positions for products liability and personal injury matters. Any material change in the aforementioned factors could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Any increase in the frequency and size of these claims, as compared to our experience in prior years, may cause the premium that we are required to pay for insurance to increase significantly and may negatively impact future SIR levels. It may also increase the amounts we pay in punitive damages, not all of which are covered by our insurance.

We may be named in litigation, which may result in substantial costs and reputational harm and divert management’s attention and resources.

We face legal risks in our business, including claims from disputes with our employees and our former employees and claims associated with general commercial disputes, product liability and other matters. Risks associated with legal liability often are difficult to assess or quantify and their existence and magnitude can remain unknown for significant periods of time. While we maintain director and officer insurance, as well as general and product liability insurance, the amount of insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover a claim and the continued availability of this insurance cannot be assured. We have been named in the past and may be named in the future as defendants of class action lawsuits. For example, we were named as a defendant in a class action lawsuit by Camp Coast to Coast club members, which alleged certain violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law at Business and Professions Code and other laws, relating to our sale of trip points and certain advertising and marketing materials. In addition, we were also named as a defendant in a putative class action lawsuit filed by former employees in the State of California, which alleged various wage and hour claims under the California Labor Code. We have since settled both actions. Regardless of their subject matter or merits, class action lawsuits may result in significant cost to us, which may not be covered by insurance, may divert the attention of management or may otherwise have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Negative publicity from litigation, whether or not resulting in a substantial cost, could materially damage our reputation. We may in the future be the target of litigation and this litigation may result in substantial costs and reputational harm and divert

management’s attention and resources. Costs, harm to our reputation and diversion could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our private brand offerings expose us to various risks.

We expect to continue to grow our exclusive private brand offerings through a combination of brands that we own and brands that we license from third parties. We have invested in our development and procurement resources and marketing efforts relating to these private brand offerings. Although we believe that our private brand products offer value to our customers at each price point and provide us with higher gross margins than comparable third-party branded products we sell, the expansion of our private brand offerings also subjects us to certain specific risks in addition to those discussed elsewhere in this section, such as:

An increase in sales of our private brands may also adversely affect sales of our vendors’ products, which may, in turn, adversely affect our relationship with our vendors. Our failure to adequately address some or all of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Political and economic uncertainty and unrest in foreign countries where some of our merchandise vendors are located and trade restrictions upon imports from these foreign countries could adversely affect our ability to source merchandise and our results of operations.

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, approximately 5% and 8%, respectively, of our merchandise was imported directly from vendors located in foreign countries, with a substantial portion of the imported merchandise being obtained directly from vendors in China. In addition, we believe that a significant portion of our domestic vendors obtain their products from foreign countries that may also be subject to political and economic uncertainty. We are subject to risks and uncertainties associated with changing economic, political and other conditions in foreign countries where our vendors are located, such as:

We cannot predict when, or the extent to which, the countries in which our products are manufactured will experience any of the above events. Any event causing a disruption or delay of imports from foreign locations would likely increase the cost or reduce the supply of merchandise available to us and would adversely affect our results of operations.

In addition, trade restrictions, including increased tariffs or quotas, embargoes, safeguards and customs restrictions against clothing items, as well as U.S. or foreign labor strikes, work stoppages or boycotts could increase the cost or reduce the supply of merchandise available to us or may require us to modify our current business practices, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our risk management policies and procedures may not be fully effective in achieving their purposes.

Our policies, procedures, controls and oversight to monitor and manage our enterprise risks may not be fully effective in achieving their purpose and may leave exposure to identified or unidentified risks. Past or future misconduct by our employees or vendors could result in violations of law by us, regulatory sanctions and/or serious reputational harm or financial harm. We monitor our policies, procedures and controls; however, there can be no assurance that our policies, procedures and controls will be sufficient to prevent all forms of misconduct. We review our compensation policies and practices as part of our overall enterprise risk management program, but it is possible that our compensation policies could incentivize inappropriate risk taking or misconduct. If such inappropriate risks or misconduct occurs, it is possible that it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We could incur asset impairment charges for goodwill, intangible assets or other long‑lived assets.

We have a significant amount of goodwill, intangible assets and other long‑lived assets. At least annually, we review goodwill for impairment. Long‑lived assets, identifiable intangible assets and goodwill are also reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable from future cash flows. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, sale or disposition of a significant portion of the business or other factors. If the carrying value of a long‑lived asset is considered impaired, an impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of the long‑lived asset exceeds its fair value. Our determination of future cash flows, future recoverability and fair value of our long‑lived assets includes significant estimates and assumptions. Changes in those estimates or assumptions or lower than anticipated future financial performance may result in the identification of an impaired asset and a non‑cash impairment charge, which could be material. Any such charge could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As we continue to open and operate existing Gander Outdoors retail locations, we may be required to raise additional funds in order to fund such openings. We cannot assure you that the terms of any additional debt or equity financing we obtain to fund the openings will be favorable to us.

In addition to our two Gander Outdoors and two Overton’s stores that are already open as of December 31, 2017, contingent on our final lease negotiations, our current plan is to open an additional 72 Gander Outdoors stores by May 2018, with measured growth thereafter. As a result, we will begin to incur meaningful incremental expenses without the benefit of the full revenue as we further ramp the Gander Outdoors business and open additional stores. Given our lack of operating history of these store locations, we expect to be exposed to longer start up times to reach profitability than our traditional greenfield location openings. Additionally, there is no assurance that we will reach profitability with respect to these additional stores.

Based on our current plans, we currently expect to fund the opening and initial working capital needs of our Gander Outdoors stores and certain liabilities that we will assume in connection therewith with available cash on hand and proceeds from the Second Amendment to our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities. We may also be required to raise additional capital from equity or debt financing to finance the opening and operation of Gander Outdoors stores. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such additional equity or debt financing on favorable terms or at all. Moreover, the issuance by us of Class A common stock in any future offerings may result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock. Furthermore, to the extent that we need to incur additional debt financing in connection with the opening and operation of any Gander Outdoors retail locations, such debt financings may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and may limit our ability to obtain financing in the future.

Additionally, if we fail to realize the expected benefits from integrating Gander Outdoors and Overton’s brands with our pre-existing businesses and opening and operating related retail locations, or if the financial performance of Gander Outdoors or Overton’s does not meet our current expectations, it may make it more difficult for us to service our debt and our results of operations may fail to meet expectations.

We may not complete the opening of Gander Outdoors retail locations within the time frame we anticipate or at all, which could have a negative effect on our business and our results of operations.

In addition to our two Gander Outdoors and two Overton’s stores that are already open as of December 31, 2017, contingent on our final lease negotiations, our current plan is to open an additional 72 Gander Outdoors stores by May 2018, with measured growth thereafter. As a result, we will begin to incur meaningful incremental expenses without the benefit of the full revenue as we begin to further ramp the Gander Outdoors business and open additional stores. Additionally, given the liquidation of the Gander Outdoors inventory prior to opening these additional stores, we will need to supply each retail location that we determine to operate with new inventory in a timely manner, which may also require us to raise additional capital from equity or debt financings. If we are unable to negotiate lease terms with the landlords acceptable to us, order new inventory or raise additional capital, in each case, within the expected time frame, or at all, it could have a negative effect on our financial performance and our ability to execute on our operating strategy for Gander Outdoors.

Opening and operating Gander Outdoors and Overton's retail locations may be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected and the anticipated benefits and cost savings of integrating Gander Outdoors and Overton’s brands into our pre-existing businesses may not be fully realized.

The success of Gander Outdoors and Overton’s brands, including the realization of anticipated benefits and cost savings from integrating the two brands with our pre-existing businesses, will depend, in part, on our ability to successfully integrate the businesses of Gander Outdoors and Overton's with our pre-existing businesses. The integration may be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees or the disruption of each company's ongoing businesses or that the alignment of standards, controls, procedures and policies may adversely affect the combined company's ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, suppliers and employees or to fully achieve the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the transaction. The loss of key employees could adversely affect our ability to successfully conduct our existing business in the markets in which Gander Outdoors and Overton's operate, which could have an adverse effect on our financial results and the market price of our Class A common stock. Other potential difficulties of integrating the businesses of Gander Outdoors and Overton's with our pre-existing businesses include unanticipated issues in integrating suppliers, logistics, distribution, retail operations, negotiation of lease terms with landlords on terms acceptable to us, information communications and other systems. We also expect to continue to incur non-recurring charges, including transaction costs, directly attributable to the integration of Gander Outdoors and Overton’s brands, as well as the opening of related retail locations.

If we experience difficulties with the integration process, the anticipated benefits of the opening and operating Gander Outdoors and Overton’s locations may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. Integration efforts between the companies may also divert management attention and resources. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on each of Gander Outdoors, Overton's and our pre-existing businesses during this transition period and on the combined company afterwards.

Moreover, in connection with the opening of the Gander Outdoors and Overton’s retail locations, we expect that we will continue to expand into numerous new markets and will be selling various new product lines or categories, including firearms. See "— We may incur costs from litigation relating to products that we currently sell as a result of opening and operating Gander Outdoors and Overton’s retail locations, particularly firearms and ammunition products, which could adversely affect our total revenue and profitability." As a result, opening retail locations may be more costly or time consuming than expected. Additionally, our unfamiliarity with the Gander Outdoors and Overton’s product lines and new markets may also impact our ability to operate these locations profitably once they are opened. Other factors that may impact the profitability of these retail locations include our ability to retain existing store personnel or hire and train new store personnel, especially management personnel, our ability to provide a satisfactory mix of merchandise, our ability to negotiate favorable lease agreements, our ability to supply retail locations with inventory in a timely manner and the other factors described under "— Risks Related to our Business — Our expansion into new, unfamiliar markets, products lines or categories presents increased risks that may prevent us from being profitable in these new markets, products lines or categories. Delays in opening or acquiring new retail locations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations" under ‘‘Risk Factors’’ in Item 1A of Part I of our Annual Report. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in operating the Gander Outdoors and Overton’s businesses on a profitable basis, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may incur costs from litigation relating to products that we currently sell as a result of the Gander Mountain acquisition and the opening of retail locations, particularly firearms and ammunition, which could adversely affect our total revenue and profitability.

We may incur damages due to lawsuits relating to products we currently sell as a result of the Gander Mountain acquisition and the opening of the rebranded Gander Outdoors retail locations, including, but not limited to, lawsuits relating to firearms, ammunition, tree stands and archery equipment. We may incur losses due to lawsuits, including potential class actions, relating to our performance of background checks on firearms purchases and compliance with other sales laws as mandated by state and federal law. We may also incur losses from lawsuits relating to the improper use of firearms or ammunition sold by us, including lawsuits by municipalities or other organizations attempting to recover costs from manufacturers and retailers of firearms and ammunition. Our insurance coverage and the insurance provided by our vendors for certain products they sell to us may be inadequate to cover claims and liabilities related to products that we sell. In addition, claims or lawsuits related to products that we sell, or the unavailability of insurance for product liability claims, could result in the elimination of these products from our product line, thereby reducing total revenue. If one or more successful claims against us are not covered by or exceed our insurance coverage, or if insurance coverage is no longer available, our available working capital may be impaired and our operating results could be materially adversely affected. Even unsuccessful claims could result in the expenditure of funds and management time and could have a negative impact on our profitability and on future premiums we would be required to pay on our insurance policies.

Risks Relating to Our Organizational Structure

Marcus Lemonis, through his beneficial ownership of our shares directly or indirectly held by ML Acquisition and ML RV Group, has substantial control over us, including over decisions that require the approval of stockholders, and his interests, along with the interests of our other Continuing Equity Owners, in our business may conflict with yours.

Each share of our Class B common stock entitles its holders to one vote per share on all matters presented to our stockholders generally provided that, for as long as ML Acquisition Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, indirectly owned by each of Stephen Adams and our Chairman and Chief

Executive Officer, Marcus Lemonis (“ML Acquisition”) and its permitted transferees of common units (the “ML Related Parties”), directly or indirectly, beneficially own in the aggregate 27.5% or more of all of the outstanding common units of CWGS, LLC, the shares of our Class B common stock held by the ML Related Parties entitle the ML Related Parties, and, through his beneficial ownership of our shares directly or indirectly held by ML Acquisition, Marcus Lemonis, to the number of votes necessary such that the ML Related Parties, in the aggregate, cast 47% of the total votes eligible to be cast by all of our stockholders on all matters presented to a vote of our stockholders generally. Additionally, our one share of Class C common stock entitles ML RV Group, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, wholly-owned by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marcus Lemonis (“ML RV Group”) and, through his beneficial ownership of our shares directly or indirectly held by ML RV Group, Marcus Lemonis, to the number of votes necessary such that he casts 5% of the total votes eligible to be cast by all of our stockholders on all matters presented to a vote of our stockholders generally for as long as there is no Class C Change of Control (as defined in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation). Accordingly, subject to the voting agreement that we entered into with ML Acquisition, ML RV Group, CVRV Acquisition LLC and CVRV Acquisition II LLC in connection with our IPO (the “Voting Agreement”) as described below, Marcus Lemonis, through his beneficial ownership of our shares directly or indirectly held by ML Acquisition and ML RV Group, may approve or disapprove substantially all transactions and other matters requiring approval by our stockholders, such as a merger, consolidation, dissolution or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, the issuance or redemption of certain additional equity interests, and the election of directors. These voting and class approval rights may also enable Marcus Lemonis to approve transactions that may not be in the best interests of holders of our Class A common stock or, conversely, prevent the consummation of transactions that may be in the best interests of holders of our Class A common stock.

Additionally, the Continuing Equity Owners may receive payments from us under the Tax Receivable Agreement upon any redemption or exchange of their common units in CWGS, LLC, including the issuance of shares of our Class A common stock upon any such redemption or exchange. As a result, the interests of the Continuing Equity Owners may conflict with the interests of holders of our Class A common stock. For example, the Continuing Equity Owners may have different tax positions from us which could influence their decisions regarding whether and when to dispose of assets, whether and when to incur new or refinance existing indebtedness, especially in light of the existence of the Tax Receivable Agreement, and whether and when we should terminate the Tax Receivable Agreement and accelerate our obligations thereunder. In addition, the structuring of future transactions may take into consideration tax or other considerations of the Continuing Equity Owners even in situations where no similar considerations are relevant to us.

In addition, pursuant to the Voting Agreement, Crestview Advisors, L.L.C., a registered investment adviser to private equity funds, including funds affiliated with Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. (“Crestview”) has the right to designate certain of our directors (the “Crestview Directors”), which will be four Crestview Directors (unless Marcus Lemonis is no longer our Chief Executive Officer, in which case, Crestview will have the right to designate three Crestview Directors) for as long as Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, 32.5% or more of our Class A common stock, three Crestview Directors for so long as Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, less than 32.5% but 25% or more of our Class A common stock, two Crestview Directors for as long as Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, less than 25% but 15% or more of our Class A common stock and one Crestview Director for as long as Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, less than 15% but 7.5% or more of our Class A common stock (assuming in each such case that all outstanding common units in CWGS, LLC are redeemed for newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one for one basis). Crestview currently has the right to designate two Crestview Directors. Each of ML Acquisition and ML RV Group has agreed to vote, or cause to vote, all of their outstanding shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock and Class C common stock at any annual or special meeting of stockholders in which directors are elected, so as to cause the election of the Crestview Directors. In addition, the ML Related Parties also have the right to designate certain of our directors (the “ML Acquisition Directors”), which will be four ML Acquisition Directors for as long as the ML Related Parties, directly or indirectly, beneficially own in the aggregate 27.5% or more of our Class A common stock, three ML Acquisition Directors for as long as the ML Related Parties, directly or indirectly, beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 27.5% but 25% or more of our Class A common stock, two ML Acquisition Directors for as long as the ML Related Parties, directly or indirectly, beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 25% but 15% or more of our Class A common stock

and one ML Acquisition Director for as long as the ML Related Parties, directly or indirectly, beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 15% but 7.5% or more of our Class A common stock (assuming in each such case that all outstanding common units in CWGS, LLC are redeemed for newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one for one basis). Moreover, ML RV Group has the right to designate one director for as long as it holds our one share of Class C common stock (the “ML RV Director”). Funds controlled by Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. have agreed to vote, or cause to vote, all of their outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock at any annual or special meeting of stockholders in which directors are elected, so as to cause the election of the ML Acquisition Directors and the ML RV Director. Additionally, pursuant to the Voting Agreement, we are required to take commercially reasonable action to cause (i) the board of directors to be comprised at least of nine directors; (ii) the individuals designated in accordance with the terms of the Voting Agreement to be included in the slate of nominees to be elected to the board of directors at the next annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Company at which directors are to be elected and at each annual meeting of stockholders of the Company thereafter at which a director’s term expires; (iii) the individuals designated in accordance with the terms of the Voting Agreement to fill the applicable vacancies on the board of directors; and (iv) a ML Acquisition Director or the ML RV Director to be the chairperson of the board of directors (as defined in our amended and restated bylaws). The Voting Agreement allows for the board of directors to reject the nomination, appointment or election of a particular director if such nomination, appointment or election would constitute a breach of the board of directors’ fiduciary duties to the Company’s stockholders or does not otherwise comply with any requirements of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws or the charter for, or related guidelines of, the board of directors’ nominating and corporate governance committee.

The Voting Agreement further provides that, for so long as Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, 22.5% or more of our Class A common stock, or the ML Related Parties, directly or indirectly, beneficially own, in the aggregate, 22.5% or more of our Class A common stock (assuming in each such case that all outstanding common units in CWGS, LLC are redeemed for newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one‑for‑one basis), the approval of Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and the ML Related Parties, as applicable, will be required for certain corporate actions. These actions include: (1) a change of control; (2) acquisitions or dispositions of assets above $100 million; (3) the issuance of securities of Camping World Holdings, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries (other than under equity incentive plans that have received the prior approval of our board of directors); (4) material amendments to our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; and (5) any change in the size of the board of directors. The Voting Agreement also provides that, for so long as either Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, 28% or more of our Class A common stock, or the ML Related Parties, directly or indirectly, beneficially own, in the aggregate, 28% or more of our Class A common stock (assuming in each such case that all outstanding common units of CWGS, LLC are redeemed for newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock, on a one‑for‑one basis), the approval of Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and the ML Related Parties, as applicable, will be required for the hiring and termination of our Chief Executive Officer; provided, however, that the approval of Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., and the ML Related Parties, as applicable, is only required at such time as Marcus Lemonis no longer serves as our Chief Executive Officer. These rights may prevent the consummation of transactions that may be in the best interests of holders of our Class A common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” does not apply with respect to any director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our affiliates.

The doctrine of corporate opportunity generally provides that a corporate fiduciary may not develop an opportunity using corporate resources, acquire an interest adverse to that of the corporation or acquire property that is reasonably incident to the present or prospective business of the corporation or in which the corporation has a present or expectancy interest, unless that opportunity is first presented to the corporation and the corporation chooses not to pursue that opportunity. The doctrine of corporate opportunity is intended to preclude officers or directors or other fiduciaries from personally benefiting from opportunities that belong to the corporation. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” does not apply with respect to any director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our affiliates. Any director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our affiliates therefore has no duty to communicate or present corporate opportunities to us, and has the right to either hold any corporate

opportunity for their (and their affiliates’) own account and benefit or to recommend, assign or otherwise transfer such corporate opportunity to persons other than us, including to any director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our affiliates.

As a result, certain of our stockholders, directors and their respective affiliates are not prohibited from operating or investing in competing businesses. We therefore may find ourselves in competition with certain of our stockholders, directors or their respective affiliates, and we may not have knowledge of, or be able to pursue, transactions that could potentially be beneficial to us. Accordingly, we may lose a corporate opportunity or suffer competitive harm, which could negatively impact our business or prospects.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE listing requirements and, as a result, qualify for, and rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. Our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such corporate governance requirements.

Pursuant to the terms of the Voting Agreement, Marcus Lemonis, through his beneficial ownership of our shares directly or indirectly held by ML Acquisition and ML RV Group, and certain funds controlled by Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., in the aggregate, have more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors, and, as a result, we are considered a “controlled company” for the purposes of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) listing requirements. As such, we qualify for, and rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements to have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors, an entirely independent nominating and corporate governance committee, an entirely independent compensation committee or to perform annual performance evaluation of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees.

The corporate governance requirements and specifically the independence standards are intended to ensure that directors who are considered independent are free of any conflicting interest that could influence their actions as directors. We have utilized, and intend to continue to utilize, certain exemptions afforded to a “controlled company.” As a result, we are not subject to certain corporate governance requirements, including that a majority of our board of directors consists of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of the NYSE. In addition, we are not required to have a nominating and corporate governance committee or compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities or to conduct annual performance evaluations of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees and currently we do not have an entirely independent nominating and corporate governance committee. Accordingly, our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE.

Our principal asset is our interest in CWGS, LLC, and accordingly, we depend on distributions from CWGS, LLC to pay dividends, taxes and expenses, including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. CWGS, LLC’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions.

We are a holding company and had no material assets as of December 31, 2017, other than our ownership of 36,749,072 common units, representing a 41.5% economic interest in the business of CWGS, LLC, and cash of $14.5 million. We have no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow, and our ability to pay dividends in the future, if any, will be dependent upon the financial results and cash flows of CWGS, LLC and its subsidiaries and distributions we receive from CWGS, LLC. There can be no assurance that our subsidiaries will generate sufficient cash flow to dividend or distribute funds to us or that applicable state law and contractual restrictions, including negative covenants in our debt instruments, will permit such dividends or distributions.

CWGS, LLC is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, is not subject to any entity‑level U.S. federal income tax. Instead, taxable income is allocated to holders of its common units, including us. As a result, we incur income taxes on our allocable share of any net taxable income of CWGS, LLC. Under the terms of the CWGS LLC Agreement, CWGS, LLC is obligated to make tax distributions to holders of its common units, including us, except to the extent such distributions would render

CWGS, LLC insolvent or are otherwise prohibited by law or our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities, our Floor Plan Facility or any of our future debt agreements. In addition to tax expenses, we will also incur expenses related to our operations, our interests in CWGS, LLC and related party agreements, including payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and expenses and costs of being a public company, all of which could be significant. We intend, as its managing member, to cause CWGS, LLC to make distributions in an amount sufficient to allow us to pay our taxes and operating expenses, including any ordinary course payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement. However, CWGS, LLC’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions including, but not limited to, restrictions on distributions that would either violate any contract or agreement to which CWGS, LLC is then a party, including debt agreements, or any applicable law, or that would have the effect of rendering CWGS, LLC insolvent. If CWGS, LLC does not have sufficient funds to pay tax distributions or other liabilities to fund our operations, we may have to borrow funds, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition and subject us to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders. To the extent that we are unable to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid; provided, however, that nonpayment for a specified period may constitute a material breach of a material obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreement and therefore may accelerate payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement. If CWGS, LLC does not have sufficient funds to make distributions, our ability to declare and pay cash dividends may also be restricted or impaired. See “— Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock.”

Our Tax Receivable Agreement with the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. requires us to make cash payments to them in respect of certain tax benefits to which we may become entitled, and the amounts that we may be required to pay could be significant.

In connection with our IPO, we entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with CWGS, LLC, each of the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. Pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, we are required to make cash payments to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. equal to 85% of the tax benefits, if any, that we actually realize, or in some circumstances are deemed to realize as a result of (i) increases in tax basis resulting from the purchase of common units from Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. in exchange for Class A common stock in connection with the consummation of the IPO and the related corporate reorganization transactions and any future redemptions that are funded by Camping World Holdings, Inc. or exchanges of common units and (ii) certain other tax benefits attributable to payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The amount of the cash payments that we may be required to make under the Tax Receivable Agreement could be significant. Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine, which tax reporting positions are subject to challenge by taxing authorities. Any payments made by us to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. under the Tax Receivable Agreement will generally reduce the amount of overall cash flow that might have otherwise been available to us. To the extent that we are unable to make timely payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, the unpaid amounts will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid by us. Nonpayment for a specified period may constitute a material breach of a material obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreement and therefore may accelerate payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Furthermore, our future obligation to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement could make us a less attractive target for an acquisition, particularly in the case of an acquirer that cannot use some or all of the tax benefits that may be deemed realized under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are also not conditioned upon the Continuing Equity Owners or Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. maintaining a continued ownership interest in CWGS, LLC. 

The amounts that we may be required to pay to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated in certain circumstances and may also significantly exceed the actual tax benefits that we ultimately realize.

The Tax Receivable Agreement provides that if certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combination, or other changes of control were to occur, if we materially breach any of our material obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement or if, at any time, we elect an early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement, then the Tax Receivable Agreement will terminate and our obligations, or our successor’s obligations, to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement would accelerate and become

immediately due and payable. The amount due and payable in those circumstances is determined based on certain assumptions, including an assumption that we would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize all potential future tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. We may need to incur debt to finance payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent our cash resources are insufficient to meet our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement as a result of timing discrepancies or otherwise.

As a result of the foregoing, (i) we could be required to make cash payments to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. that are greater than the specified percentage of the actual benefits we ultimately realize in respect of the tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement and (ii) we would be required to make an immediate cash payment equal to the present value of the anticipated future tax benefits that are the subject of the Tax Receivable Agreement, which payment may be made significantly in advance of the actual realization, if any, of such future tax benefits. In these situations, our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a substantial negative impact on our liquidity and could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combination, or other changes of control. There can be no assurance that we will be able to finance our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement.

We will not be reimbursed for any payments made to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. under the Tax Receivable Agreements in the event that any tax benefits are disallowed.

We will not be reimbursed for any cash payments previously made to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement if any tax benefits initially claimed by us are subsequently challenged by a taxing authority and are ultimately disallowed. Instead, any excess cash payments made by us to a Continuing Equity Owner or Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. will be netted against any future cash payments that we might otherwise be required to make under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement. However, a challenge to any tax benefits initially claimed by us may not arise for a number of years following the initial time of such payment or, even if challenged early, such excess cash payment may be greater than the amount of future cash payments that we might otherwise be required to make under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement and, as a result, there might not be future cash payments from which to net against. The applicable U.S. federal income tax rules are complex and factual in nature, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not disagree with our tax reporting positions. As a result, it is possible that we could make cash payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that are substantially greater than our actual cash tax savings.

Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States, and our tax liabilities will be subject to the allocation of expenses in differing jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by a number of factors, including:

In addition, we may be subject to audits of our income, sales and other transaction taxes by U.S. federal and state authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

If we were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a result of our ownership of CWGS, LLC, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Under Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the 1940 Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the 1940 Act if (i) it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities or (ii) it engages, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We do not believe that we are an “investment company,” as such term is defined in either of those sections of the 1940 Act.

As the sole managing member of CWGS, LLC, we control and operate CWGS, LLC. On that basis, we believe that our interest in CWGS, LLC is not an “investment security” as that term is used in the 1940 Act. However, if we were to cease participation in the management of CWGS, LLC, our interest in CWGS, LLC could be deemed an “investment security” for purposes of the 1940 Act.

We and CWGS, LLC intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed an investment company. However, if we were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, including limitations on our capital structure and our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our organizational structure, including the Tax Receivable Agreement, confers certain benefits upon the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. that do not benefit Class A common stockholders to the same extent as it benefits the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P.

Our organizational structure, including the Tax Receivable Agreement, confers certain benefits upon the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. that do not benefit the holders of our Class A common stock to the same extent as it benefits such Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. In connection with our IPO, we entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement with CWGS, LLC and such Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and it provides for the payment by Camping World Holdings, Inc. to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. of 85% of the amount of tax benefits, if any, that Camping World Holdings, Inc. actually realizes, or in some circumstances is deemed to realize, as a result of (i) increases in tax basis resulting from the purchase of common units from Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. in exchange for Class A common stock in connection with the consummation of the IPO and the related corporate reorganization transactions and any future redemptions that are funded by Camping World Holdings, Inc. or exchanges of common units and (ii) certain other tax benefits attributable to payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Although Camping World Holdings, Inc. will retain 15% of the amount of such tax benefits, this and other aspects of our organizational structure may adversely impact the future trading market for the Class A common stock.

Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock

The Continuing Equity Owners (through common units) own interests in CWGS, LLC, and the Continuing Equity Owners have the right to redeem their interests in CWGS, LLC pursuant to the terms of the CWGS LLC Agreement for newly-issued shares of Class A common stock or cash.

At December 31, 2017, we had an aggregate of 213,241,767 shares of Class A common stock authorized but unissued, including approximately 51,890,495 shares of Class A common stock issuable, at

our election, upon redemption of CWGS, LLC common units held by the Continuing Equity Owners. In connection with our IPO, CWGS, LLC entered into the CWGS LLC Agreement, and subject to certain restrictions set forth therein, the Continuing Equity Owners are entitled to have their common units redeemed from time to time at each of their options for, at our election (determined solely by our independent directors (within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE) who are disinterested), newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one‑for‑one basis or a cash payment equal to a volume weighted average market price of one share of Class A common stock for each common unit redeemed, in each case in accordance with the terms of the CWGS LLC Agreement; provided that, at our election (determined solely by our independent directors (within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE) who are disinterested), we may effect a direct exchange of such Class A common stock or such cash, as applicable, for such common units. The Continuing Equity Owners may exercise such redemption right for as long as their common units remain outstanding. In connection with our IPO, we also entered into a Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which the shares of Class A common stock issued upon such redemption and the shares of Class A common stock issued to the Former Equity Owners in connection with the corporate reorganization transactions entered into in connection therewith will be eligible for resale, subject to certain limitations set forth therein. 

We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our Class A common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our Class A common stock may have on the market price of our Class A common stock. Sales or distributions of substantial amounts of our Class A common stock, including shares issued in connection with an acquisition, or the perception that such sales or distributions could occur, may cause the market price of our Class A common stock to decline.

You may be diluted by future issuances of additional Class A common stock or common units in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions or otherwise; future sales of such shares in the public market, or the expectations that such sales may occur, could lower our stock price.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue shares of our Class A common stock and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to our Class A common stock for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our board of directors in its sole discretion, whether in connection with acquisitions or otherwise. In addition, we, CWGS, LLC and the Continuing Equity Owners are party to the CWGS LLC Agreement under which the Continuing Equity Owners (or certain permitted transferees thereof) have the right (subject to the terms of the CWGS LLC Agreement) to have their common units redeemed from time to time at each of their options by CWGS, LLC in exchange for, at our election (determined solely by our independent directors (within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE) who are disinterested), newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one‑for‑one basis or a cash payment equal to a volume weighted average market price of one share of Class A common stock for each common unit redeemed, in each case in accordance with the terms of the CWGS LLC Agreement; provided that, at our election (determined solely by our independent directors (within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE) who are disinterested), we may effect a direct exchange of such Class A common stock or such cash, as applicable, for such common units. The Continuing Equity Owners may exercise such redemption right for as long as their common units remain outstanding. The market price of shares of our Class A common stock could decline as a result of these redemptions or exchanges or the perception that a redemption could occur. These redemptions or exchanges, or the possibility that these redemptions or exchanges may occur, also might make it more difficult for holders of our Class A common stock to sell such stock in the future at a time and at a price that they deem appropriate.

We have reserved shares for issuance under our 2016 Incentive Award Plan (the “2016 Plan”) in an amount equal to 14,693,518 shares of Class A common stock, including, as of December 31, 2017, shares of Class A common stock issuable pursuant to 1,132,557 stock options and 1,290,552 restricted stock units that were granted to certain of our directors and certain of our employees. Any Class A common stock that we issue, including under our 2016 Plan or other equity incentive plans that we may adopt in the future, would dilute the percentage ownership of holders of our Class A common stock.

In connection with our IPO, we entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the Original Equity Owners. Any sales in connection with the Registration Rights Agreement, or the prospect of any such sales, could materially impact the market price of our Class A common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through future sales of equity securities.

In the future, we may also issue additional securities if we need to raise capital, including, but not limited to, in connection with acquisitions, which could constitute a material portion of our then‑outstanding shares of Class A common stock.

Our Class A common stock price may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance.

Volatility in the market price of our Class A common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for such shares. Many factors, which are outside our control, may cause the market price of our Class A common stock to fluctuate significantly, including those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section and this Form 10-K, as well as the following:

As a result, volatility in the market price of our Class A common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their Class A common stock at or above the price they paid for such shares. These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our Class A common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our Class A common stock is low. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

Our ability to pay regular and special dividends on our Class A common stock is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and may be limited by our structure and statutory restrictions and restrictions imposed by our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility as well as any future agreements.

CWGS, LLC has in the past made a regular quarterly cash distribution to its common unit holders of approximately $0.08 per common unit, and CWGS, LLC intends to continue to make such quarterly cash distributions. We have used in the past, and intend to continue to use, all of the proceeds from such distributions on our common units to declare cash dividends on our Class A common stock.

CWGS, LLC is required to make cash distributions in accordance with the CWGS LLC Agreement in an amount sufficient for us to pay any expenses incurred by us in connection with the regular quarterly cash dividend, along with any of our other operating expenses and other obligations. In addition, we have paid, and currently intend to pay, a special cash dividend of all or a portion of the Excess Tax Distribution to the holders of our Class A common stock from time to time, subject to the discretion of our board of directors. However, the payment of future dividends on our Class A common stock will be subject to our discretion as the sole managing member of CWGS, LLC, the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, level of indebtedness, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, restrictions in our debt agreements and in any preferred stock, business prospects and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility also effectively limit our ability to pay dividends. Additionally, our ability to distribute any Excess Tax Distribution will also be subject to no early termination or amendment of the Tax Receivable Agreement, as well as the amount of tax distributions actually paid to us and our actual tax liability. As a consequence of these limitations and restrictions, we may not be able to make, or may have to reduce or eliminate, the payment of dividends on our Class A common stock. Accordingly, you may have to sell some or all of your Class A common stock after price appreciation in order to generate cash flow from your investment. You may not receive a gain on your investment when you sell your Class A common stock and you may lose the entire amount of the investment. Additionally, any change in the level of our dividends or the suspension of the payment thereof could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock. For additional information on our payments of dividends, see "Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Dividend Policy" under Part II of this Form 10-K.

Delaware law and certain provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may prevent efforts by our stockholders to change the direction or management of our company.

We are a Delaware corporation, and the anti‑takeover provisions of Delaware law impose various impediments to the ability of a third party to acquire control of us, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our Company more difficult without the approval of our board of directors, including, but not limited to, the following:

These provisions could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing and cause us to take other corporate actions you desire, including actions that you may deem advantageous, or negatively affect the trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our stockholders to replace current members of our management team.

Please see “— Risks Relating to Our Organizational Structure — Marcus Lemonis, through his beneficial ownership of our shares directly or indirectly held by ML Acquisition and ML RV Group, has substantial control over us, including over decisions that require the approval of stockholders, and his interests, along with the interests of our other Continuing Equity Owners, in our business may conflict with yours.”

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, subject to certain exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, any director or our officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, any director or our officers or employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock are deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described above. This choice of forum provision may

limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise adversely affect holders of our Class A common stock, which could depress the price of our Class A common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue one or more series of preferred stock. Our board of directors will have the authority to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our preferred stock could be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of our Class A common stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discouraging bids for our Class A common stock at a premium to the market price, and materially and adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A common stock.

The obligations associated with being a public company have required, and will continue to require, significant resources and management attention, which may divert from our business operations.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes‑Oxley Act”). The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes‑Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not previously incur prior to our IPO.

Furthermore, as a public company, we will continue to incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses that have not been reflected in our historical financial statements for periods prior to the IPO included in Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K. In addition, rules implemented by the SEC and the NYSE have imposed various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel have devoted, and will need to continue to devote, a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. These rules and regulations result in our incurring legal and financial compliance costs and have made, and will continue to make, some activities more time‑consuming and costly. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified people to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as executive officers.

Recently identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting could have a significant adverse effect on our business and the price of our common stock.

As a public reporting company, we are subject to the rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC and NYSE. These rules and regulations require, among other things, that we have, and periodically evaluate, procedures with respect to our internal control over financial reporting. Reporting obligations as a public company are likely to continue to place a considerable strain on our financial and management systems, processes and controls, as well as on our personnel.

In addition, as a public company we are required to document and test our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act so that our management can certify as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, which requires us to document and make

significant changes to our internal control over financial reporting. Likewise, our independent registered public accounting firm is required to provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

In connection with the preparation of our financial statements and the audit of our financial results for 2017, material weaknesses in our internal controls relating to (i) insufficient analysis to correctly determine the portion of the deferred tax asset resulting from our direct investment in CWGS, LLC not expected to be realized, (ii) the insufficient documentation and/or execution of certain accounting policies and procedures within FreedomRoads, which operates the RV dealerships, and (iii) ineffective transaction level and management review controls over the valuation of trade-in unit inventory were identified. As a result, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 was not effective. These material weaknesses have caused us to restate our previously issued consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016, and as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2017, three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and three and nine months ended September 30, 2017. As described in Part II, Item 9A of this Form 10-K, management is taking steps to remediate the material weaknesses in our internal controls. There can be no assurance that any measures we take will remediate the material weaknesses identified, nor can there be any assurance as to how quickly we will be able to remediate these material weaknesses.

In future periods, if our senior management is unable to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting, or to certify the effectiveness of such controls, or if our independent registered public accounting firm cannot render an unqualified opinion on management’s assessment and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, or if additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting are identified, we may be required to again restate our financial statements and could be subject to regulatory scrutiny, a loss of public and investor confidence, and to litigation from investors and stockholders, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and the price of our Class A common stock.

Furthermore, the correction of any such material weaknesses, including the ones noted above, could require additional remedial measures including additional personnel which could be costly and time-consuming. In addition, we may encounter problems or delays in completing the implementation of any requested improvements and receiving a favorable attestation report from our independent registered public accounting firm. In addition, if we do not maintain adequate financial and management personnel, processes and controls, we may not be able to manage our business effectively or accurately report our financial performance on a timely basis, which could cause a decline in our common stock price and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Failure to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could potentially subject us to sanctions or investigations by the SEC, the NYSE or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.

If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our company, or if they issue unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or downgrade our Class A common stock, the price of our Class A common stock could decline.

The trading market for our Class A common stock depends in part on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about our company and our industry. If one or more analysts cease coverage of our company, we could lose visibility in the market. In addition, one or more of these analysts could downgrade our Class A common stock or issue other negative commentary about our company or our industry. As a result of one or more of these factors, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

 

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

We typically lease the real properties where we have operations. Our real property leases generally provide for fixed monthly rentals with annual escalation clauses. The table below sets forth certain information concerning our offices and distribution centers and the lease expiration date includes all stated option periods.

As of December 31, 2017, we also leased 133 of our 140 RV retail locations in 36 states where we operate our retail locations. These retail locations generally range in size from approximately 30,000 to 45,000 square feet and are typically situated on approximately eight to 18 acres. The leases for our retail locations typically have terms of 15 to 20 years, with multiple renewal terms of five years each. These leases are typically “triple net leases” that require us to pay real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs.

The following table lists the location by state of our 140 retail locations open as of December 31, 2017:

 

 

We also have thirteen Outdoor and Active Sports Retail locations including seven in Illinois, three in Minnesota, two in North Carolina, and one in Michigan.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are engaged in various legal actions, claims and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including claims related to employment-related matters, breach of contracts, products liabilities, consumer protection and intellectual property matters resulting from our business activities. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these pending claims will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. However, litigation is subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of certain individual litigated matters may not be reasonably predictable and any related damages may not be estimable. Some litigation matters could result in an adverse outcome to us, and any such adverse outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

Executive Officers and Directors of the Registrant

The following table provides information regarding the Company’s executive officers and directors (ages are as of March 13, 2018):

 

Set forth below is a description of the background of each of the Company’s executive officers and directors.

Marcus A. Lemonis has served as Camping World Holdings, Inc.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since its formation, as the President and Chief Executive Officer and on the board of directors of CWGS, LLC since February 2011, as the Chief Executive Officer and on the board of directors of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC since January 2011, as President and Chief Executive Officer and on the board of directors of Camping World, Inc. since September 2006 and as the President and Chief Executive Officer and on the board of directors of FreedomRoads, LLC since May 1, 2003. Mr. Lemonis received a B.A. from Marquette University. Mr. Lemonis’ extensive experience in retail, RV and automotive, business operations and entrepreneurial ventures makes him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Thomas F. Wolfe has served as Camping World Holdings, Inc.’s Chief Financial Officer since its formation, as the Executive Vice President of Operations of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC from September 2011 through February 2015, the Chief Financial Officer of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC since January 2004 and as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial officer of CWGS, LLC since January 2011. Previously, Mr. Wolfe served as Good Sam Enterprises, LLC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since January 2004. Prior to that time, Mr. Wolfe had been Vice President and Controller of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC since 1997. From 1991 to 1997, Mr. Wolfe was vice president of finance of Convenience Management Group, LLC, a privately-owned distributor of petroleum products and equipment. From 1989 to 1991, Mr. Wolfe was vice president and controller of First City Properties, Inc. From 1983 to 1988, Mr. Wolfe held a variety of staff and management positions at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Mr. Wolfe received a B.S. from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Brent L. Moody has served as Camping World Holdings, Inc.’s Chief Operating and Legal Officer since its formation, as the Chief Operating and Legal Officer of CWGS, LLC and its subsidiaries since January 1, 2016, as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative and Legal Officer of CWGS, LLC from February 2011 to December 31, 2015, as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative and Legal Officer of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC from January 2011 to December 31, 2015, as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative and Legal Officer of FreedomRoads, LLC and Camping World, Inc. from 2010 until December 31, 2015, as Executive Vice President/General Counsel and Business Development of Camping World, Inc. and FreedomRoads, LLC from 2006 to 2010, as Senior Vice President/General Counsel and Business Development of Camping World, Inc. and Good Sam Enterprises, LLC from 2004 to 2006 and as Vice President and General Counsel of Camping World, Inc. from 2002 to 2004. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Moody was a shareholder of the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Moody served as vice president and assistant general counsel for Blockbuster, Inc. Mr. Moody received a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center and a B.S. from Western Kentucky University.

Roger L. Nuttall has served as President of Camping World, Inc. since January 2011, as Chief Operating Officer of FreedomRoads, LLC from January 2009 until January 2011 and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of FreedomRoads, LLC from November 2003 until December 2015. From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Nuttall was a partner at McKay, Nuttall and Reid, a local accounting and consulting firm. Prior to that time, from 1974 to 1981, Mr. Nuttall held a variety of staff and management positions at Grant Thornton LLP. From 1983 until 2003, Mr. Nuttall served as chief financial officer and member of the board of directors of Blaine Jensen & Sons, Inc., a multi dealership RV company. Mr. Nuttall received a B.A. from Weber State University.

 

Stephen Adams has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since its formation, as the chairman of the board of directors of CWGS, LLC since February 2011, as the chairman of the board of directors of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC since December 1988, as the chairman of the board of directors of Camping World, Inc. since April 1997 and as the chairman of the board of directors of FreedomRoads Holding Company, LLC since February 3, 2005. In addition, Mr. Adams is the chairman of the board of directors and the controlling shareholder of Adams Outdoor Advertising, Inc., which operates an outdoor media advertising business. From November 2011 until April 2012, Mr. Adams inadvertently failed to timely file ownership reports on Forms 4 and 5 and as of the end of calendar year 2011, as of May 15, 2012 and as of the end of calendar year 2012, Mr. Adams mistakenly failed to timely file Schedule 13G amendments with respect to an entity in which he unknowingly accumulated an interest in excess of 5%. As a result, the Securities and Exchange Commission entered an order on September 10, 2014, pursuant to which Mr. Adams agreed to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations of the requirements of Section 13(d) and 16(a) of the Exchange Act and certain of the rules promulgated thereunder and paid a civil money penalty to the SEC without admitting or denying the findings therein. In August 2009, Affinity Bank, a California depositary institution in which Mr. Adams indirectly owned a controlling interest, was closed by the California Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was appointed as the receiver. Mr. Adams received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.S. from Yale University. Mr. Adams’ long association with the Company as a chairman of the board of directors of several of its subsidiaries since he acquired Good Sam Enterprises, LLC in 1988 and his current or former ownership of a variety of businesses with significant assets and operations during his over 40 year business career, during which time he has had substantial experience in providing management oversight and strategic direction, make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Andris A. Baltins has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since its formation, on the board of directors of CWGS, LLC since February 2011 and on the board of directors of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC since February 2006. He has been a member of the law firm of Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, P.A. since 1979. Mr. Baltins serves as a director of various private and nonprofit corporations, including Adams Outdoor Advertising, Inc., which is controlled by Mr. Adams. Mr. Baltins previously served as a director of Polaris Industries, Inc. from 1995 until 2011. Mr. Baltins received a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and a B.A. from Yale University. Mr. Baltins’ over 40 year legal career as an advisor to numerous public and private companies and his experience in the areas of complex business transactions, mergers and acquisitions and corporate law make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Brian P. Cassidy has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since its formation and on the board of directors of CWGS, LLC since March 2011. Mr. Cassidy is a Partner at Crestview, which he joined in 2004, and currently serves as head of Crestview’s media and communications strategy. Mr. Cassidy has served as a director of WideOpenWest, Inc., a public company, since December 2015, and has served as a director of various private companies, including Congruex LLC since November 2017, NEG Parent LLC, the parent company of CORE Media Group, since October 2016, Interoute Communications Holdings since April 2015, and NEP Group, Inc. since December 2012. Mr. Cassidy previously served as a director of Cumulus Media, Inc., a public company, from May 2014 until March 2017, and served as a director of various private companies, including ValueOptions, Inc. from December 2007 until December 2014, and San Juan Cable LLC (d/b/a OneLink Communications) from May 2007 until November 2012. He was also involved with Crestview’s investments in Charter Communications, Inc. and Insight Communications, Inc. Prior to joining Crestview, Mr. Cassidy worked in private equity at Boston Ventures, where he invested in companies in the media and communications, entertainment and business services industries. Previously, he worked as the acting chief financial officer of one of Boston Ventures’ portfolio companies. Prior to that time, Mr. Cassidy was an investment banking analyst at Alex. Brown & Sons, where he completed a range of financing and mergers and acquisitions assignments for companies in the consumer and business services sectors. Mr. Cassidy received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an A.B. in Physics from Harvard College. Mr. Cassidy’s private equity investment and company oversight experience and background with respect to acquisitions, debt financings and equity financings make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Mary J. George has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since January 2017. Ms. George has also served as executive chairman of Ju-Ju-Be, a retailer of premium diaper bags and other baby products since January 2018. Ms. George has been a founding partner of Morningstar Capital Investments, LLC, an investment firm, since 2001. Ms. George served as chief executive officer and a director at Easton Hockey Holdings Inc., a private manufacturer of ice hockey equipment, from August 2014 to December 2016. From 2002 to 2015, Ms. George held various positions, including co-chairman (2002 to 2009) and vice chairman (2009 to 2015), at Bell Automotive Products, Inc., a private manufacturer of automotive accessories. From 1994 to 2004, Ms. George held various positions, including chief operating officer (1995 to 1998), chief executive officer (1998 to 2000), and chairman (2000 to 2004), at Bell Sports Inc., a formerly public helmet manufacturer. Ms. George also currently serves or previously served as a director of various public and private companies, including Image Entertainment, Inc., a formerly public independent distributor of home entertainment programming, from 2010 to 2012, Oakley, Inc., a public sports equipment and lifestyle accessories manufacturer, from 2004 to 2007, BRG Sports Inc. since 2013, 3 Day Blinds Inc. from 2007 to 2015, and Oreck Corporation. from 2008 to 2012. Ms. George’s experience in sales, marketing and general management in the consumer products industry, as well as success in the development of internationally renowned branded products, provides our board of directors with greater insight in the areas of product branding and strategic growth in the consumer products industry, and make her well-qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Daniel G. Kilpatrick has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since January 2017. Mr. Kilpatrick serves as a partner at Crestview Advisors, L.L.C., a private equity firm that he joined in 2009, where he has overseen investments in companies across a variety of industries, including media and financial services. Mr. Kilpatrick is currently on the board of directors of WideOpenWest, Inc., a public company, since December 2015, and has served on the board of directors of various private companies, including Congruex LLC since November 2017, and NEG Parent LLC, the parent company of CORE Media Group, since October 2016. He was previously a director of several private companies including NYDJ Corporation from January 2014 to February 2018, Accuride Group Holdings, Inc. from November 2016 to August 2017, and Symbion, Inc. from August 2012 to November 2014. Mr. Kilpatrick received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Yale University. Mr. Kilpatrick's private equity investment and company oversight experience and background with respect to acquisitions, debt financings and equity financings make him well-qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Howard A. Kosick has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since October 1, 2017. Mr. Kosick has been an independent business advisor providing private strategic business advisory services since January 2015. Prior to January 2015, Mr. Kosick held various positions, including president, chief executive officer and director (June 2004 to June 2013) and chairman and merger integration officer (July 2013 to September 2014) at Tippmann Sports LLC, a private equity backed manufacturer of paintball markers and accessories, which was sold to a strategic buyer in December 2013. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Kosick served as a director, president and chief operating officer at Bay Travelgear, Inc., a private luggage manufacturer and its affiliate Bell Automotive Products, Inc., a private manufacturer of automotive accessories. In 1999, Mr. Kosick served as chief financial officer, treasurer and secretary at Universal Technical Institute, a post-secondary education institution. From 1989 to 1998, Mr. Kosick held various positions, including executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer and secretary (1989 to 1997) and president of the U.S. group (1997-1998) at Bell Sports Corp., a formerly public bicycle helmet and accessories manufacturer. Mr. Kosick’s management, business advisory and operations experience and track record in various mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions provide the Board with greater insight in the areas of performance improvement, growth and brand building, and make him well-qualified to serve on the Board.

Jeffrey A. Marcus has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since its formation and on the board of directors of CWGS, LLC since March 2011. Mr. Marcus is a Vice Chairman at Crestview, which he joined in 2004 and is part of Crestview’s media team. Prior to joining Crestview, Mr. Marcus served in various positions in the media and communications industry, including as President and chief executive officer of AMFM Inc. (formerly Chancellor Media Corporation) from 1998 until 1999 and as founder and chief executive officer of Marcus Cable Company, a privately-held cable company, from 1989 until 1998. Mr. Marcus has served on the board of directors of public companies, including Cumulus Media, Inc. where he served as a director since September 2011 and as the chairman since April 2015, and

WideOpenWest, Inc. where he served as the chairman since December 2015. He has also served as a director of NEP Group, Inc., a private company, since December 2012. Mr. Marcus previously served as a director of Charter Communications, Inc., a public company, from September 2011 until November 2013, and served on the board of directors of various private companies, including as the chairman of the board of directors of DS Services of America, Inc. from September 2013 until December 2014, and as a director of San Juan Cable LLC (d/b/a OneLink Communications) from July 2011 until December 2012, and Insight Communications Company, Inc. from April 2010 until February 2012. Mr. Marcus received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Marcus’ extensive experience serving as a director of numerous public and private companies, operating experience as a chief executive officer in the cable television, broadcast and outdoor industries and his experience as a private equity investor with respect to acquisitions, debt financings, equity financings and public market sentiment make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

K. Dillon Schickli has served on the board of directors of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since its formation and on the board of directors of CWGS, LLC since August 2011. Mr. Schickli previously served on the board of directors of CWGS, LLC from 1990 until 1995 and was chief operating officer of Affinity Group, Inc., the predecessor of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC, from 1993 until 1995. Previously, Mr. Schickli was a co-investor with Crestview in DS Waters Group, Inc. (“DS Waters”) and served as vice chairman of its board of directors until it was sold to Cott Corporation in December 2014. Prior to that time, Mr. Schickli was the chief executive officer of DS Waters from June 2010 until February 2013 and subsequently led the buyout of the business by Crestview. Mr. Schickli also previously led the buyout of DS Waters from Danone Group & Suntory Ltd. in November 2005 and was also a co investor in DS Waters with Kelso & Company. Mr. Schickli served as co-chief executive officer and chief financial officer of DS Waters from November 2005 until June 2010, when he became the sole chief executive officer. Mr. Schickli started his business career in the capital planning and acquisitions group of the Pepsi Cola Company after he received his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Schickli received a B.A. from Carleton College in 1975. Mr. Schickli’s long association with, and knowledge of, the Company, extensive experience serving as a director of other businesses, operating experience as a chief executive officer and his experience as a private equity investor with respect to acquisitions, debt financings, equity and financings make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

 

 

 

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

On October 7, 2016, our Class A common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CWH.” Prior to that time, there was no public market for our stock. The following table sets forth the highest and lowest sales prices for our common stock on the NYSE for the periods indicated.

 

Our Class B common stock and Class C common stock is neither listed nor traded on any stock exchange.

Holders of Record

As of February 23, 2018, there were 18,315 stockholders of record of our Class A common stock. As of February 23, 2018, there were two and one stockholders of record of our Class B common stock and Class C common stock, respectively.

Dividend Policy

CWGS, LLC has made a regular quarterly cash distribution to its common unit holders of approximately $0.08 per common unit, and CWGS, LLC intends to continue to make such quarterly cash distributions. We have used in the past, and intend to continue to use, all of the proceeds from such distribution on our common units to pay a regular quarterly cash dividend of approximately $0.08 per share on our Class A common stock, subject to our discretion as the sole managing member of CWGS, LLC and the discretion of our board of directors. Holders of our Class B common stock and Class C common stock are not entitled to participate in any dividends declared by our board of directors. We paid regular quarterly cash dividends of $0.08 per share of our Class A common stock, totaling $9.1 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We paid special quarterly cash dividends to holders of our Class A common stock of $0.0732 per share, or $8.4 million, for the year ended December 31, 2017, and no special quarterly cash dividend for the year ended December 31, 2016. In addition, we paid a one-time cash dividend of $0.13 per share of our Class A common stock, or $4.8 million, during the quarter ended December 31, 2017.

CWGS, LLC is required to make cash distributions in accordance with the CWGS LLC Agreement in an amount sufficient for us to pay any expenses incurred by us in connection with the regular quarterly cash dividend, along with any of our other operating expenses and other obligations. We believe that our cash and cash equivalents and cash provided by operating activities will be sufficient for CWGS, LLC to make this regular quarterly cash distribution for at least the next twelve months.

In addition, the CWGS LLC Agreement requires tax distributions to be made by CWGS, LLC to its members, including us. In general, tax distributions are made on a quarterly basis, to each member of CWGS, LLC, including us, based on such member's allocable share of the taxable income of CWGS, LLC (which, in our case, will be determined without regard to any Basis Adjustments described in our Tax Receivable Agreement) and an assumed tax rate based on the highest combined federal, state, and local tax rate that may potentially apply to any one of CWGS, LLC's members (52.62% in 2017), regardless of the actual final tax liability of any such member. Based on the current applicable effective tax rates, we expect

that (i) the assumed tax rate that will be used for purposes of determining tax distributions from CWGS, LLC will exceed our actual combined federal, state and local tax rate (assuming no changes in corporate tax rates) and (ii) the annual amount of tax distributions paid to us will exceed the sum of (A) our actual annual tax liability and (B) the annual amount payable by us under the Tax Receivable Agreement (assuming no early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement) (such excess in clauses (A) and (B), collectively referred to herein as the "Excess Tax Distribution"). We currently intend to pay a special cash dividend of all or a portion of the Excess Tax Distribution to the holders of our Class A common stock from time to time subject to the discretion of our board of directors.

Our ability to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock depends on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, level of indebtedness, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, restrictions in our debt agreements and in any preferred stock, restrictions under applicable law, the extent to which such distributions would render CWGS, LLC insolvent, our business prospects and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Additionally, our ability to distribute any Excess Tax Distribution will also be subject to no early termination or amendment of the Tax Receivable Agreement, as well as the amount of tax distributions actually paid to us and our actual tax liability. Furthermore, because we are a holding company, our ability to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock depends on our receipt of cash distributions from CWGS, LLC and, through CWGS, LLC, cash distributions and dividends from its operating subsidiaries, which may further restrict our ability to pay dividends as a result of the laws of their jurisdiction of organization, agreements of our subsidiaries or covenants under any existing and future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur. In particular, our ability to pay any cash dividends on our Class A common stock is limited by restrictions on the ability of CWGS, LLC and our other subsidiaries and us to pay dividends or make distributions to us under the terms of our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and Floor Plan Facility. We do not currently believe that the restrictions contained in our existing indebtedness will impair the ability of CWGS, LLC to make the distributions or pay the dividends as described above. Our dividend policy has certain risks and limitations, particularly with respect to liquidity, and we may not pay dividends according to our policy, or at all. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources" and "Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock—Our ability to pay regular and special dividends on our Class A common stock is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and may be limited by our structure and statutory restrictions and restrictions imposed by our Existing Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our Floor Plan Facility as well as any future agreements" in this Form 10-K.

CWGS, LLC paid cash tax distributions to its members during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 aggregating $176.3 million, $103.9 million and $83.1 million, respectively. CWGS, LLC also made quarterly preferred return payments to one of its members during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 aggregating $6.4 million and $8.4 million, respectively. Additionally, CWGS, LLC paid special cash distributions to its members aggregating $39.5 million and $111.2 million during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph and table illustrate the total return from October 7, 2016 through December 31, 2017, for (i) our Class A common stock, (ii) the Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Index, and (iii) the S&P 500 Retailing Index. The comparisons reflected in the graph and table are not intended to forecast the future performance of our stock and may not be indicative of future performance. The graph and table assume that

$100 was invested on October 7, 2016 in each of our Class A common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and S&P 500 Retailing Index and that any dividends were reinvested.

 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

On May 31, 2017, certain selling stockholders completed a secondary public offering of 5,500,000 shares of our Class A common stock. Additionally, on June 9, 2017, certain selling stockholders sold an additional 825,000 shares of our Class A common stock pursuant to the underwriters' exercise of their option, in part, to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock. In connection with the secondary offering, the continuing equity owners that participated in the offering as selling stockholders redeemed 4,971,545 common units for 4,971,545 newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock, including common units redeemed in connection with the underwriters' exercise of their option, in part, to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock. Simultaneously, we cancelled 4,971,545 shares of Class B common stock surrendered by the continuing equity owners that participated in the offering as selling stockholders in connection with the exchange of their common units.

On July 26, 2017, Camping World Holdings, Inc. issued 164,277 shares of its Class A common stock to InnerHealth Corporation in connection with the acquisition of TheHouse.com.

On October 30, 2017, certain selling stockholders completed a secondary public offering of 6,700,000 shares of our Class A common stock. Additionally, on November 1, 2017, certain selling stockholders sold an additional 963,799 shares of our Class A common stock pursuant to the underwriters' exercise of their option, in part, to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock. In connection with the secondary

offering, the continuing equity owners that participated in the offering as selling stockholders redeemed 6,194,555 common units for 6,194,655 newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock, including common units redeemed in connection with the underwriters' exercise of their option, in part, to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock. Simultaneously, we cancelled 6,194,555 shares of Class B common stock surrendered by the continuing equity owners that participated in the offering as selling stockholders in connection with the exchange of their common units. The issuances of shares of Class A common stock described in the foregoing paragraphs were made in reliance on the exemption contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, on the basis that the transactions described above did not involve any public offering.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following tables present the selected historical consolidated financial and other data for Camping World Holdings, Inc. The selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and the selected consolidated statements of income and statements of cash flows data for each of the years in the three year period ended December 31, 2017 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. The selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and the selected consolidated statement of income and statement of cash flows data for each of the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements not included herein.

As discussed in Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Restatement to Prior Periods in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K, the Company has restated its consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016 to reflect a partial valuation allowance against the portion of the deferred tax asset related to its outside basis difference in CWGS, LLC of $102.7 million. In addition, certain amounts as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013 have been revised to correct for errors that were immaterial in prior periods as described in Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Restatement to Prior Periods in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. In addition, our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 reflect the provisional impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“2017 Tax Act”). See Note 10 — Income Taxes to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Subsequent to the IPO and the related reorganization transactions, Camping World Holdings, Inc. has been a holding company whose principal asset is its equity interest in CWGS, LLC. As the sole managing member of CWGS, LLC, Camping World Holdings, Inc. operates and controls all of the business and affairs of CWGS, LLC, and, through CWGS, LLC, conducts its business. As a result, the Company consolidates CWGS, LLC’s financial results and reports a non-controlling interest related to the common units not owned by Camping World Holdings, Inc. Such consolidation has been reflected for all periods presented. Our selected historical consolidated financial and other data does not reflect what our financial position, results of operations and cash flows would have been had we been a separate, stand-alone public company during those periods.

Our selected historical consolidated financial and other data may not be indicative of our future results of operations or future cash flows. You should read the information set forth below in conjunction with our historical consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements, “Item 1A. – Risk Factors,” and “Item 7. – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.