Keith Dix
Founder
Growing up in Gary, Indiana as the youngest son of an Inland Steel worker and a receptionist at Ivy Tech, Keith Dix was intrigued by motorhomes he had seen during his family’s travels to reunions across the Midwest.
But he’d never set foot in one.
He wondered how those machines worked, what that life might be like.
So in his 30s he and his brothers bought one—a very-used 1985 Fleetwood Jamboree. Keith loved the sense of adventure—“challenging the status quo of our exposure,” as his brother put it. He liked the freedom to go anywhere in comfort, whether on camping trips to the annual family “guy’s weekends” at Wisconsin Dells or football games. He enjoyed the way the RV became the center of the party at Homecoming tailgating. And he was fascinated by how the motorhome worked—or didn’t—and learning how to fix it.
That intellectual curiosity and a desire to share with more and more people an RV experience he couldn’t have imagined as a child would eventually lead him to start a business.
Keith had earned his bachelor’s degree at Purdue in Computer Technology, an interest that began when his father gave him a used Tandy 1000 computer for his ninth Christmas. He had been in charge of IT departments for 8 years, advancing his career through various companies, when a trip to an RV dealer changed his trajectory. Keith and his brothers had sold their motorhome and he wanted to rent one for Memorial Day; the dealer had nothing available. In fact, there was nothing available in Indianapolis or the surrounding towns and suburbs. Turned out that was true for most major holidays.
Keith was disappointed, yet saw opportunity.
Two years later he took a leap of faith and in February 2014 merged his fascination with RVs, his drive for figuring things out, and the commitment to customer service he had refined at IT call centers into Touchdown RV Rentals, Sales, and Service.
Beginning with a single RV then adding others and working from a small trailer in a parking lot, Keith has grown Touchdown to include 24 Class A, B, and C motorhomes and travel trailers for rent, and others for sale at our offices on Andrade Drive in Zionsville. Recognizing the need for maintenance and service, he also opened a full-time repair facility with certified technicians and an expanding parts department.
Today Touchdown RV’s motorhomes, travel trailers, maintenance, and repair services live up to the high standards of long-time RV owners. But Keith holds a special affinity for newcomers to the RV experience.
“I love teaching, sharing what we know,” says Keith, who earned his MBA from the University of Indianapolis and is an adjunct instructor at Ivy Tech. “We begin with helping our customers get comfortable driving the RV, understanding how to use everything,” Keith says. “Then we help them get comfortable with where they are going.
“The minute you drive into a campground, you’ve got something in common with everyone there—the RV. What make is that? Do you like it? Where was your last trip? These are the friendliest people you’re going to meet.”
And Touchdown supports its customers, 24/7.
“Our business is relational, not transactional,” Keith says. “I’ve taken calls all times of the day to answer customers questions, even traveled where they are to help them out. We never take our customers for granted. We’re glad to help them get back to enjoying their trips, building those memories with their families.
“I love exploring, learning new places and things, and how much better is it to do that with your family?” Keith says. “I was in my 30s before I took my first long RV trip with my family. We had such a great time.
“My daughters will never forget the campfires, the s’mores, walking the boardwalk together, the great food, even the unexpected stops along the way.
“The little things count when you’re traveling by RV.”
