RVBUSINESScom VOLUME 57 NUMBER 11 FEBRUARY 2007
copy
Monacorsquos Mike Snell vp sales amp marketing in a Signature Series Class A
RVBUSINESScom VOLUME 57 NUMBER 11 FEBRUARY 2007
FULL WALLSLIDEOUTS
EXPANSIVE 07 GROWTH INEXPANSIVE 07 GROWTH IN
FULL WALLSLIDEOUTS
Monacorsquos Mike Snell vp sales amp marketing in a Signature Series Class A
001-RVB_0702_LO_FrntCover4ps 11907 1228 PM Page 1
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
THE DIFFERENCE IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY
TM
reg
MONACO COACH CORPORATION
MONACO DIFFERENT
The Monaco difference is right on the money
with innovative new products that are timed
right for your customers Our broad product
line means buyers can fi nd just what
theyrsquore looking for ndash whether itrsquos lightweight
travel trailers and fi fth wheels toy haulers
front or rear engine gas and diesel
motorhomes or high-end luxury models
We have the largest offering of products
so with Monaco you can always stock the
latest hot seller mdash without having to carry
another line At Monaco wersquore different
Discover the difference for yourself by calling
8006340855
wwwmonaco-onlinecom 91320 Coburg Industrial Way Coburg OR 97408 606 Nelsonrsquos Parkway Wakarusa IN 46573
THE RIGHT PRODUCTS AT THE RIGHT PRICE POINTS AT THE RIGHT TIME
SAFARI SIMBATOY HAULER
bull Front Engine Dieselbull 3300 Lb Hydraulic Lift Gatebull Sleeps Up to Eight Peoplebull Base MSRP $147993
HOLIDAY RAMBLER ARISTA
bull Holiday Rambler Qualitybull 5 Floorplans Available bull Most Affordable Holiday Rambler ldquoClass Ardquo Everbull Base MSRP $82145
HOLIDAY RAMBLER SAVOY LE
bull Lightweight mdash Half-Ton Towablebull Holiday Rambler Qualitybull Extended Season Livabilitybull Base MSRP $22399
MONACO LAPALMA DIESEL XL
bull A Gas Coach Price with Diesel Powerbull Upgraded Interior and Exteriorbull Exclusive Roadmaster Chassisbull Base MSRP $135496
copy 2006 MONACO COACH CORPORATION Monaco Coach Corporation is traded on the NYSE under the listing MNC
ldquoNo other manufacturer can match Monacorsquos offerings No one even comes closerdquo
Kay Toolson CEO
MONACO COACH CORPORATION CIRCLE 112 ON READER SERVICE CARD
002-RVB02 PG CV2 MONACOps 11507 703 PM Page 2
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 3
THIS PAGE from left Fleetwoodrsquos AmericanEagle Class A diesel pusher is among the coachesaffected by new diesel-emissions regulations (page39) Class Arsquos are also the hot topic as we take a longlook at the trend to full-wall slideouts (page 26)
COVER Itrsquos only been three years since Fleetwooddebuted the RV industryrsquos first full-wall slideout butthis open airy floorplan has proven popular withRVers and coach designers alike Today many Class Alines mdash both diesel and gas mdash boast at least one full-
wall slideout floorplanAs seen by the interior ofMonacorsquos Signature Seriesdiesel the combination offull-wall slide and higherceilings mdash another recenttrend mdash can create ahomey ldquogreat roomrdquo atmos-phere perfect for loungingor entertainingPhoto by Steve Smith
RV Business (USPS 920-340) is copyrighted 2007 by TL EnterprisesInc in the United States Canada Great Britain and other countriesPublication Sales Agreement No 1938495 Canadian return addressAffinity Group Inc 2575 Vista Del Mar Ventura CA 93001 Allrights reserved Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted onlyupon written request Periodicals postage paid at Ventura Calif93001 and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Sendaddress changes to RV Business PO Box 17126 North HollywoodCalif 91615-7126 (866) 238-3237 fax (818) 760-4490 Address allcorrespondence and editorial material to the Ventura Calif officeRV Business is published monthly Subscription rates US andCanada $79 a year $149 for two years Foreign subscriptions $129 ayear Single copies are $1195 Advertising rates are provided onrequest RV Business is published by TL Enterprises Inc 2575 VistaDel Mar Dr Ventura Calif 93001 which also publishes Trailer LifeMotorHome RiderTrailer Lifersquos CampgroundRV Park amp ServicesDirectory and Highways for the Good Sam Club TLrsquos BookDivision currently has 11 books in print
copy
TOP OF THE NEWS7 John Crean 81 From Fleetwood Founder to Philanthropist
7 ARVC Reports Slight rsquo06 Growth Despite Unusual Challenges
11 Privileged Access Acquires 15 of Outdoor Worldrsquos Resorts
16 Retiring RV Exec Chimes In On OEMDealer Relationships
18 Coast to Coast Acquisitions Expand CampResorts Network
FEATURES20 2007 Outlook Industry Executives Are lsquoGuardedly Optimisticrsquo
38 Clearing The Air on The New Diesel Emissions Regulations
COVER STORY26 Full-Wall Slideouts Fuel New Dramatically Different Floorplans
OEM SHOWCASE34 Newell Focuses on Innovation Amenities in High-End Market
CUTTING EDGE44 Jensen Stereos Southco Security Hadley Memory Mirrors
BUSINESS PROFILE45 Fabric Services Rides Growth of lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV Industry
CALENDAR54 Coast to Coast Listings of RV Shows and Industry Happenings
DEPARTMENTS4 State of the Art
16 In Brief
37 Public Domain
46 Ad Index
51 Retail Trends
52 Classifieds
53 Market Place
VOLUME 57 NUMBER 11 FEBRUARY 2007
38
26
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RVBusiness JANUARY 20074
STATE OF THE ART STAFF
VPRV TRADE PUBLICATIONS Sherman GoldenbergEDITOR Bruce HampsonWEB EDITOR Dave BarbulescoART DIRECTOR Steven AverillSENIOR EDITOR Bob AshleyEDITOR AT LARGE Jeff CriderCOPY EDITOR Steve BiblerPHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Shawn SpenceCONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITOR Chris HemerPRODUCTION DIRECTOR Bob DawsonSENIOR ADVERTISING
PRODUCTION MANAGER Brenda HutchinsonPREPRESS SPECIALIST Gerald VandiverIMAGE EDITOR Robert PetersonASSISTANT CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jill AndersonFULFILLMENT MANAGER Melissa RobinsonCIRCULATION MANAGER Mike Blakely
TL ENTERPRISES INC
CHAIRMAN Stephen AdamsPRESIDENT amp CEO Michael SchneiderSENIOR VPCFO Tom WolfeVPPUBLISHER
RV CONSUMER amp TRADE PUBLICATIONS Bob LivingstonVPCONTROLLER Dale HendrixVPEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF GOOD SAM CLUB Susan BrayVPMARKETING Kevin HobbsVPTL DATABASE PUBLISHING Joe DaquinoSENIOR DIRECTOR OF
CLUB amp PUBLICATIONS MARKETING Ken HurdCHAIRMAN amp PUBLISHER EMERITUS Art Rouse
EDITORIALBUSINESS OFFICE
2575 Vista Del Mar Drive Ventura CA 93001(805) 667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4484 rvbtlcom
ADVERTISING
VPRV ADVERTISING SALES Terry ThompsonADVERTISING SALES Nancy ChavanothaiCLASSIFIED Sue Panchenko (Mgr) Angela PezzulloBUSINESS MANAGER Denielle SternburgADVERTISING SALES PROMOTION MGR Barbara KeigPO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912(805)667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4379Elkhart IndianaMIDWEST SALES DIRECTOR Chuck LasleyMIDWEST SALES MANAGER Peg RecchioADVERTISING SALES Tacy Hendershot2300 Middlebury St Elkhart IN 46516(574) 295-7820 Fax (574) 522-0418ADVERTISING SALES Paul Gillerlain(219) 324-4740 Fax (219) 324-6564Seattle WashingtonADVERTISING SALES Scott Oakes John Marciano1818 Westlake Ave Seattle WA 98109(206) 283-9545 fax (206) 283-9571Automotive AccountsTIME amp SPACE INC
651 Oak Ridge Drive Pike Road AL(334) 260-7765 Fax (334) 260-7762
As Vice President of RV Trade Publications for TL Enterprises Inc Sherman Goldenbergbased in Elkhart Ind oversees RV Business amp Woodallrsquos Campground Management
BY SHERMAN GOLDENBERG
L ong-time friend and comedian Milton Berle called hima ldquobrilliant entrepreneurrdquo and ldquorambunctious adventurerrdquoActor Buddy Ebsen described his life as a ldquoclassic
American success storyrdquo Satirist and pal Stan Freberg said heseemed like ldquoa fictional character in a bookrdquo
Indeed many of those who knew and worked with John CCrean through the years probably remember him best not only
as a shrewd businessman but as a competitive intense andbigger-than-life ldquocharacterrdquo who steadfastly builtFleetwood Enterprises Inc from scratch into a nationalpower in the recreational vehicle business
Crean died Jan 11 at the age of 81 of heart diseaseAll flattery aside the stories that will probably linger
most among his friends and associates will surely deal morewith the ldquoeccentric ultra-conservative ultra-kind-hearted
ultra-richrdquo individual Crean had become rather than with the role of corporateexecutive that this North Dakota native almost reluctantly assumed during a 48-year career before retiring in a huff in 1998 to a life of philanthropy and off-the-wall pursuits
Personally I remember Crean for the day I visited him at his Oceanside estate inNewport Beach Calif for an RV Business interview It wasnrsquot a long visit but it pro-vided an almost perfect snapshot of a legendary man in his early 70rsquos who at that timewas as quick and crusty and at times humorous as ever Seated in his study I askedhim about the derivation of the Fleetwood name ldquoI needed a namerdquo he said in hisblunt way ldquoIn those days most of the manufacturers were using Detroit namesThere was a Roadmaster trailer after the Buick Roadmaster There was a Saratogaafter the Chrysler That was just generally being done When I needed a nameI thought that Fleetwood off the Cadillac probably was as good as there wasrdquo
So GM didnrsquot mind I askedldquoThey minded a lotrdquo he said ldquoI got legal papers for more than 10 years I donrsquot
know what was with them though Irsquod get all these orders to cease-and-desist andthey would threaten to sue me But that was all that happened I just ignored themThen mdash it was years later and we were in the mobile home business by then mdashGeneral Motors went in the motorhome businessThey built a (GMC) motorhomeand put the name Glenbrook on it We had had Glenbrook (brand name) on oneof our mobile homes which we had been using for quite some time
ldquoThey wrote us a letter asking if we thought there was a conflict We said that wedidnrsquot think there was one but we also didnrsquot see any problem over both of us usingthe Fleetwood name Now we have an agreement Itrsquos all right for General Motorsto use Glenbrook and we have permission to use Fleetwoodrdquo
We also talked about the early years when for all but a short period of time hehad successfully adhered to what might be referred to as the Crean Proposition abusiness strategy he had perfected as far back as 1951 ldquoBack thenrdquo he said ldquoI waspretty doggone efficient We didnrsquot have a whole lot of credit We paid cash foralmost everything And there was no way we could have any receivables We had toget cash for the product We were just doing things all pretty well right which justabout everybody does when first starting Itrsquos when you have a little success that youget all screwed uprdquo
The Viability of thelsquoCrean Propositionrsquo
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GE MONEY CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
XANTREX CIRCLE 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD
006-RVB02 PG 6 XANTREXps 11507 704 PM Page 6
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
128
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
010-RVB02 PG 10 RVBAYps 11507 705 PM Page 10
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
011-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 420 PM Page 11
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
PA
RK
INC
C
IRC
LE 1
22 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
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An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
022-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 215 PM Page 22
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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AD
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CA
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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26 O
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
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RV
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GH
T S
YS
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MS
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108
ON
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RV
ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
THE DIFFERENCE IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY
TM
reg
MONACO COACH CORPORATION
MONACO DIFFERENT
The Monaco difference is right on the money
with innovative new products that are timed
right for your customers Our broad product
line means buyers can fi nd just what
theyrsquore looking for ndash whether itrsquos lightweight
travel trailers and fi fth wheels toy haulers
front or rear engine gas and diesel
motorhomes or high-end luxury models
We have the largest offering of products
so with Monaco you can always stock the
latest hot seller mdash without having to carry
another line At Monaco wersquore different
Discover the difference for yourself by calling
8006340855
wwwmonaco-onlinecom 91320 Coburg Industrial Way Coburg OR 97408 606 Nelsonrsquos Parkway Wakarusa IN 46573
THE RIGHT PRODUCTS AT THE RIGHT PRICE POINTS AT THE RIGHT TIME
SAFARI SIMBATOY HAULER
bull Front Engine Dieselbull 3300 Lb Hydraulic Lift Gatebull Sleeps Up to Eight Peoplebull Base MSRP $147993
HOLIDAY RAMBLER ARISTA
bull Holiday Rambler Qualitybull 5 Floorplans Available bull Most Affordable Holiday Rambler ldquoClass Ardquo Everbull Base MSRP $82145
HOLIDAY RAMBLER SAVOY LE
bull Lightweight mdash Half-Ton Towablebull Holiday Rambler Qualitybull Extended Season Livabilitybull Base MSRP $22399
MONACO LAPALMA DIESEL XL
bull A Gas Coach Price with Diesel Powerbull Upgraded Interior and Exteriorbull Exclusive Roadmaster Chassisbull Base MSRP $135496
copy 2006 MONACO COACH CORPORATION Monaco Coach Corporation is traded on the NYSE under the listing MNC
ldquoNo other manufacturer can match Monacorsquos offerings No one even comes closerdquo
Kay Toolson CEO
MONACO COACH CORPORATION CIRCLE 112 ON READER SERVICE CARD
002-RVB02 PG CV2 MONACOps 11507 703 PM Page 2
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 3
THIS PAGE from left Fleetwoodrsquos AmericanEagle Class A diesel pusher is among the coachesaffected by new diesel-emissions regulations (page39) Class Arsquos are also the hot topic as we take a longlook at the trend to full-wall slideouts (page 26)
COVER Itrsquos only been three years since Fleetwooddebuted the RV industryrsquos first full-wall slideout butthis open airy floorplan has proven popular withRVers and coach designers alike Today many Class Alines mdash both diesel and gas mdash boast at least one full-
wall slideout floorplanAs seen by the interior ofMonacorsquos Signature Seriesdiesel the combination offull-wall slide and higherceilings mdash another recenttrend mdash can create ahomey ldquogreat roomrdquo atmos-phere perfect for loungingor entertainingPhoto by Steve Smith
RV Business (USPS 920-340) is copyrighted 2007 by TL EnterprisesInc in the United States Canada Great Britain and other countriesPublication Sales Agreement No 1938495 Canadian return addressAffinity Group Inc 2575 Vista Del Mar Ventura CA 93001 Allrights reserved Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted onlyupon written request Periodicals postage paid at Ventura Calif93001 and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Sendaddress changes to RV Business PO Box 17126 North HollywoodCalif 91615-7126 (866) 238-3237 fax (818) 760-4490 Address allcorrespondence and editorial material to the Ventura Calif officeRV Business is published monthly Subscription rates US andCanada $79 a year $149 for two years Foreign subscriptions $129 ayear Single copies are $1195 Advertising rates are provided onrequest RV Business is published by TL Enterprises Inc 2575 VistaDel Mar Dr Ventura Calif 93001 which also publishes Trailer LifeMotorHome RiderTrailer Lifersquos CampgroundRV Park amp ServicesDirectory and Highways for the Good Sam Club TLrsquos BookDivision currently has 11 books in print
copy
TOP OF THE NEWS7 John Crean 81 From Fleetwood Founder to Philanthropist
7 ARVC Reports Slight rsquo06 Growth Despite Unusual Challenges
11 Privileged Access Acquires 15 of Outdoor Worldrsquos Resorts
16 Retiring RV Exec Chimes In On OEMDealer Relationships
18 Coast to Coast Acquisitions Expand CampResorts Network
FEATURES20 2007 Outlook Industry Executives Are lsquoGuardedly Optimisticrsquo
38 Clearing The Air on The New Diesel Emissions Regulations
COVER STORY26 Full-Wall Slideouts Fuel New Dramatically Different Floorplans
OEM SHOWCASE34 Newell Focuses on Innovation Amenities in High-End Market
CUTTING EDGE44 Jensen Stereos Southco Security Hadley Memory Mirrors
BUSINESS PROFILE45 Fabric Services Rides Growth of lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV Industry
CALENDAR54 Coast to Coast Listings of RV Shows and Industry Happenings
DEPARTMENTS4 State of the Art
16 In Brief
37 Public Domain
46 Ad Index
51 Retail Trends
52 Classifieds
53 Market Place
VOLUME 57 NUMBER 11 FEBRUARY 2007
38
26
003-RVB_0702_LO_TOCps 11907 226 PM Page 3
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RVBusiness JANUARY 20074
STATE OF THE ART STAFF
VPRV TRADE PUBLICATIONS Sherman GoldenbergEDITOR Bruce HampsonWEB EDITOR Dave BarbulescoART DIRECTOR Steven AverillSENIOR EDITOR Bob AshleyEDITOR AT LARGE Jeff CriderCOPY EDITOR Steve BiblerPHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Shawn SpenceCONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITOR Chris HemerPRODUCTION DIRECTOR Bob DawsonSENIOR ADVERTISING
PRODUCTION MANAGER Brenda HutchinsonPREPRESS SPECIALIST Gerald VandiverIMAGE EDITOR Robert PetersonASSISTANT CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jill AndersonFULFILLMENT MANAGER Melissa RobinsonCIRCULATION MANAGER Mike Blakely
TL ENTERPRISES INC
CHAIRMAN Stephen AdamsPRESIDENT amp CEO Michael SchneiderSENIOR VPCFO Tom WolfeVPPUBLISHER
RV CONSUMER amp TRADE PUBLICATIONS Bob LivingstonVPCONTROLLER Dale HendrixVPEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF GOOD SAM CLUB Susan BrayVPMARKETING Kevin HobbsVPTL DATABASE PUBLISHING Joe DaquinoSENIOR DIRECTOR OF
CLUB amp PUBLICATIONS MARKETING Ken HurdCHAIRMAN amp PUBLISHER EMERITUS Art Rouse
EDITORIALBUSINESS OFFICE
2575 Vista Del Mar Drive Ventura CA 93001(805) 667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4484 rvbtlcom
ADVERTISING
VPRV ADVERTISING SALES Terry ThompsonADVERTISING SALES Nancy ChavanothaiCLASSIFIED Sue Panchenko (Mgr) Angela PezzulloBUSINESS MANAGER Denielle SternburgADVERTISING SALES PROMOTION MGR Barbara KeigPO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912(805)667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4379Elkhart IndianaMIDWEST SALES DIRECTOR Chuck LasleyMIDWEST SALES MANAGER Peg RecchioADVERTISING SALES Tacy Hendershot2300 Middlebury St Elkhart IN 46516(574) 295-7820 Fax (574) 522-0418ADVERTISING SALES Paul Gillerlain(219) 324-4740 Fax (219) 324-6564Seattle WashingtonADVERTISING SALES Scott Oakes John Marciano1818 Westlake Ave Seattle WA 98109(206) 283-9545 fax (206) 283-9571Automotive AccountsTIME amp SPACE INC
651 Oak Ridge Drive Pike Road AL(334) 260-7765 Fax (334) 260-7762
As Vice President of RV Trade Publications for TL Enterprises Inc Sherman Goldenbergbased in Elkhart Ind oversees RV Business amp Woodallrsquos Campground Management
BY SHERMAN GOLDENBERG
L ong-time friend and comedian Milton Berle called hima ldquobrilliant entrepreneurrdquo and ldquorambunctious adventurerrdquoActor Buddy Ebsen described his life as a ldquoclassic
American success storyrdquo Satirist and pal Stan Freberg said heseemed like ldquoa fictional character in a bookrdquo
Indeed many of those who knew and worked with John CCrean through the years probably remember him best not only
as a shrewd businessman but as a competitive intense andbigger-than-life ldquocharacterrdquo who steadfastly builtFleetwood Enterprises Inc from scratch into a nationalpower in the recreational vehicle business
Crean died Jan 11 at the age of 81 of heart diseaseAll flattery aside the stories that will probably linger
most among his friends and associates will surely deal morewith the ldquoeccentric ultra-conservative ultra-kind-hearted
ultra-richrdquo individual Crean had become rather than with the role of corporateexecutive that this North Dakota native almost reluctantly assumed during a 48-year career before retiring in a huff in 1998 to a life of philanthropy and off-the-wall pursuits
Personally I remember Crean for the day I visited him at his Oceanside estate inNewport Beach Calif for an RV Business interview It wasnrsquot a long visit but it pro-vided an almost perfect snapshot of a legendary man in his early 70rsquos who at that timewas as quick and crusty and at times humorous as ever Seated in his study I askedhim about the derivation of the Fleetwood name ldquoI needed a namerdquo he said in hisblunt way ldquoIn those days most of the manufacturers were using Detroit namesThere was a Roadmaster trailer after the Buick Roadmaster There was a Saratogaafter the Chrysler That was just generally being done When I needed a nameI thought that Fleetwood off the Cadillac probably was as good as there wasrdquo
So GM didnrsquot mind I askedldquoThey minded a lotrdquo he said ldquoI got legal papers for more than 10 years I donrsquot
know what was with them though Irsquod get all these orders to cease-and-desist andthey would threaten to sue me But that was all that happened I just ignored themThen mdash it was years later and we were in the mobile home business by then mdashGeneral Motors went in the motorhome businessThey built a (GMC) motorhomeand put the name Glenbrook on it We had had Glenbrook (brand name) on oneof our mobile homes which we had been using for quite some time
ldquoThey wrote us a letter asking if we thought there was a conflict We said that wedidnrsquot think there was one but we also didnrsquot see any problem over both of us usingthe Fleetwood name Now we have an agreement Itrsquos all right for General Motorsto use Glenbrook and we have permission to use Fleetwoodrdquo
We also talked about the early years when for all but a short period of time hehad successfully adhered to what might be referred to as the Crean Proposition abusiness strategy he had perfected as far back as 1951 ldquoBack thenrdquo he said ldquoI waspretty doggone efficient We didnrsquot have a whole lot of credit We paid cash foralmost everything And there was no way we could have any receivables We had toget cash for the product We were just doing things all pretty well right which justabout everybody does when first starting Itrsquos when you have a little success that youget all screwed uprdquo
The Viability of thelsquoCrean Propositionrsquo
004-RVB_0702_LO_State of Aps 11907 1236 PM Page 4
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
GE MONEY CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD
005-RVB02 PG 5 GE EXTENDEDps 11507 704 PM Page 5
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
XANTREX CIRCLE 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD
006-RVB02 PG 6 XANTREXps 11507 704 PM Page 6
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
007-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 221 PM Page 7
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
011-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 420 PM Page 11
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
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RK
INC
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
B W
CU
STO
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014-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 14
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
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An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
US
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CIR
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RE
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
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ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 3
THIS PAGE from left Fleetwoodrsquos AmericanEagle Class A diesel pusher is among the coachesaffected by new diesel-emissions regulations (page39) Class Arsquos are also the hot topic as we take a longlook at the trend to full-wall slideouts (page 26)
COVER Itrsquos only been three years since Fleetwooddebuted the RV industryrsquos first full-wall slideout butthis open airy floorplan has proven popular withRVers and coach designers alike Today many Class Alines mdash both diesel and gas mdash boast at least one full-
wall slideout floorplanAs seen by the interior ofMonacorsquos Signature Seriesdiesel the combination offull-wall slide and higherceilings mdash another recenttrend mdash can create ahomey ldquogreat roomrdquo atmos-phere perfect for loungingor entertainingPhoto by Steve Smith
RV Business (USPS 920-340) is copyrighted 2007 by TL EnterprisesInc in the United States Canada Great Britain and other countriesPublication Sales Agreement No 1938495 Canadian return addressAffinity Group Inc 2575 Vista Del Mar Ventura CA 93001 Allrights reserved Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted onlyupon written request Periodicals postage paid at Ventura Calif93001 and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Sendaddress changes to RV Business PO Box 17126 North HollywoodCalif 91615-7126 (866) 238-3237 fax (818) 760-4490 Address allcorrespondence and editorial material to the Ventura Calif officeRV Business is published monthly Subscription rates US andCanada $79 a year $149 for two years Foreign subscriptions $129 ayear Single copies are $1195 Advertising rates are provided onrequest RV Business is published by TL Enterprises Inc 2575 VistaDel Mar Dr Ventura Calif 93001 which also publishes Trailer LifeMotorHome RiderTrailer Lifersquos CampgroundRV Park amp ServicesDirectory and Highways for the Good Sam Club TLrsquos BookDivision currently has 11 books in print
copy
TOP OF THE NEWS7 John Crean 81 From Fleetwood Founder to Philanthropist
7 ARVC Reports Slight rsquo06 Growth Despite Unusual Challenges
11 Privileged Access Acquires 15 of Outdoor Worldrsquos Resorts
16 Retiring RV Exec Chimes In On OEMDealer Relationships
18 Coast to Coast Acquisitions Expand CampResorts Network
FEATURES20 2007 Outlook Industry Executives Are lsquoGuardedly Optimisticrsquo
38 Clearing The Air on The New Diesel Emissions Regulations
COVER STORY26 Full-Wall Slideouts Fuel New Dramatically Different Floorplans
OEM SHOWCASE34 Newell Focuses on Innovation Amenities in High-End Market
CUTTING EDGE44 Jensen Stereos Southco Security Hadley Memory Mirrors
BUSINESS PROFILE45 Fabric Services Rides Growth of lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV Industry
CALENDAR54 Coast to Coast Listings of RV Shows and Industry Happenings
DEPARTMENTS4 State of the Art
16 In Brief
37 Public Domain
46 Ad Index
51 Retail Trends
52 Classifieds
53 Market Place
VOLUME 57 NUMBER 11 FEBRUARY 2007
38
26
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness JANUARY 20074
STATE OF THE ART STAFF
VPRV TRADE PUBLICATIONS Sherman GoldenbergEDITOR Bruce HampsonWEB EDITOR Dave BarbulescoART DIRECTOR Steven AverillSENIOR EDITOR Bob AshleyEDITOR AT LARGE Jeff CriderCOPY EDITOR Steve BiblerPHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Shawn SpenceCONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITOR Chris HemerPRODUCTION DIRECTOR Bob DawsonSENIOR ADVERTISING
PRODUCTION MANAGER Brenda HutchinsonPREPRESS SPECIALIST Gerald VandiverIMAGE EDITOR Robert PetersonASSISTANT CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jill AndersonFULFILLMENT MANAGER Melissa RobinsonCIRCULATION MANAGER Mike Blakely
TL ENTERPRISES INC
CHAIRMAN Stephen AdamsPRESIDENT amp CEO Michael SchneiderSENIOR VPCFO Tom WolfeVPPUBLISHER
RV CONSUMER amp TRADE PUBLICATIONS Bob LivingstonVPCONTROLLER Dale HendrixVPEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF GOOD SAM CLUB Susan BrayVPMARKETING Kevin HobbsVPTL DATABASE PUBLISHING Joe DaquinoSENIOR DIRECTOR OF
CLUB amp PUBLICATIONS MARKETING Ken HurdCHAIRMAN amp PUBLISHER EMERITUS Art Rouse
EDITORIALBUSINESS OFFICE
2575 Vista Del Mar Drive Ventura CA 93001(805) 667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4484 rvbtlcom
ADVERTISING
VPRV ADVERTISING SALES Terry ThompsonADVERTISING SALES Nancy ChavanothaiCLASSIFIED Sue Panchenko (Mgr) Angela PezzulloBUSINESS MANAGER Denielle SternburgADVERTISING SALES PROMOTION MGR Barbara KeigPO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912(805)667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4379Elkhart IndianaMIDWEST SALES DIRECTOR Chuck LasleyMIDWEST SALES MANAGER Peg RecchioADVERTISING SALES Tacy Hendershot2300 Middlebury St Elkhart IN 46516(574) 295-7820 Fax (574) 522-0418ADVERTISING SALES Paul Gillerlain(219) 324-4740 Fax (219) 324-6564Seattle WashingtonADVERTISING SALES Scott Oakes John Marciano1818 Westlake Ave Seattle WA 98109(206) 283-9545 fax (206) 283-9571Automotive AccountsTIME amp SPACE INC
651 Oak Ridge Drive Pike Road AL(334) 260-7765 Fax (334) 260-7762
As Vice President of RV Trade Publications for TL Enterprises Inc Sherman Goldenbergbased in Elkhart Ind oversees RV Business amp Woodallrsquos Campground Management
BY SHERMAN GOLDENBERG
L ong-time friend and comedian Milton Berle called hima ldquobrilliant entrepreneurrdquo and ldquorambunctious adventurerrdquoActor Buddy Ebsen described his life as a ldquoclassic
American success storyrdquo Satirist and pal Stan Freberg said heseemed like ldquoa fictional character in a bookrdquo
Indeed many of those who knew and worked with John CCrean through the years probably remember him best not only
as a shrewd businessman but as a competitive intense andbigger-than-life ldquocharacterrdquo who steadfastly builtFleetwood Enterprises Inc from scratch into a nationalpower in the recreational vehicle business
Crean died Jan 11 at the age of 81 of heart diseaseAll flattery aside the stories that will probably linger
most among his friends and associates will surely deal morewith the ldquoeccentric ultra-conservative ultra-kind-hearted
ultra-richrdquo individual Crean had become rather than with the role of corporateexecutive that this North Dakota native almost reluctantly assumed during a 48-year career before retiring in a huff in 1998 to a life of philanthropy and off-the-wall pursuits
Personally I remember Crean for the day I visited him at his Oceanside estate inNewport Beach Calif for an RV Business interview It wasnrsquot a long visit but it pro-vided an almost perfect snapshot of a legendary man in his early 70rsquos who at that timewas as quick and crusty and at times humorous as ever Seated in his study I askedhim about the derivation of the Fleetwood name ldquoI needed a namerdquo he said in hisblunt way ldquoIn those days most of the manufacturers were using Detroit namesThere was a Roadmaster trailer after the Buick Roadmaster There was a Saratogaafter the Chrysler That was just generally being done When I needed a nameI thought that Fleetwood off the Cadillac probably was as good as there wasrdquo
So GM didnrsquot mind I askedldquoThey minded a lotrdquo he said ldquoI got legal papers for more than 10 years I donrsquot
know what was with them though Irsquod get all these orders to cease-and-desist andthey would threaten to sue me But that was all that happened I just ignored themThen mdash it was years later and we were in the mobile home business by then mdashGeneral Motors went in the motorhome businessThey built a (GMC) motorhomeand put the name Glenbrook on it We had had Glenbrook (brand name) on oneof our mobile homes which we had been using for quite some time
ldquoThey wrote us a letter asking if we thought there was a conflict We said that wedidnrsquot think there was one but we also didnrsquot see any problem over both of us usingthe Fleetwood name Now we have an agreement Itrsquos all right for General Motorsto use Glenbrook and we have permission to use Fleetwoodrdquo
We also talked about the early years when for all but a short period of time hehad successfully adhered to what might be referred to as the Crean Proposition abusiness strategy he had perfected as far back as 1951 ldquoBack thenrdquo he said ldquoI waspretty doggone efficient We didnrsquot have a whole lot of credit We paid cash foralmost everything And there was no way we could have any receivables We had toget cash for the product We were just doing things all pretty well right which justabout everybody does when first starting Itrsquos when you have a little success that youget all screwed uprdquo
The Viability of thelsquoCrean Propositionrsquo
004-RVB_0702_LO_State of Aps 11907 1236 PM Page 4
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GE MONEY CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD
005-RVB02 PG 5 GE EXTENDEDps 11507 704 PM Page 5
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XANTREX CIRCLE 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD
006-RVB02 PG 6 XANTREXps 11507 704 PM Page 6
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
007-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 221 PM Page 7
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
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RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
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RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
128
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
010-RVB02 PG 10 RVBAYps 11507 705 PM Page 10
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
011-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 420 PM Page 11
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
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Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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CA
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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OD
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CIR
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
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RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness JANUARY 20074
STATE OF THE ART STAFF
VPRV TRADE PUBLICATIONS Sherman GoldenbergEDITOR Bruce HampsonWEB EDITOR Dave BarbulescoART DIRECTOR Steven AverillSENIOR EDITOR Bob AshleyEDITOR AT LARGE Jeff CriderCOPY EDITOR Steve BiblerPHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Shawn SpenceCONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITOR Chris HemerPRODUCTION DIRECTOR Bob DawsonSENIOR ADVERTISING
PRODUCTION MANAGER Brenda HutchinsonPREPRESS SPECIALIST Gerald VandiverIMAGE EDITOR Robert PetersonASSISTANT CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jill AndersonFULFILLMENT MANAGER Melissa RobinsonCIRCULATION MANAGER Mike Blakely
TL ENTERPRISES INC
CHAIRMAN Stephen AdamsPRESIDENT amp CEO Michael SchneiderSENIOR VPCFO Tom WolfeVPPUBLISHER
RV CONSUMER amp TRADE PUBLICATIONS Bob LivingstonVPCONTROLLER Dale HendrixVPEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF GOOD SAM CLUB Susan BrayVPMARKETING Kevin HobbsVPTL DATABASE PUBLISHING Joe DaquinoSENIOR DIRECTOR OF
CLUB amp PUBLICATIONS MARKETING Ken HurdCHAIRMAN amp PUBLISHER EMERITUS Art Rouse
EDITORIALBUSINESS OFFICE
2575 Vista Del Mar Drive Ventura CA 93001(805) 667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4484 rvbtlcom
ADVERTISING
VPRV ADVERTISING SALES Terry ThompsonADVERTISING SALES Nancy ChavanothaiCLASSIFIED Sue Panchenko (Mgr) Angela PezzulloBUSINESS MANAGER Denielle SternburgADVERTISING SALES PROMOTION MGR Barbara KeigPO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912(805)667-4100 Fax (805) 667-4379Elkhart IndianaMIDWEST SALES DIRECTOR Chuck LasleyMIDWEST SALES MANAGER Peg RecchioADVERTISING SALES Tacy Hendershot2300 Middlebury St Elkhart IN 46516(574) 295-7820 Fax (574) 522-0418ADVERTISING SALES Paul Gillerlain(219) 324-4740 Fax (219) 324-6564Seattle WashingtonADVERTISING SALES Scott Oakes John Marciano1818 Westlake Ave Seattle WA 98109(206) 283-9545 fax (206) 283-9571Automotive AccountsTIME amp SPACE INC
651 Oak Ridge Drive Pike Road AL(334) 260-7765 Fax (334) 260-7762
As Vice President of RV Trade Publications for TL Enterprises Inc Sherman Goldenbergbased in Elkhart Ind oversees RV Business amp Woodallrsquos Campground Management
BY SHERMAN GOLDENBERG
L ong-time friend and comedian Milton Berle called hima ldquobrilliant entrepreneurrdquo and ldquorambunctious adventurerrdquoActor Buddy Ebsen described his life as a ldquoclassic
American success storyrdquo Satirist and pal Stan Freberg said heseemed like ldquoa fictional character in a bookrdquo
Indeed many of those who knew and worked with John CCrean through the years probably remember him best not only
as a shrewd businessman but as a competitive intense andbigger-than-life ldquocharacterrdquo who steadfastly builtFleetwood Enterprises Inc from scratch into a nationalpower in the recreational vehicle business
Crean died Jan 11 at the age of 81 of heart diseaseAll flattery aside the stories that will probably linger
most among his friends and associates will surely deal morewith the ldquoeccentric ultra-conservative ultra-kind-hearted
ultra-richrdquo individual Crean had become rather than with the role of corporateexecutive that this North Dakota native almost reluctantly assumed during a 48-year career before retiring in a huff in 1998 to a life of philanthropy and off-the-wall pursuits
Personally I remember Crean for the day I visited him at his Oceanside estate inNewport Beach Calif for an RV Business interview It wasnrsquot a long visit but it pro-vided an almost perfect snapshot of a legendary man in his early 70rsquos who at that timewas as quick and crusty and at times humorous as ever Seated in his study I askedhim about the derivation of the Fleetwood name ldquoI needed a namerdquo he said in hisblunt way ldquoIn those days most of the manufacturers were using Detroit namesThere was a Roadmaster trailer after the Buick Roadmaster There was a Saratogaafter the Chrysler That was just generally being done When I needed a nameI thought that Fleetwood off the Cadillac probably was as good as there wasrdquo
So GM didnrsquot mind I askedldquoThey minded a lotrdquo he said ldquoI got legal papers for more than 10 years I donrsquot
know what was with them though Irsquod get all these orders to cease-and-desist andthey would threaten to sue me But that was all that happened I just ignored themThen mdash it was years later and we were in the mobile home business by then mdashGeneral Motors went in the motorhome businessThey built a (GMC) motorhomeand put the name Glenbrook on it We had had Glenbrook (brand name) on oneof our mobile homes which we had been using for quite some time
ldquoThey wrote us a letter asking if we thought there was a conflict We said that wedidnrsquot think there was one but we also didnrsquot see any problem over both of us usingthe Fleetwood name Now we have an agreement Itrsquos all right for General Motorsto use Glenbrook and we have permission to use Fleetwoodrdquo
We also talked about the early years when for all but a short period of time hehad successfully adhered to what might be referred to as the Crean Proposition abusiness strategy he had perfected as far back as 1951 ldquoBack thenrdquo he said ldquoI waspretty doggone efficient We didnrsquot have a whole lot of credit We paid cash foralmost everything And there was no way we could have any receivables We had toget cash for the product We were just doing things all pretty well right which justabout everybody does when first starting Itrsquos when you have a little success that youget all screwed uprdquo
The Viability of thelsquoCrean Propositionrsquo
004-RVB_0702_LO_State of Aps 11907 1236 PM Page 4
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
GE MONEY CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD
005-RVB02 PG 5 GE EXTENDEDps 11507 704 PM Page 5
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
XANTREX CIRCLE 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD
006-RVB02 PG 6 XANTREXps 11507 704 PM Page 6
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
007-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 221 PM Page 7
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
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AD
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ICE
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
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RK
INC
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
B W
CU
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014-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 14
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
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An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
US
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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18 O
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
GE MONEY CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD
005-RVB02 PG 5 GE EXTENDEDps 11507 704 PM Page 5
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
XANTREX CIRCLE 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
007-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 221 PM Page 7
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
128
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
010-RVB02 PG 10 RVBAYps 11507 705 PM Page 10
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
011-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 420 PM Page 11
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
PA
RK
INC
C
IRC
LE 1
22 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
012-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 12
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
B W
CU
STO
M T
RU
CK
BE
DS
CIR
CLE
103
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
014-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 14
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
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An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
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AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
026-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 445 PM Page 26
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
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CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
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SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
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VIC
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
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CLE
114
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
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RV
ICE
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000
CIR
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
XANTREX CIRCLE 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD
006-RVB02 PG 6 XANTREXps 11507 704 PM Page 6
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
007-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 221 PM Page 7
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
128
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
010-RVB02 PG 10 RVBAYps 11507 705 PM Page 10
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
011-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 420 PM Page 11
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
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ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
022-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 215 PM Page 22
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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RV
ICE
CA
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
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TS
CIR
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
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CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
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RV
ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 7
The National Association of RV Parks ampCampgrounds (ARVC) celebrated a milestonebirthday in late 2006 at the 40th AnniversaryARVC InSites 2006 conventionexpo whichattracted more than 750 campground operatorsindustry officials and vendors from across NorthAmerica
The Nov 29-Dec 2 convention held atRosenrsquos Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Flacapped a challenging year for campground- andRV-resort operators who managed to secureslight revenue growth despite rising fuel costsand uncooperative weather
ldquoThankfully we didnrsquot have the hurricanes pre-dicted for the year mdash but many areas of the coun-try had their share of tornadoes floods and firesrdquoARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer said inher annual report to association membersldquoConsidering all of that RV parks and camp-
grounds generally have had substantial increasesin their net income while occupancy levelsshowed slight increasesrdquo
Profaizer noted in fact that campground occu-pancies were up 2 to 3 nationally throughLabor Day according to data collected through theWoodallrsquosARVC National Occupancy Survey
Billings Mont-based Kampgrounds of AmericaInc (KOA) for its part said average occupanciesat its 438 parks were up 2 while its revenuesclimbed 7 Milford Ohio-based Leisure SystemsInc (LSI) which franchises Yogi Bear parks saidoccupancies at its roughly 70 parks increased 8while revenues climbed 13
But while tracking such statistics is obviouslycritical to effectively gauge the financial well-being of the outdoor hospitality industry ARVCChairman Max Gibbs said that ARVC and
NEWSof the John Crean the multi-millionaire
Orange County Calif businessmanknown as much for his extraordinary phi-lanthropy and his rags-to-riches story ashe was for the signature Fleetwood recre-ational vehicles and mobile homes hedesigned and manufactured died Jan 11at the age of 81 at his Santa Ana HeightsCalif home He had been ill for sometime with heart disease
His tenure at Fleetwood spanned 48years from the time he opened the com-panyrsquos doors in 1950 until retiring in 1998
The charismatic Crean was legendaryin the industry developing a businessmodel at Fleetwood that stressed a leanapproach to manufacturing long before itbecame a standard in this and otherindustries His fiscal policy was equally con-servative Grow through earnings and neverborrow money That approach keptFleetwood prosperous during the industryrsquosdown cycles
ldquoHe set the principles upon which thiscompany has been most successful and is cur-rently operatingrdquo said Fleetwood PresidentElden Smith ldquoHe put a focus on the cus-tomer the quality and function and utility ofthe product His beliefs were the customerwas always right He believed in open frankcommunication He was very intense verydemanding mdash but at the same time easy to
work for in that he listened to your point ofview You had full opportunity to debate anddiscuss very complex subjects Then a deci-sion would be made When you worked onsomething you put 110 into it and he didtoo right alongside yourdquo
Crean was born July 4 1925 in BowdonND After serving in both the Navy andMerchant Marine during World War IICrean lived with his mother in ComptonCalif and went to college briefly After drop-ping out and following his brother into thetrailer business Crean worked for a Venetian
Ford and AirstreamPartner on FuturisticCrossover VehicleAlthough the Ford AirstreamConcept attracted plenty of atten-tion at the North AmericanInternational Auto Show Jan 7-21in Detroit you probably wonrsquot findthis futuristic hybrid-fueled crossbetween a car and an SUV mdashdeveloped by Airstream Inc andFord Motor Co mdash on the streetanytime soon ldquoIt is a pure con-ceptrdquo Richard ldquoDickyrdquo Riegel agroup vice president for Airstream-parent Thor Industries Inc told RVBusiness ldquoThe important thing isthat it brings together these twoAmerican icons mdash Airstream andFordrdquo
ldquoObviously we would like toevolve this into something morepractical in the years to comerdquo hecontinued ldquoAirstream is not in thecar business but we can learn alot from Ford And converselyFord can learn a lot fromAirstreamrdquo
The Ford Airstream Concept ispowered by Fordrsquos HySeries Drivea plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cellthat operates the vehicle full-timeon electricity Blending traditionalrecreation vehicle aspects withfuturistic themes the Conceptrsquosexterior features 12 ceremonialrivets mdash resembling Airstreamrsquosiconic riveted construction mdash andis finished with reflective silverpaint mirroring Airstreamrsquos pol-ished aluminum exterior
John Crean From Obscurity in NDTo Fleetwood Founder Philanthropist
40th Anniversary ARVC InSites ConventionExpoUS Parks Post lsquo06 Growth Despite Challenges
continued on page 12
continued on page 19
He stressed lean approach to manufacturing and company growth through earnings
007-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 221 PM Page 7
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
128
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
010-RVB02 PG 10 RVBAYps 11507 705 PM Page 10
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
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Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
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ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
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TS
CIR
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
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RV
ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 20078
TOP OF THENEWS
Industry Vet Paul EskrittSucceeds Chris Braun atFleetwoodrsquos RV Group
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc promoted PaulC Eskritt to executive vice president of thecompanyrsquos recreational vehicle group replac-ing Chris Braun
Eskritt joined Fleetwood following a 15-yearcareer in finance program and project man-agement and information systems for anational multi-plant manufacturing operationHe was hired in 1999 as motorhome divisioncontroller and in 2001 was promoted to controller-RV Group
The following year Eskritt was named gen-eral manager of Fleetwoodrsquos single-largestproduction facility the diesel motorhome plantin Decatur Ind where he had responsibilityfor all operations In October 2005 Eskritt
was appointed vice presidentndashmotorhomedivision
He earned both his bachelorrsquos degree inaccounting and a masterrsquos of businessadministration degree in management infor-mation systems from the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis
ldquoPaulrsquos experience with Fleetwood com-bined with his financial acumen and demon-strated leadership in a variety of increasinglyresponsible roles makes him eminently quali-fied for his new positionrdquo said Elden L SmithFleetwoodrsquos president and CEO ldquoUnder hisleadership the motorhome division has madesignificant progress in such areas as opera-tional effectiveness and innovative product
development in spite of a very challengingmarket environmentrdquo
Fleetwood reported that Braun has left thecompany Braun joined Fleetwood in May2003 as senior vice president-RV Group
ldquoChris has been a dedicated associate whoguided the RV Group through many changesrdquoSmith said ldquoWe wish him well in his futureendeavors and thank him for his commitmentto Fleetwood during his tenure with usrdquo
A refugee from the lagging van conversionbusiness Chariot Vans Inc by mid-2007expects to offer a more affordable version ofthe hefty Chariot Class C motorhome thatit has been building since last May primari-ly for automobile racers
ldquoIrsquom totally out of the van businessrdquo saidJohn Wilosek a former Chariot employeewho bought the company in 1999 ldquoWe built5000 vans in 1990 and then SUVs just tookit all awayrdquo
Chariot minimotorhomes currently arebuilt on 38000-pound GVWR Columbiaor 42000-pound Coronado Class 8Freightliner chassis with MSRPs in the
Chariot Out of Van BusinessMarkets lsquoSuper Crsquo Motorhomes
continued on page 19
Weekend Warrior-NationalRV Land Deal Goes BustBut New Sale Announced
National RV Holdings Inc announced on Dec 28 that it had enteredinto a new agreement to sell and lease back property at its headquar-ters in Perris Calif with First Industrial Acquisitions Inc
According to a press release the previous agreement entered into onNov 22 with Perris-based Warrior Holdings Inc which marketsWeekend Warrior-branded recreational vehicles was terminated on
Ardell Brown RV Moves to LargerFacility Doubles Showroom Area
Longtime retailer Ardell Brown RV has relocated to a newand larger store in suburban Salt Lake City Utah
The new facility which opened late last summer sits on a 15-acre site in Draper about a mile south of its previous location
ldquoWe outgrew our former locationrdquo said Mickey Hannonsales manager The new store features a 10000-square-footshowroom mdash twice the size of its old showroom mdash and 22service bays
Ardell Brown RV a member of the FreedomRoads LLC network ranks among the top 10 dealers for several brandscontinued on page 18
Paul Eskritt
008-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 419 PM Page 8
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Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
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ICE
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
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RK
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
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An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
US
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IES
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Availability Beech is 15 times more available than Red Alder With its third sawmill Pollmeier will increase volume by 90 million board feet A site for a fourth mill has also been purchased for future expansion
Sustainability Europersquos forests are increasing at 2 times the rate of North American forests Pollmeier Beech is PEFC certified
Yield amp Throughput Beech has fewer defectsmdashwider widths and will increase both yield and throughput
Durability Beech is over 40 stronger and over 80 harder than Red Alder
Machinability Although Beech is hard and strong it machines 96 perfect parts and holds a fine edge better
Affordability Beech will provide a lower output cost in most products
Number 1in a series of species
comparisons
Pollmeier Beech vs Red Alder
WhyBeech
Average Age at Harvest
Wider Boards Less Defects
Finished Board Comparisons
Beech
Alder
Beech 80-200 yrs
Beech
Alder
Alder 25-100 yrs
Natural Cherry
North American Sales Office Portland OregonToll Free 866-432-0699 Outside US 503-452-5800usapollmeiercomwwwpollmeiercom
Call today to find out how Pollmeier value-added German Beech will give you and your customers better value consistent supply and greater profits
Six Year Price Trend
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Alder
Pollmeier Value-Added German Beech
POLLMEIER INC CIRCLE 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD
009-RVB02 PG 9 POLLMEIERps 11507 704 PM Page 9
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
RVBAY is a great way to balance your inventory
RVBAY brings ldquoseasonalrdquo markets together
RVBAY will turn your aging inventory into cash
RVBAY is the perfect addition to your internet program
RVBAY allows you to sell it before you buy it
RVBAY is safe convenient and cost effective
RVBAY requires no contract or membership feesjust pay as you profit
Call our Toll Free Number and get signed up for yourFREE 90 day unl imited use passpor t today
Proud Member of the RVDA Not Affiliated with Ebay
CALL Toll Free 1-866-382-3924
RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
Target Your Wholesale Business Coast to Coast
See You On-line
Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
CLE
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ICE
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
US
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IES
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBAYCOM is only a ldquoC l i c krdquo away
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RVBAY is an exclusive confidential wholesale auctionnetwork available only to Dealers
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Yoursquoll Be Blown Away Itrsquos So EasyRVBAY helps you connect with other Dealers aroundthe country It has never been so easy to sell yourtrade-ins or find that ldquohard to findrdquo RV for a client
RV
BAY
CIR
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ICE
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
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012-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 12
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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AD
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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OD
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RV
ICE
CA
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032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 11
Bob Lee Divests Himself of NRV StockTOP OF THENEWS
Bob Lee has severed his final financial ties tothe company he helped found
Lee sold his 577906 shares of National RVHoldings Inc stock on Friday Jan 5 for anaverage price of $350 per share
ldquoI donrsquot know who bought it I put it on themarket and let it gordquo he told RV Business
Lee said he sold his National RV stockbecause ldquoI didnrsquot think it (the company) wouldgo anywhere I wonrsquot have to worry about iton a day-to-day basis anymorerdquo he said
The company posted losses in 17 of the last21 quarters and has negotiated a sale of its realestate to generate much-needed cash
Rumors of Leersquos stock sale surfaced whentrading on Jan 5 reached 600000 sharesmore than 20 times the average daily volumeNational RV deferred comment until receivingofficial notice of the sale
Though he was no longer on the board ofPerris Calif-based National RV Holdings Incmdash parent to Country Coach Inc and NationalRV Inc mdash Lee was the fifth-largest sharehold-er in National RV Holdings with 56 of all
outstanding sharesMeanwhile Lee who was named chairman
in November of Western RV (WRV) was mov-ing ahead with plans to revive that companyWRV makes Class A motorhomes under theAlpine Coach brand and Alpenlite fifth-wheelsand truck campers
Monomoy Capital Partners LP acquired theYakima Wash-based company last fall
Leersquos stock sale ends a long and sometimesstormy relationship with National RV InNovember 2005 Lee and Bryant R Riley a LosAngeles investor launched an unsuccessful bidto buy National RV Holdings In August 2006Lee resigned from the board saying the com-panyrsquos leaders had refused to deal with ldquotheongoing crisisrdquo that ldquothreatens the very futureof this companyrdquo and that it was time for CEOBrad Albrechtsen to resign
Lee founded Country Camper in 1973 and bythe early 1990s the company had become anational player in the luxury motor coach market
In 1996 Lee sold Country Coach to NationalRV Holdings for $9 million in stock and the
assumption of $101 million in Country Coachdebt Lee stayed on as CEO after the sale Heretired in 2000 but returned in 2002 to turnaround the Country Coach division He steppeddown as CEO in 2004 and continued as a paidconsultant until May 2005
Heartland RVrsquos NewBig Country Fifth-Wheel Boasts Triple-Slideout Floorplans
Designed for towing by short-bed pickuptrucks the new mid-priced Big Country fifth-wheel from Heartland Recreational VehiclesLLC Elkhart Ind debuted at the LouisvilleShow in three 31- to 38-foot triple-slide-out floorplans including one family-stylebunkhouse layout With the same front cap asHeartlandrsquos Big Horn fifth-wheel the alu-minum-and-fiberglass Big Country is built on adrop-frame that maximizes front storagecapacity Features include a universal dockingcenter for utilities a walk-in front wardrobefree-standing dinette and heated and enclosedunderbelly Retail prices start at $39000
Privileged Access Acquires OutdoorWorldrsquos 15 Eastern Campgrounds
The Rank Group Resorts USArsquos London-based multinational parent companyannounced that it will sell Fernwood Hoteland Resort The Villas at Tree Tops andFairway and Minisink Financial Corporationto Resorts Group Inc for $325 millionResorts Group a corporation formed inOctober confirmed the deal in a pressrelease
The new owners will include currentResorts CEO W Andrew Worthington andemployees Kevin Lavelle Mark TurnerThomas Casale Kurt Rawding JoshHerschlag and Gina Bertucci Also joining theownership team according to a report in thePocono Record is ldquoa new partnerrdquo with pre-vious ties to the Poconos Harry VanSciver ofWhitebriar Financial Corp a Massachusetts-based private lender that specializes infinancing resort vacation and timesharetransactions
As part of the overall sale Resorts Grouphas agreed to sell another Resorts USAholding Outdoor World Corp Bushkill Pawhich operates 15 campgrounds through-out the eastern US to a subsidiary ofTexas-based Privileged Access Year-oldPrivileged Access headquartered in Friscois an emerging name in the membershipcampground business with holdings thatnow include the operations of ThousandTrails
Outdoor World began in 1981 when themembership campground concept
was intro-duced andnow hasmore than3 0 0 0 0m e m b e r sthroughoutthe country
Joe Mc -A d a m s pres iden tand CEO ofPrivi legedA c c e s s founded the company in October 2005 afterleaving the board of directors of EquityLifeStyle Properties (ELS) In the springPrivileged Access acquired the membershipbusiness of Thousand Trails in the first of aseries of acquisitions designed to consoli-date and transform the membership camp-ground business
McAdams said then he plans to grow theThousand Trails network by acquiring thereal estate assets of additional camp-ground-membership companies and bymaking agreements to provide ThousandTrails members access to additional ELSparks ldquoI expect to eventually grow theThousand Trails business to more than 100different resortsrdquo he said adding that theThousand Trails brand name will remainintact with Privileged Access being the par-ent company
Joe McAdams
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
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Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
B W
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
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Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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OD
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TS
CIR
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
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RV
ICE
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
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RV
ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200712
TOP OF THENEWS
ARVC from page 7
Woodallrsquos are temporarily suspending thenational survey for one year because of a lackof participation from ARVC-member camp-grounds Gibbs said ARVC will craft a new survey in 2007 that the association hopes willgenerate higher levels of participation
Profaizer noted in her annual report howev-er that ARVC achieved success with severalother initiatives launched during the past year
These include The successful redesign of the
GoCampingAmerica website The websitewhich went live in June and uses the samenomenclature for state branding has alsobegun to accept advertising with proceedsbeing reinvested for website improvements
The creation of a new interface atwwwarvcgatewaycom which enables parksto easily access their park profile on theGoCampingAmerica website and to makechanges as needed
The expansion of ARVCrsquos campgroundmarketing relationships with major road-atlasproviders MapQuest now NeoDate has justproduced a new atlas for Barnes amp Noble thatwill list ARVC-member campgrounds ARVC-member parks will also be featured in the latestNational Geographic Camping Atlas whichwas expected to be released by the end of2006 Another atlas by Cabelarsquos was alsoexpected to include ARVC member parks
Positive news coverage for the privatepark sector The New York Times and the LosAngeles Times were among media outlets thatpublished positive stories based on theAmerican Camper Survey which ARVC co-sponsored with other industry associations
Additionally Profaizer noted that ARVC con-tinues to increase its interaction with both theRecreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association(RVDA) ARVC for example provided com-mentary on RV product- and customer-serviceissues to five committees organized by the GoRVing Coalition ldquoOur partnersrdquo Profaizeradded ldquoare more aware than ever of the issuesfacing our RV parks and campgrounds suchas the loss of parks for other development theneed for financing and the difficulty of dealingwith government at all levelsrdquo
ARVC also supports the RV industry in itsmarketing efforts having contributed $85000to the national Go RVing advertising campaign
Gibbs for his part said he would continue towork toward the completion of previouslyannounced ARVC goals including the improve-ment of ARVCrsquos services for state affiliates thecontinued production of educational DVDs andthe development of stronger relationships withbusinesses that support the campground sector
ARVC members also elected new officers for2007 including a second term for ChairmanMax Gibbs Sandy Pines Hopkins Mich VicePresident Garry Cole Shelby-Mansfield OhioKOA Secretary David Berg Red AppleCampground Kennebunkport Me andSecretary Mark Turner Bushkill Pa
W W W R I V E R P A R K I N C C O M
An inferior audio system is like playing an incorrect note in an orchestral
performance Itrsquos just wrong A first rate RV deserves first rate components
Thatrsquos why you should insist on the outstanding performance of Bosereg From
music to movies innovative Bose technologies provide extraordinary audio
performance elegance and simplicity
Bose Lifestylereg 48 Series Home Entertainment System digitally stores and organizes up to 340 hours of music
With a progressive scan DVDCD player viewers can experience a superior cinematic experience
The Wavereg Music System sets a new gold standard for audio performance mdash sound so thrilling and
lifelike it feels as if you are sitting in the front row Bose award winning audio systems are known
worldwide for superior performance and lifelike sound reproduction
RiverPark complements this world class performance with the exceptional product expertise
and dedicated service that our customers have come to expect Wersquove been providing
the finest electronic brands to our recreational vehicle customers since 1981
Expect great performance With innovative Bose products from RiverPark
W I T H S E C O N D R A T E P R O D U C T S E V E N A
W O R L D C L A S S P E R F O R M A N C E C A N G O F L A T
copy 2 0 0 5 R I V E R P A R K I N C
A U T H O R I Z E D O E M D I S T R I B U T O R
RIV
ER
PA
RK
INC
C
IRC
LE 1
22 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
012-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 12
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
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Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
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bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
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bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
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MA
XX
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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AD
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CA
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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26 O
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
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RV
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GH
T S
YS
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MS
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108
ON
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RV
ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Introducing another industry first by Freightliner Custom Chassis
Wersquove done it Freightliner Custom Chassisrsquo new independent front
suspension by ZFreg with an industry-leading 60-degree wheel cut
enables you to maneuver like yoursquove never thought possible
Why Itrsquos about negotiating those tighter spaces and tighter turns
about having more controlled confidence at the wheel about
expanding the limits of where you go and how you get there
So donrsquot be afraid of the road aheadhelliptake on the world one turn at
a time with Freightliner Custom Chassis The Leader at Every Turn
TURNING IT UP AGAIN
18005458831 | freightlinerchassiscom
Call Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation at (800) 545-8831 or visit us on the Web at wwwfreightlinerchassiscom FCCMC-A-030 Specifications are subject to change without notice Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is registered to ISO 9001 Copyright 2006 Freightliner LLC All rights reserved Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a member of the Freightliner GroupFreightliner LLC is a DaimlerChrysler Company
013-RVB02 PG 13 FREIGHTLINps 11507 710 PM Page 13
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
B W
CU
STO
M T
RU
CK
BE
DS
CIR
CLE
103
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
014-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 421 PM Page 14
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
027-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 447 PM Page 27
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
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IN
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CIR
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RV
ICE
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030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
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ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
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IRC
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
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RFA
CE
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
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RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200714
TOP OF THENEWS
Sunline Coach CoShuttered Continuesto Explore Options
Longtime towable builder Sunline Coach Cocontinues to search for a buyer after ceasingoperations at its Denver Pa plant on Nov 15and placing a ldquoFor Salerdquo sign on the Internetrsquosmost prominent retail clearinghouse
ldquoWersquore approaching the sale from two per-spectivesrdquo said Joe Bucara Sunline presidentand COO in an interview with RV Business inearly January ldquoOne is to sell the total businessincluding the companyrsquos intellectual property Weare also looking at selling the intellectual propertyexclusively
ldquoWe have had interest in both propositions Butgaining additional investment during the latterpart of the year is very difficult Recently we havebeen exploring putting the business for sale mdashthrough both approaches mdash on eBayrdquo
According to Bucara management beganactively looking for a buyer in the beginning of2006 ldquoWe were looking for a buyer intelligentlynot desperatelyrdquo he said
But by early November the search took on amore desperate tone Facing the effects of a ldquosig-nificant downdraftrdquo in the towable market inSeptember and October coupled with mountingdemands from lenders Sunline officials decidedthe best course of action was to shut down liq-uidate existing inventory while still keeping theirlines in the water for a possible buyer
continued on page 50
Florida RV lsquoTime-Sharersquo Company SuedExecutives of a Sanford Fla motorcoach
manufacturer are being sued after allegedly set-ting up a new company and selling $8 millionworth of time shares before the whole thing col-lapsed two years ago leaving buyers with $7million in losses according to court documents
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the com-pany Universal Luxury Coaches LLC is now inthe hands of a court-appointed receiver who issuing the founders and managers to recovermoney for investors The receiver contends the
company was a pyramid scheme that paidearly investors with money from newer ones
Two executives are awaiting trial on chargesof fraud and racketeering Universal LuxuryCoachesrsquo former president Scott Spor 49 ofAltamonte Springs and James P Hollis 65 ofSatellite Beach its vice president of marketing
According to the Sentinel people whobought in were offered far more than a weekrsquosvacation in a fancy motorcoach They wouldget a 10 return on their investment every year
and at the end of three years a full refund onrequest according to the sales materials
Dexter Busching 86 of Hernando plowed$65000 into the deal At first everythingworked the way it was supposed to Buschingsaid He received several monthly checks butthen they stopped coming
ldquoThatrsquos been more than three years agordquoBusching said When the checks stopped stateregulators sent an investigator to the companyrsquosoffice in Sanford When she visited in September2004 the office was empty and closed
Company officials later told the investigatorthat Universal no longer had any employeesand had just $89 in the bank according tocourt records
The company receiver Gary Lipson con-tends the time-share plan started as an idea torelieve a business bind at Featherlite Inc amanufacturer of trailers and motorcoaches In2001 Featherlitersquos stock price was languish-ing It also had too many unsold luxury coach-es and looming credit problems according tocourt pleadings
Spor the only company executive who com-mented directly to the Orlando Sentinel was abusiness consultant at the time He said headvised Featherlite president Conrad Clementan Iowa businessman that he could boostsales by creating a time-share program Rarely
continued on page 50
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Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
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ICE
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INC
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IRC
LE 1
29 O
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EA
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VIC
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AR
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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CIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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CA
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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OD
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TS
CIR
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
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RV
ICE
CA
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Two global leaders have combined energies to create the new name to remember in
power generation The Cummins Onan brand of generators continues to build on the
tradition of dependable performance and technological leadership yoursquove come to
expect Plus you can still rely on exceptional sales and service from the worldsrsquo best
distributordealer network Powerful change is good The new Cummins Onan
brandmdashperformance you rely on
Take advantage of this powerful change visit wwwcumminsonancom
Cumminsreg Onanreg and the ldquoCrdquo logo are registered trademarks of Cummins Inc copy 2006 Cummins Power Generation All Rights Reserved
RV | MARINE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | PORTABLE
PowerfulChange
ONAN CORPORATION CIRCLE 121 ON READER SERVICE CARD
015-RVB02 PG 15 ONANps 11507 705 PM Page 15
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
UA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
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VIC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
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INA
NC
IAL
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
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ET
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RO
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AN
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G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
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RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
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CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
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For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
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The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
An RV Veteran UponRetirement Pines forA Time When OEMsAnd Dealers Partnered
OPINION
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200716
TOP OF THENEWS
Dear RV IndustrySo the finish line is behind me after almost
40 years of working in the RV Industry It istime for the next generation to move in andfor those of my generation to step aside It isalso time for me to ldquosay it like it isrdquo as I havepretty much done over all of those years
I would start by asking todayrsquos RV dealerbody mdash as well as the RV manufacturingcommunity mdash ldquoWhat are you thinkingaboutrdquo Irsquoll bring you back to that questionlater on in my letter mdash it may take a little bit tohelp you understand it
First a little about ldquohow it wasrdquocompared toldquohow it isrdquo
My first job in the RV industry was for FANCoach a small company in Wakarusa Indduring the school summer break of 1962 Iworked in the ldquofinal finishrdquo department thatsummer Due to the lack of pre-finished pan-eling and cabinet doors FAN Coach likemany RV manufacturers of the era had apaint shop where the interior finish wasapplied to raw wood cabinetry
My first job as a sales rep (1969) was fora new division of Holiday Rambler calledAvenger I was its first sales rep We had to beone of the first (if not the first) RV companiesto make nearly everything standard in a lower-priced towable
Next on the list was a small RV company inGoshen Ind called Elkhart Traveler This iswhere the ldquohow it wasrdquo starts to come intofocus We werenrsquot the largest RV manufactur-er in the industry but Irsquod say we were prettytypical We did business on a handshaketrusted our dealers and they trusted us Wesolved problems with a phone call We didbusiness as if we were partners mdash in ittogether for better or for worse We handled
retail customersrsquo problems the same way byworking things out and moving on to the nextopportunity together We likely stayed at eachothersrsquo homes when in the area and knewone anothersrsquo family members some ofwhich are the ldquonew generationrdquo we do busi-ness with today Here is where a big U-turnstarts to happen however
Today we are learning to know the dealer-shiprsquos lawyer better than the dealershiprsquos prin-cipal ldquoIndemnify merdquo is the new greetingwhen we have a customer with a problemeven when the problem is poor repairscaused by the dealerrsquos own service depart-ment ldquoGive me moneyrdquo is the new responseto the smallest mistake made on a unit or tonearly any other minor issue that comes upldquoBuy my inventory backrdquo is the new responsein many states when a dealer is not perform-ing in the sales area In many of these areasthe dealer has literally nothing at stake If hedoesnrsquot do his job (hold up his end of thedeal) he simply says ldquoget this stuff off of mylotrdquo Mr Manufacturer can take the loss MrDealer meanwhile will find another productand is out very little even though he didnrsquot dohis part And ldquoSend it backrdquo is the new replywe hear many times when a unit arrives witheven minor issues ldquoWe are too busy to dealwith that now so unless you pay us dearly forthat 30-minute repair take the unit back Toobad the freight is $1500 one way we donrsquothave time to deal with itrdquo
Dealers from the ldquohow it wasrdquo era wouldnever have considered any of the aboveresponses mdash but of course we were part-ners in those days We worked things outtogether to the benefit of us all
How about $120+ per hour warrantycontinued on page 47
Winnebago Industries Inc began shippingnew entry-level 2007 Winnebago Vista andItasca Sunstar gas-powered Class Amotorhomes to dealers in January withbase MSRPs of $81484 ldquoThis gives us mdashand the dealers mdash a brand-new price pointin which to sell productrdquo said Chairmanand CEO Bruce Hertzke during theVistaSunstar debut at the National RV Trade Show inLouisville Ky The new coaches are offered in 30- or 33-foot floorplans on Ford F-53 chassis with GVWRs of
18000 and 20500 pounds respectively Standard fea-tures include fabric ceilings laminated countertopsshower skylights and powered bathroom roof vents
Entry-Level Winnebago Class AMotorhomes Hit Marketplace
Thor lsquoBestsrsquoForbes JacksonCenter Ohio-basedThor Industries Inc was among Forbes maga-zinersquos ldquoThe Best of the Bestrdquo listings in the pub-licationrsquos ldquo400 Best Managed Big Companiesrdquoin America According to a press release Thorrsquoscombined five-year average growth in sales andearnings per share was the highest in the con-sumer durables category
Once In A Blue Moon Elkhart Ind-based supplier Dometic Corp has named BlueMoon Mobile RV Repair Carrolton Texas winnerof the Dometic T2000 MVP Service Centeraward for among other qualities excellence incustomer service and warranty work ldquoSince ourfirst day we have purposely strived to be the verybest in RV servicerdquo said Rodney Simmons BlueMoon president ldquoWe are a small company butwe want to make a big impactrdquo
Best Parks Gets The Spirit MesaSpirit RV Resort Phoenix Ariz has affiliated withBest Parks in America a 2-year-old marketingnetwork of independent RV resorts and camp-grounds Mesa Spirit is an 1800-site amenity-rich resort catering to active adult RVersCovering more than 90 acres with nine miles ofpaved streets it offers on-site activities rangingfrom a state-of-the-art computer lab to threeheated pools and five spas a woodshop andcraft rooms and a 7800-square-foot dance floor
Frommerrsquos ReserveAmerica InkDeal ReserveAmerica and Frommerrsquos havesigned an agreement establishing FrommerrsquosBest RV amp Tent Campgrounds in the USA 3rdEdition as the official campground directory ofReserveAmerica The publication available inMarch will include consumer-provided ratingsreviews and testimonials of campgrounds they have reserved and visited throughReserveAmericarsquos network of more than 3000parks and over 170000 campsites and cabins
Oregon Dealer Shuttered A creditorowed nearly $8 million has forced the closure ofIngram RVrsquos two sales lots in Eugene andCoburg Ore according to a report in theRegister-Guard According to a complaint filedby the GE financial firm RV Indio LLC Ingrambreached the terms of the agreement by failing topay GE when it sold RVs despite GErsquos demandfor payment
Sportsmobile Goes Four-Wheeling Fresno Calif-based SportsmobileWest has introduced a four-wheel drive optionfor the Dodge Sprinter chassis The systemincludes a new transfer case for shifting powerto the front wheels in addition to the stock rearwheel drive system new front axle assemblyand steering system new drive shafts and arear axle kit System options will include a per-manent all-wheel drive system and a four-wheeldrive two-speed system
IN BRIEF
016-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 224 PM Page 16
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
US
TR
IES
CIR
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102
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RV
ICE
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INC
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IRC
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29 O
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AR
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
MA
ST
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
VE
NT
CIR
CLE
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ON
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ER
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RV
ICE
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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CA
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
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Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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OD
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CIR
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
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RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
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ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
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130
ON
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ICE
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
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CE
ME
NT
S C
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VIC
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E C
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037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
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ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 17
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corprsquos(FCCC) network of Oasis ServiceCenters has increased from 65 to 82 out-lets during the past year according to theGaffney SC firm
In addition the company noted that the65 original centers continue to add trainedtechnicians to their work forces along withimproved amenities
ldquoMore and more of our Oasis dealers arerealizing the payoff of providing the spe-cial services that RV owners appreciaterdquosaid Dennis Rastenbach FCCC dealeradvisor
He said amenities that enhance theoverall service experience include a dedi-cated waiting room for motorhome cus-tomers special electrical hookups and astaff of certified motorhome technicians
In recognition of performance over thepast year Freightliner named Las VegasFreightliner as the Oasis Dealer of theYear It marked the second time the cen-ter garnered the award which is given to
LYO
NS
IND
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TR
IES
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the service center with the highest cus-tomer satisfaction rating as determinedby Oasis dealer surveys submitted by theend customer
Las Vegas Freightliner has seven dedi-
cated RV service technicians at its 247facility who service more than 40motorhomes a monthThe facility also hasa dedicated service-reception area cus-tomer lounge and service advisors
Freightliner Addsto Oasis Service
017-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 17
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
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C
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RV
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
018-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 18
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
XX
AIR
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
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032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200718
TOP OF THENEWS
Dec 20 due to Warriorrsquos inability to obtaina timely financing commitment from itslender
First Industrial is an affiliate of FirstIndustrial Realty Trust Inc a nationalprovider of diversified industrial real estate
The new agreement which contains nothird-party financing contingencies willinfuse $3175 million into National RVHoldings and calls for the company to enterinto a 10-year lease arrangement with twofive-year renewal options The deal isexpected to close on Feb 15
National RV Holdings builds Class Amotorhomes through two wholly ownedsubsidiaries Perris-based National RV Incwhich targets the mainstream market andCountry Coach Inc in Junction City Ore amore upscale builder
National RV Holdings has struggledfinancially over the past six years Duringthe past year the firmrsquos cash flow situationwas further aggravated by the rebuilding of76 motorhomes due to defective fiberglasspanels coupled with continued softness inthe motorized sector
Land Deal from page 8Coast to Coast Resorts ExpandsNetwork With Five Western Parks
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Englewood Colo-based Coast toCoast Resorts announced in Decemberthat five additional Holiday TrailsResorts properties have joined theCoast network of CampResorts andGood Neighbor parks bringing thetotal to seven Established in 1983Holiday Trails is Canadarsquos largest RVresort system and its only multi-parksystem
The additional reciprocal-use prop-erties include
Camperland RV Resort BridalFalls BC
Country Maples RV ResortChemainus BC
The Cedars RV Resort FerndaleWash
Dinosaur Trail RV ResortDrumheller Alb
Henderson Lake Campground inLethbridge Alb
ldquoWe are pleased Holiday Trails hasexpanded its relationship with Coastrdquoremarked Marcos Strafacce vice presi-dent and executive director of Coast toCoast ldquoWe are working to grow thenetwork with those RV resort compa-nies whose goals closely match ourown Holiday Trails is a progressiveleader in our industry with premierresorts that offer outstanding hospital-ity quality and valuerdquo
Kevin Demers president and ownerof Holiday Trails noted ldquoIt is vital thatwe provide our members with the finestexperiences possible through our recip-rocal network affiliation Wersquore confi-dent that when our members travel out-side the Holiday Trails Resorts systemto other resorts in the Coast to Coastnetwork they will have exceptionalexperiences that underscore the value ofprivate membership campingrdquo
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
See our entire line at wwwmaxxaircom
bull Remote control operates all fan functions from the palm of your hand
bull Easy to use Remote Control always displays room temperature
bull No more step ladders or stretching to reach the ceiling fan
One Touch Does It All
Retracts securely at the touch of a button Low-Profile and
aerodynamic when closed
Its unique patented rain shield moves into position protecting your RVrsquos interior
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MaxxFanTM Is the ONLY RV Ventilator on the market
with a Built-In Rain Cover AND Itrsquos Fully Remote Control
MA
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019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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18 O
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
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The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 19
John Crean from page 7
blind salesman then designed his ownblinds for use in trailers starting CoachSpecialties Manufacturing Co accordingto the Orange County Register
Crean and his wife Donna foundedFleetwood to produce a small travel trail-er By the early lsquo60s the company wasexclusively producing mobile homes Here-entered the RV business acquiring theTerry Coach Co in 1964 and Pace ArrowMotor Homes in 1969 Under his leader-ship Fleetwood went public in 1964 andwas listed on the New York StockExchange in 1971 The companyrsquos salesfirst exceeded $1 billion in 1984 At thetime of his retirement in 1998 Fleetwoodwas a $3 billion-a-year company operat-ing 18 recreational vehicle and 38 manu-factured housing plants in 17 states andCanada That year the company sold69494 RVs 65544 manufactured homesand employed 19000 workers
When Crean left the company at oddswith managementrsquos direction he retiredto his two-acre estate overlookingSouthern Californiarsquos Newport Bay In2001 the then-75-year-old Crean re-entered the RV manufacturing arenateaming up with his son Johnnie Creanat Alfa Leisure Inc in Chino Calif Thecompany developed the Alfa See Yadiesel pusher a mid-priced coach thatemulated the Fleetwood Bounder mdash amotorhome Crean spearheaded in the1980s that featured ldquobasement storagerdquoand became the industryrsquos top-sellingClass A for a decade
Creanrsquos entrepreneurial spirit tran-scended the RV industry He venturedinto such diverse arenas as auto racingand producing films that featured someof Hollywoodrsquos top stars including BillCosby Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton More recently Crean authoredan autobiography titled The Wheel and Iand also teamed with a local TV person-ality to co-host a cooking show
While Creanrsquos mark on the RV industrywas legendary less known was his philan-thropic side The Creans built their livesaround the words of a Lutheran ministerwho urged his congregation to tithe 10saying that if you give without expectinganything in return yoursquoll get a tenfoldreturn in blessings on your investment
Crean said he thought those wereldquodamn good oddsrdquo
From then on the Creans started giv-ing away part of whatever they madestarting with 10 and eventually donat-ing half of their annual earnings to char-ity Many of their donations were madeanonymously and Crean deftly side-
stepped queries about how muchmoney they gave away
One of the couplersquos most valuabledonations was the use of their 18000-square-foot mansion for fund-raisingevents
Crean was instrumental in helpingDr Robert Schuller establish theCrystal Cathedral as one of the nationrsquoslargest churches in Garden GroveCalif donating $1 million inFleetwood stock in 1976 to get theproject off the ground
When constructions costs soaredSchuller feared he would have to aban-don the project and approached Creanto return his donation according toMike Nason a spokesman for DrSchuller Creanrsquos response was simpleNason recalled ldquoSchullerrdquo Crean saidldquodig a hole get started the money willfollow I donrsquot want my money backrdquo
Crean would go on to donate millionsof dollars to the church and become itsbiggest benefactor Nason said
Services for Crean were held Jan 18in the church he helped build
Chariot from page 8
$400000 rangeThe former Elkhart Ind van upfitter
expects the new coach to be priced inthe $200000 to $250000 range ldquoWeare building for the discriminatingbuyer and intend to continue in thatdirectionrdquo Wilosek said
Existing Chariot motorhomes aremarketed in five floorplans with two orthree slideouts The high-end units areequipped with solid wood residential-style cabinets granite countertops all-electric appliances washer and dryerking-size bed and cedar-lined closets
ldquoWe designed and engineered thecoach for 11frasl2 years before we startedbuilding themrdquo said Wilosek whoadded that the company intends toramp up production to 50 to 60 coachesin 2007 compared to 10 duringChariotrsquos first six months in themotorhome arena
Chariot motorhomesrsquo ability to towup to 20000 pounds has been particu-larly appealing to the racing crowdWilosek said
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MA
XX
AIR
VE
NT
CIR
CLE
113
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
019-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 19
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
A IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
11 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
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024-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 216 PM Page 24
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
UA
HO
T C
IRC
LE 1
05 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
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VIC
E C
AR
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025-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 217 PM Page 25
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
026-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 445 PM Page 26
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
027-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 447 PM Page 27
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
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109
ON
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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18 O
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
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FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
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FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
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FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
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FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
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The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
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Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200720
With fuel prices and interest rates stabilizing industry executivesproject a ldquoguardedly optimisticrdquo attitude for the year ahead
2007OUTLOOKBy
Dav
e Ba
rbul
esco
020-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 213 PM Page 20
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
021-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 214 PM Page 21
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
A IN
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RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
11 O
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EA
DE
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ER
VIC
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
UA
HO
T C
IRC
LE 1
05 O
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EA
DE
R S
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VIC
E C
AR
D
025-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 217 PM Page 25
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
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CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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18 O
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
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The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
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055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
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Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 21
Bolstered by an active Louisville Show coupled with the continued influx of prime-age consumers into the marketplacethe recreational vehicle industry remains
guardedly optimistic about the prospects and purchase patterns that will emerge in 2007A cross-section of industry professionals inter-viewed by RV Business while working the floor ofthe Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in lateNovember reflected on an ldquoerraticrdquo 2006 that pro-longed two persistent trends in recent years mdash aresilient though not impervious towable sector anda languishing Class A motorized market weigheddown by pressures on discretionary spending The list of variables that soured consumers towardhigh-ticket buys last year is a familiar one to theindustry volatile fuel costs and higher interest ratesmixed with signs of economic slowing ldquoIt was the proverbial perfect stormrdquo observedRoger Martin vice president of sales and marketingfor Forest City Iowa-based motorhome builder
Winnebago Industries Inc ldquoGas prices kept first-time buyers on the sidelines and interest rates keptaway the seasoned buyerrdquoLooking ahead the majority seemed to agree withthe 2007 prognosis from University of Michiganeconomist Richard Curtin who foresees an 11decline in wholesale shipments in part due to unitsused for hurricane relief that boosted totals in thefirst quarter of 2006 and skew year-over-year comparisons But most also saw several positive signs as 2006came to a close with the prime lending rate holdingsteady mdash and possibly retreating early this year mdashwhile gas prices stabilized And if those factorsremained benign many felt ldquopent-up demandrdquo couldtrigger an upturn in sales starting in the spring mdash par-ticularly in the inventory-rich A market mdash that couldpush the industry beyond expectationsThe following offers a snapshot of the thoughts andopinions of several industry insiders as their firmsformed strategies for 2007
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
A IN
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
UA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
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RE
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ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
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The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200722
Roger Martin vice president of sales and marketing Winnebago Industries Inc Forest City Iowa ldquoOverall we think sales will remain fairly softthrough the winter and into early spring Wersquore hoping that pent-up demand particularly in the A business will take hold and spike sales in thesecond half of the year that will translate into a slight increase over last yearrsquos shipment totals One of our strategies was to introduce models thatmove Winnebago for the first time into the more entry-level portion of the market that seems to be where the most activity is at this point Butin the long-term we feel the motorhome market will be strong again We have just hit another bump in the road The one variable in 2007 thateveryone is unsure of is how the new diesel-emission standards will affect the motorized market It will definitely have a cost impact on thosepower plants which will be passed on to the consumer But will it be enough of an increase to dissuade buyers Wersquoll be watching that closelyrdquo
Dave Altman owner Altmanrsquos Winnebago and Altmanrsquos RV Center Baldwin Park California ldquoEven though wersquove seen a downturn inmotorhome sales I think we have also seen that the industry is much deeper and more solid than in past crises I donrsquot think wersquoll go throughthose huge sudden dips like we did in the past Also something I suspect is that we are currently experiencing the aftermath of those real boomtimes in 2003 and 2004 when interest rates were so low Those people who bought havenrsquot been flushed through the system yet althoughwersquove seen signs that the pipeline is filling back up Irsquom looking for things to be fairly flat in 2007 Obviously there are things that can changethat one way or the other but I donrsquot think it will change dramaticallyrdquo
Leigh Abrams president and CEO Drew Industries Inc White Plains New York ldquoIrsquom looking for the industry to be down a bit in 2007 andactually flat when you take out the Katrina factor from the lsquo06 numbers And if interest rates and gas prices remain stable we could start seeingthose buyers who have been in a wait-and-see mode Drewrsquos subsidiaries Lippert Components Inc and Kinro Inc are more involved on thetowable side which we do see as being a growth sector in 2007 The thing that people need to understand is that you canrsquot expect towables togrow every quarter like we have seen in recent years I think the first and fourth quarters of 2007 could be tough But the market is still strongAs a supplier one thing that we will continue to deal with in 2007 are the costs of raw materials Theyrsquove bounced around for the past severalyears so hopefully wersquoll see some stabilizationrdquo
Ron Fenech president Keystone RV Company Goshen Indiana ldquoWersquore ramping up for a year that in terms of retail sales will be similar to2006 which was good for us As we head into January wersquore going full-steam and are hoping for a strong first quarter That said you canrsquotmake an intelligent assessment of the year until around March thatrsquos when you can start to see a pattern that makes sense including region-al tendencies During the past year the Northwest and parts of Texas were strong while the industrial states mdash especially Michigan and someareas of the Northeast mdash were weak Three product segments that we see as particularly strong are lightweight and super-lightweight prod-ucts the lower end of the high-end fifth-wheel market and the ramp business What I find interesting is that the towable market as a whole is becoming much less discretionary Trailers are an integral part of peoplersquos lifestyles which may be why the towable market is no longer asseasonal or cyclical as the motorized siderdquo
Gary Denton vice president of sales and marketing Weekend Warrior Perris California ldquoI think the towable market will be stable in 2007but it wonrsquot show the tremendous growth that we have enjoyed in recent years There are four or five things particularly in California that arestill affecting buyers a drop in home equity interest rates are higher natural gas is up and so is electricity Our bread-and-butter is still thetoy-hauler business which we feel will continue to grow in lsquo07 even though ATV sales have been flat The end users are aggressive types and willkeep buying the latest product which means we have to be aggressive on our end mdash we canrsquot stand still or wersquoll get run over That philosophyis also how wersquore approaching the motorized market which we just moved into Our goal is to initially grab a small share of that market fueledby our existing base of loyal customers who are looking to move up to a motorhome with the same type of innovation as our toy haulersrdquo
Mike Terlep president Coachmen RV Group Middlebury Indiana ldquoMoving into 2007 I think the first thing the industry needs to do is correct the inventory levels on dealer lots We need to focus more on product turns which will happen when sales come back Overall wersquorelooking at a relatively flat year probably close to what RVIA is projecting On the other hand wersquore confident that Coachmen will see marketshare growth There has been significant market share erosion in recent years especially in towables We have consolidated and defined ourentire product lineup to better meet specific segments of the market while also restructuring our sales teams and improving plant efficiencies Whatrsquos happening in the motorhome market I feel is more than cyclical There is a lot of uncertainty out there Again we need to right-sizeinventory to help move product But we do see motorized sales improving as economic variables stabilize On the towable side lightweight unitsmdash the true half-ton pickup travel trailers and fifth-wheels mdash are going to be key sectors in 2007 along with SURVS The toy-hauler sector isgoing to proliferate beyond its current customer because itrsquos so versatilerdquo
Randy Howard general manager Howard RV Supercenter St Louis Missouri ldquoI donrsquot see a dropoff in lsquo07 Wersquore looking for single-digit growthfor the industry and wersquore projecting our sales to be up 25 to 28 The largest part of that growth will be in towables although the diesel-pusher business has been strong Up until 2000 we were strictly motorhomes but historically itrsquos been the most fragile portion of our industryAny type of volatility or instability up or down and motorhome sales mdash especially gas mdash go down But people keep buying trailers If thingsstabilize then motorized will come back but I donrsquot see that happening Industrywide therersquos a real problem with inventory The average turnright now is 172 days and it should be 90 Thatrsquos why a lot of the dealers got conservative in their buying That needs to be corrected as we moveinto the spring selling seasonrdquo
OUTLOOK 2007
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DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
UA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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ICE
CA
RD
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
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ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
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VIC
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
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copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
DTI RV PARTS amp APPLIANCES CIRCLE 132 ON READER SERVICE CARD
023-RVB02 PG 23 DTIps 11507 708 PM Page 23
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
MB
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
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popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
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TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
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CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
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RE
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ER
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
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1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
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OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
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037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
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w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
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GH
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YS
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MS
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RV
ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
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LE 1
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037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200724
OUTLOOK 2007
Tom Walworth president and general manager Statistical SurveysInc Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoThe industry has gone through twoyears of rapid interest-rate hikes which had to happen along withsevere spikes in fuel prices Both of those factors impacted RV salesmdash but I donrsquot see either of those trends resurfacing in 2007 Interestrates have stabilized at least for the near future And I believesomething interesting occurred when crude oil went above $70 a barrel It spirited a lot of exploration in the US There was a big findin the Gulf of Mexico and we also started looking more at non-OPECnations that have larger reserves When the price got so high it just
made sense for us to look for new sources including sand oil and shale oil whereas it didnrsquot before Peoplealso started buying smaller cars In light of all those things I think OPEC will try to keep crude oil pricesaround $60 a barrel in 2007 which will be great for our industry It was those huge swings that really affect-ed buyers That said my feeling is that the industry will start slow out of the chute but finish OK for the yearmdash especially if you take the 2006 FEMA units out of the equationrdquo
John Sammut vice president of sales and marketing NewmarCorporation Nappanee Indiana ldquoFor the past couple of years therehave been several factors in the marketplace that have affected consumer confidence which freezes people when it comes to buyingdecisions Those factors have mitigated and wersquore looking for a rela-tively flat market in 2007 without a lot of erosion or sizeable growthWe have also seen the more entry-level portion of the motorhome mar-ket grow and Newmar has developed products to compete at that lowerprice point We have been known as a high-end diesel builder but in2007 our goal is to gain a foothold in the gas market There are two rea-sons why we need to be at that $175000 to $200000 price point First it will allow us to attract new customersand then move them up the ladder with our service and quality Secondly the new diesel-emission standardswill increase costs at retail for those units pushing some people down into the gas marketplace At the sametime our high-end diesel buyer wonrsquot be affected by that cost increaserdquo
Rich Florea president Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc GoshenIndiana ldquoIn the last part of 2006 it appears that manufacturers haveexcess inventory as dealers havenrsquot been replacing product as quick-ly as normal Our dealers havenrsquot been reordering one-for-onethrough the last 90 days In some respects thatrsquos fairly normal but Ithink the towable market did slow somewhat Heading into 2007orders are beginning to pick up again and inventories will level offDutchmen is bullish on the first quarter and our dealers are comingon board We anticipate a good spring season mdash not great butsteady mdash and hopefully that will continue throughout the year Our
goal is to increase market share in all segments I truly believe that RVing has become entrenched in ourculture and people are committed to the lifestyle They arenrsquot going to stop RVing just because gas goes uptheyrsquore just going to change how they use their RVs I think that factor will help towables continue to do wellin 2007 and in the long-termrdquo
Sid Johnson director of marketing Jayco Inc Middlebury IndianaldquoIn the latter part of the year the towable market tightened a bit Thatdid two things Dealers built up inventory which is starting to clearout But it also meant that manufacturers had to be more innovativeby packaging more amenities into their product introductions I thinkthat trend will translate into sales in 2007 especially with the hugeinflux of buyers at the entry-level segment during the past four or fiveyears Those owners are looking to move into a more amenity-filledtrailer Jayco has actually seen growth in Class C sales We expectthat to continue as people downsize from Arsquos along with the expan-sion of the toy-hauler units Overall barring any unforeseen circumstances 2007 could develop into a pret-ty good year despite the unfavorable comparisons on the towable side from hurricane sales in 2006rdquo
Brian Brady chairman Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC Elkhart Indiana ldquoI suspect that 2007 will bestronger than some of the pundits are predicting Our feeling is that it will be as good a year as 2006 Thetowable industry is becoming increasingly competitive which is going to bring about some changes in the
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024-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 216 PM Page 24
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
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025-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 217 PM Page 25
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
026-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 445 PM Page 26
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
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For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
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SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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26 O
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
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ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
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RV
ICE
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000
CIR
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 25
OUTLOOK 2007
coming year Itrsquos apparent that dealers are tak-ing a fresh look at OEM relationships They areasking tough questions but theyrsquore askingappropriate questions In essence that meansthe manufacturers have to make sure theyrsquorehandling the right product lines as dealersbecome more selective The OEMs that can suc-cessfully define markets and build product at theright price point will have a good yearrdquo
Craig Jensen president RV Dealership Group FreedomRoads LLC Chicago IllinoisldquoWe have forecasted 2007 to be flat but wersquore hoping for an uptick I really donrsquotbelieve the industry will be going backwards during the year Instability is the thingthat kills consumersrsquo confidence and going intothe new year things are moving in the right direc-tion The interesting dynamic is that towableshave become the industryrsquos hedge against thosebig dips that used to hit the industry Trailers aregoing to sell The motorized market is much moreelastic and susceptible to those economic cyclesIf yoursquore dialed in right then yoursquore in goodshape If you missed by a bit then yoursquore goingto be down a lot Wersquoll have to see how thingsshake out in 2007 for motorizedrdquo
Ron Neff owner American RV Grand Rapids Michigan ldquoNeedless to say Michiganrsquoseconomy has been a challenge for our business In a recession people are wonderingif they will have a job versus whether or not they want to buy an RV But we are enter-
ing 2007 with a progressive but conservativeapproach Wersquore going into the season with afull inventory How deep we go will depend onthe turns Wersquore hoping that pent-up demandwill help drive sales I feel strongly thatMichigan consumers still have the desire to RVso if the economy picks up then wersquore going topick up In 2006 we had good sales in ClassBrsquos travel trailers did well and we doubled ourfold-down sales The two biggest drops were in
fifth-wheels and motorhomes and maybe that has to do with price and fuel costs Butbeing slow gave us an opportunity to concentrate on those basics that you tend toforget when things are going great like sales and service training You want to makesure yoursquore prepared once the market comes backrdquo
Stan Sunshine CEO Stag-Parkway Inc Atlanta Georgia ldquoWe are reasonably opti-mistic about 2007 Hopefully interest rates will begin to come down sooner thanlater There has been an inverse relationship between interest rates and RV sales formany many years As a prime examplemotorhome sales began to decline in July2004 which is when interest rates started toclimb From a consumer perspective there isa substantial amount of people enjoying theRV lifestyle As an industry we have to ensurethat they have an enjoyable experience Thedemographics truly favor sustainable growthfor our industry in the long-term so we haveto make sure we continue to take care of thecustomers when we hit these short-term eco-nomic realitiesrdquo
AQ
UA
HO
T C
IRC
LE 1
05 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
025-RVB_0702_LO_2007Outloops 11907 217 PM Page 25
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
026-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 445 PM Page 26
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
027-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 447 PM Page 27
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
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LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
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114
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
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RV
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200726
HOMESLIDING
INTO
As seen inside Monacorsquos Signature Seriesluxury Class A full-wall slideouts allowcoach designers a wide-open pallettewhen drafting new layouts Compared tomultiple-slideout floorplans full-wallroom extensions only add about 15square feet of living space mdash but the net effect can be quite dramatic
026-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 445 PM Page 26
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
027-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 447 PM Page 27
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
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SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
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ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
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RV
ICE
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000
CIR
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ICE
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 27
The Development of the Full-Wall SlideoutHas Yielded Many Dramatically DifferentFloorplans mdash But Not Everyone Is Ready For a Completely Open Coach
BY BOB ASHLEY
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE
I trsquos been only three model years since Fleetwood Enterprises Incoutfitted a 36-foot Pace Arrow motorhome with a 23-foot slideoutthat extended nearly the full length of the coach
Since then ldquofull-wall slideoutrdquo floorplans have proliferated MonacoCoach Corp Coburg Ore produced full-wall slideout floorplans thenext year Then came the rush
At RVIArsquos 2006 National RV Trade Show in Louisville Ky in factno fewer than five companies mdash Newmar Corp and Gulf StreamCoach Inc Nappanee Ind Coachmen Recreational Vehicle CoLLC and Thorrsquos Mandalay Luxury Division Elkhart Ind andNational RV Inc Perris Calif mdash debuted full-wall slideouts
ldquoWe all know that Fleetwood started it by being the mainstreammanufacturer who brought the full-wall slideout to the publicrdquo saidJon Krider Mandalay national sales manager ldquoWe looked at it andsaid that they had something there but we thought we could improveon itrdquo
Full-wall slides clearly have changed the way coach interiors are laid out
Mandalay used the additional space offered by installing a 29-footfull-wall hydraulic slideout in a 39-foot Presidio diesel-pusher ClassA to enlarge the hallway and bathroom and add closet space ldquoThefull-wall slide allowed us to open up the floorplansrdquo Krider saidldquoInstead of having to pinch the hallway with a 24-inch-deep slideoutyou can increase the width of the hallway by almost 25rdquo
Luc van Herle motorhome product manager for Fleetwood stressedthat changes brought on by full-wall slideouts are not insignificant
ldquoThe difference is between day and nightrdquo said van Herle whosecompany now offers full-wall slideout floorplans in eight of its ninediesel brands in addition to the gas-powered Pace Arrow ldquoThe bigchange is that the floorplans are so open Even when you go into aquad-slide motorhome you still have the hourglass effect where all theslideouts join No matter how wide it is in the front to begin with mdashor even in the rear mdash it closes up the feel of the coachrdquo
Not having to deal with that narrowing hallway also makes a majordifference for engineers according to Bill Martin marketing managerfor Coachmen ldquoIt changes the overall layoutrdquo Martin said ldquoYou startthinking about the floorplan in a different wayrdquo
027-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 447 PM Page 27
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
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VIC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
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18 O
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For the most part however manufacturers didnrsquot have tomake major structural changes to accommodate the largerslideouts ldquoWe did two thingsrdquo said Jason RumschlagCoachmenrsquos engineering manager for gas motorhomesldquoWe beefed up the sidewall a little more than we usuallydo and we held up the roof on that side of the coach byincorporating a steel bar into the cabinets to add strengththererdquo
According to Van Herle Fleetwoodrsquos standard ldquoPowerPlatformrdquo chassis mdash wherein twin parallel I-beams aremounted lengthwise on the chassis rails mdash made it easierto engineer large slide rooms ldquoItrsquos given us a platform tobuild a house that is much less reliant on the structure ofthe box for its strengthrdquo van Herle said ldquoFor us cuttingmassive holes in the sides of our motorhomes was less ofa problem than it might have beenrdquo
Fleetwoodrsquos full-wall slides mdash operated by three syn-chronized electric motors mdash range from 26 to 30 inchesdeep and 24 to 29 feet long
The amount of additional square footage that a full-wallslide provides compared to a motorhome with four slide-outs is minimal mdash lessthan 15 square feet inmost cases The effecthowever is surprising
At Monaco designers used the extra space to add stor-age and cabinets ldquoOur smaller gas-coach models haveespecially benefited from full-wall slidesrdquo said Mike SnellMonaco vice president for sales and marketing ldquoFor theRV consumer these innovations have created compellingreasons to trade uprdquo
At the same time though according to Pat CarrollMonaco vice president for product developmentmotorhomes with four slideouts remain Monacorsquos most
ldquoFull-wall slides are a great concept but you have tobe careful with what you do with themrdquo
National RVrsquos Pacifica diesel pusher isthe only Class A to offer a curbside full-wall slideout The company solved thepotential problem of incorporating toomuch plumbing in the slideout by creat-ing a dual lavatory mdash the commodeshower and a third sink remain station-ary in the streetside of the coach
RIGHT Monacorsquos 2007 Monarch isavailable with two or three slideoutsmdash or the companyrsquos PanaSuite full-
wall slideout that incorporates thesofa dinette refrigerator and bed-
room closet and wardrobe RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200728
ndash John Sammut Newmarrsquos vice president of sales
028-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 448 PM Page 28
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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IRC
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18 O
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
popular floorplans ldquoFull-wallslides are a new concept for thebuyers and we learn as we go tothe retail shows and find out whatthey like and what they donrsquotlikerdquo
Structurally speaking Monacorsquosfull-wall system operates with ahydraulic flow divider that syn-chronizes the three rails thatextend and support the slideout
As full-wall room extensions insome cases have become top sell-ers some industry executives arecautious about their potentialeven as their companies offer full-wall layouts
ldquoFull-wall slides are agreat concept but youhave to be careful withwhat you do withthemrdquo observedJohn Sammutvice president ofsales for Newmarwhich added a full-wall slideout to its2007 gas-poweredKountry Star Class Amotorhome lineup
ldquoSome floorplansFEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 29
RIGHT According to Fleetwood the full-wallslideout in its 39V Providence adds nearly 380square feet of living space to the coach
ABOVE As seen on the Fleetwood Providencethe design of the full-wall slideout may incorpo-rate access doors to some storage bays as a further convenience to the coach owner
BELOW Holiday Ramblerrsquos Admiral line of gas Class A coachesincludes a full-wall slideout floorplan on the 33 SFS
029-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 451 PM Page 29
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
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ER
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RV
ICE
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ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
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RV
ICE
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
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RO
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E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
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04 O
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EA
DE
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VIC
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AR
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037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
TV
OHC
PAN
TRY
REFER
QUEEN BED
WA
RDRO
BE
NIGHTSTANDS
OHC
MICROWAVE
SOFA
LOVESEAT
OH
CO
HCSHOW
ER
SOFA ROUND FREE-STANDING
DINETTE
CLOSETVANITY
TV
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200730
work out and others donrsquot There are still somepeople who want to have different zones in a floor-plan and multiple slideouts certainly accomplishthatrdquo Sammut noted ldquoThe good thing is thatOEMs are trying a variety of things and the customer ultimately will be the winnerrdquo
Van Herle too points out that an expansive full-wall configuration isnrsquot for everyone ldquoWe alwaysare hedging our betsrdquo he said ldquoIf you like it yoursquollbuy it if you donrsquot like it yoursquoll buy a triple slide ora quad sliderdquo
ABOVE A 29-foot full-wall slideout runs the length of the Mandalay Presidio openingup the hallway between the front room and sleeping quarters Opposing front and rearcurbside slides allow designers to create a floorplan that maintains privacyContinued on page 32
RO
AD
MA
ST
ER
IN
C
CIR
CLE
109
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
030-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11807 452 PM Page 30
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
116 ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
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RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
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ICE
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000
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
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ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
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E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CrossRoads travels the landscape of quality value and service in towables
Experience consumer-focused products with no double-penetration of product linesexclusive sales territories and one of the best warranties in the industry
CrossRoads is proud to introduce theNEW Cruiser Sport offering versatile towing with a2rdquo receiver hitchThis innovative new line was featured at the 2006 RVIA Show in Louisville
INQUIRE ABOUT CROSSROADS DEALER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Other CrossRoads winning brands include
WWW C RO S S R OAD S RV C OM8 8 8 2 2 6 7 4 9 6
CROSSROADS CIRCLE 106 ON READER SERVICE CARD
031-RVB02 PG 31 CROSSROADSps 11507 706 PM Page 31
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
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TS
CIR
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116 ON
RE
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RV
ICE
CA
RD
032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
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LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
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User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
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w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
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120
ON
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AD
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RV
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
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EA
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ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Damon Motor Coach President BillFenech makes that same point byhalf-jokingly characterizing his com-panyrsquos new Tuscany slideout floorplanas the ldquoanti-full-wall slideoutrdquo
Damon currently has no full-wallfloorplan offerings
ldquoPeople want some separation in theliving areasrdquo said Fenech while not-ing that his company may yet add afull-wall slide floorplan ldquoThe prob-lem with one big slideout is that youwalk in and you see all the way intothe bedroom I donrsquot think thatrsquos whatpeople wantrdquo
At National RV designers solvedthat particular problem by installingtwo sets of pocket doors that can separate the bath or the bath and bed-room from the rest of the coach
National RVrsquos electric full-wallslide mdash a 28-footer supported by fourrails beneath the slideroom with a 20-foot attached awning mdash is situated onthe passenger side of a 40-footPacifica diesel pusher to accommo-date two other street-side slideoutsldquoIf you were to flip this around andput the two slideouts on the passengerside and the full wall on the driverside yoursquod be breaking up the patio onthe door side with two slideoutsrdquo saidBrian Glass National RVrsquos director ofproduct development and marketing
National also dealt with the prob-lem of what to do with the bathroommdash to avoid incorporating too muchplumbing in the slideout mdash by creat-ing a dual lavatory Two sinks andmedicine chests are in the slideoutwhile the commode shower and athird sink remain stationary on thestreet side of the coach
ABOVE According to JasonRumschlag at Coachmen
RV adding a full-wall slide-out to the Aurora 36 FWS
gas Class A only required abit of strengthening to the
sidewall and roof
RIGHT Monacorsquos Safarimotorhomes offer full-wall
room extensions in itsCheetah Simba SVE and
Simba Gas models (shown)
Slideouts from page 30
AD
CO
PR
OD
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CIR
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032-RVB_0702_LO_Slideouts4ps 11907 249 PM Page 32
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
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VIC
E C
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continued on page 48
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
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copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
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VIC
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
1361 Calle AvanzadoSan Clemente CA 92673Toll Free 8003828442Fax 9492765500
WHEN IT COMES TOSHADE MANAGEMENTWErsquoVE GOT YOU
G-1500 DOOR AWNING
G-2000 PATIO AWNING G-2085 WINDOW AWNING
Therersquos a reason why more RV manufacturers choose Girard awnings over any other brandbetter quality superior service and a limited lifetime warranty Girard makes a variety ofsuperior RV products and accessories and is continually developing new comfort and con-venience products to provide our customers with the ultimate in weather protectionHere are a few good reasons to get covered by Girard
Girard Systems -Combining tomorrowrsquos technology withtodayrsquos best quality and service
Girard was the first in the industry to develop an automatic lateralarm retractable awning Reliable versatile amp weather protected theG-2000 has up to 3-lateral arms for superior strength Easy pitchadjustment (from 5ordm to 35ordm) prevents water build-up during heavyrain Up to 4 awnings can be roof-mounted creating a seamlessintegration that hides all other rooftop equipment
With more projection than anyother window awning it extends toa maximum 90ordm angle providingcomplete privacy Strongest amp mostdurable in the industry Wall switchwith optional remote control for automatic operation
G-5000 SLIDE-OUT AWNINGNew amp better than ever the G-5000is mounted on the coach not theextending slide room providing morepitch than any slide-out awning onthe market This ensures smoother amp tighter fabric while preventingwater buildup over the room A built-in brush self-cleans debrisfrom the awning while retracting completely protecting fabric ampeliminating billowing during transit
See Girardrsquos full line at your local dealer or go on-line atwwwgirardrvcom
ACS SystemGirardrsquos Awning ControlSystem offers worry freefully automatic weatherprotection
AUTOMATICAUTOMATIC
AUTOMATICNEW
NEW
A perfect complement to the G-2000 Patio Awning the G-1500is fully automatic providing shadeamp rain protection at the touch of abutton Practical amp attractive espe-cially when installed with decora-tive farings
GIRARD SYSTEMSThe Future Is Today
GIRARD SYSTEMS CIRCLE 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD
033-RVB02 PG 33 GIRARDps 11507 708 PM Page 33
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
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VIC
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
OEM
Newellrsquos Focus on Innovation andAmenities Cements Its Position inHigh-End Motorhome MarketplaceOKLAHOMA COMPANY CONSISTENTLY RUNS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT A YEAR
When it comes to building upscale Class Amotorhomes few manufacturers reach the level ofNewell Coach Corp which builds and servicesdiesel pushers that cost $1 million-and-up in
the small northeast Oklahoma community of Miami (pop 13000)
ldquoWe are the most expensive true Class A motorhome inthe businessrdquo Newell President Karl Blade proudly states mdashand with good reason Newell builds its coaches from thechassis on up then fills them with unexpected features and amenities
ldquoThe one thing that has kept the company at the topthrough the years is its history of innovationrdquo Blade said ldquoInreal estate itrsquos location location location In the motorhomebusiness itrsquos product product product If yoursquove got someonewho is going to pay $1 million for a motorhome itrsquos what
is in it that causes them to get excited and trade up fromanother motorhome mdash or even from a 2-year-old Newellrdquo
Newell coaches for instance boast 90-inch-high ceilingsthat allow for the installation of a Murphy bed ldquoNobody elseis doing itrdquo Blade said ldquobecause a bus doesnrsquot have enoughheadroom Itrsquos like having a den in the coachrdquo
Looking back LK Newell first broached the motorhomebusiness in 1967 after buying a then top-of-the-lineStreamline motorhome Returning to Streamlinersquos Californiafactory from his Oklahoma home for a few corrections heshared some suggestions to improve the coach with the com-panyrsquos owner who posed a challenge ldquoIf yoursquore so damnedsmartrdquo he opined ldquowhy donrsquot you buy the motorhome
operation from merdquoThe deal was struck within hours and LK Newell found-
ed Newell Coach Corp moving it to Miami OklaStreamline meanwhile evolved into a towable-only manu-facturer before going out of business in the early 1970s
Newell for his part claimed credit for designing the firstrear-engine motorhomes and for introducing diesel engines
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200734
Newell coaches are available in lengths from 39 to 45 feet proprietary chassisboasts rear-steer tag axles that increase the motorhomersquos maneuverability
034-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11907 227 PM Page 34
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
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LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 35
COMPANY Newell Coach Corporation
LOCATION Miami Oklahoma
FOUNDED 1967
KEY PERSONNEL Karl Blade president Sam Robinson vice presidentgeneral sales manager Boyd Vanover vice president of engineering Scott Lawson vice president of manufacturing John Clark vice president of customer service
PRIMARY PRODUCTS Factory-direct high-end P2000I diesel-pusher Class A motorhomes with base prices starting at $1 million
PHYSICAL FACILITIES 120000 square-foot factory with head-quarters sales offices 12 production stations chassis bodyfurniture and sewing shops and a 20-bay service center
EMPLOYEES 200
VITALstatistics
Karl Blade Newellrsquos president takes pride in the fact that the company builds the most-expensive Class A luxury coaches in the industry The front and rear caps of the P2000i were designed by Porsche Engineering
to the motorized RV arenaAccording to the company Newell built the first rear-
engine Newell coach in 1969 on a Madson gas-powered buschassis A year later LK Newell designed and built his ownfrom-scratch diesel pusher featuring a semi-monocoquechassis that eliminated frame rails between the front and rearaxles maximizing under-floor storage space
ldquoHe (LK Newell) had a lot of street smartsrdquo said BladeldquoHe figured out long before anyone else did that a dieselpusher was far superior than any other configurationrdquo
Newell coaches commanded premiums from the verybeginning ldquoBack in the late lsquo60s when you could buy aWinnebago for $5000 a Newell would cost $15000rdquo Bladesaid Blade contends that because Newell coaches are builtfrom the ground up on the companyrsquos own chassis they
differ substantially from their closest competition price-wise mdash Prevost bus conversions and Bluebird Wanderlodges
ldquoThe most important difference today is that we can offerlarger slideouts which can be positioned and sized to achievethe floorplan that our customer wants instead of trying to fitthe floorplan around pre-existing slideoutsrdquo Blade saidwhile noting that factory-built bus shells are limited to amaximum of two pre-configured slideouts
The Newell chassis also is equipped with 23-degree rear-steer tag axles that increase the coachrsquos maneuverability
Blade became Newellrsquos owner almost in the same way thatLK Newell founded the company A Chevrolet dealer inMt Vernon Wash Blade also sold motorhomes becausethey were his hobby While driving through Oklahoma in a
035-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 515 PM Page 35
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PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
036-RVB_0702_LO_OEM_Showcaps 11807 516 PM Page 36
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
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LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
PRODUCT PROFILE Newell P2000i motorcoaches are builtduring four months using the companyrsquos own 59580-poundGVWR bridge-style hand-welded chassis with rear-steer tagaxles powered by 625-hp Caterpillar C15 diesel engines
Available in lengths of 39 to 45 feet with up to four flush-floor slideouts Newell coaches are built with aircraft-style aluminum superstructures and skin Reinforced fiberglassfront and rear caps (with roof parapets that hide the air conditioner and satellite TV dome) were designed by Porsche Engineering
Because of extensive customization no two Newell coachesare exactly alike For instance customers can chose front- ormid-coach entry doors add a half-bath chose their own paintdesign or order a special engine
Amenities run the gamut from lush fabrics to custom-crafted leathers exotic marble and granite floors and solid-surface countertops
new Bluebird in 1979 Blade stopped to visit Newellrsquos facto-ry ldquoThe Newell was not a busrdquo he said ldquoand it offered
features that Irsquod never seen beforerdquoThree months later he bought the companyBlade said that hersquos never considered moving the factory
from Oklahoma ldquoBy the time that I got involvedrdquo he recol-lected ldquothe workforce here was so well-trained that it wouldbe virtually impossible to duplicate if I tried to pick this upand move it somewhererdquo
Although it may appear otherwise Blade also noted thatthere is no downside to being isolated from the general RV-manufacturing communities in Indiana California andOregon ldquoWe can afford to pay the highest manufacturingwage in the business and other RV companies canrsquot raid usfor employeesrdquo he said
Employees at Newell work four 10-hour shifts per weekldquoEmployees love to have the three-day weekend and it gives
PRODUCT
Left Newellrsquos 90-inch-high ceilings enhanceupscale impression and allow use of aMurphy bed Bottom Built in Miami OklaNewell requires four months to complete acoach and claims no two are totally alike
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200736
us a lot more flexibility if we needto work overtime when some-thing comes uprdquo Blade said
Blade spends the winter sellingNewell coaches while staying atOutdoor Resorts in Indio CalifldquoThere are 800 sites in tworesorts across the street from eachother and all of them containexpensive motorhomesrdquo he said
As you might suspect Newellcoaches are popular on theNASCAR circuit where Newellowners include NASCAR lumi-naries Jimmy Johnson DaleEarnhart Jr and legendary teamowner Roger Penske
Although the RV industry mdash particularly the Class Amotorhome sector mdash has been a little rocky lately the softmarket hasnrsquot affected Newell ldquoWe run a backlog of about ayear mdash alwaysrdquo Blade said ldquoWe also build some stockcoaches to put on the lot for the spot buyer and we also
usually have 15 used coaches in stock mdash we couldnrsquot sellthe new ones if we didnrsquot take trade-insrdquo
Newell sells factory-direct because of the close communi-cation necessary between manufacturer and end-user whenbuilding and servicing a $1 million-plus motorhome ldquoThecommunication needs to be very good to figure out what thecustomer wants within our capabilitiesrdquo Blade said ldquoWecanrsquot have misunderstandings where the dealer tells the clientwersquoll build a coach a certain way and it doesnrsquot show up at thedealership the way the client wanted it builtrdquo
Although Newell can build coaches as short as 39 feetmost Newell motorhomes are 45 feet long because of weightpowertrain and cost considerations
Meanwhile Blade said the Jan 1 transition to cleaner-burning diesel engines wonrsquot cause Newell major concernsldquoThe exhaust is hotter thatrsquos for sure We will deal with itrdquohe said ldquoWe donrsquot know what all the challenges are yet Stillevery time there has been a change in engine technologythere has been some fear about the effect but wersquove alwaysbeen able to accommodate it successfullyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
LE 1
26 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 37
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Americarsquos highways are getting moreand more friendly for RVers Thatprimarily is a result of the indus-
try-supported ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo programthat identifies retailers along interstatehighways that are suited to handle RVs
For the Recreation Vehicle IndustryAssociation (RVIA) lobbying team infact it has been a legislative priority forthe last couple of years
Nine states already have approved theprogram although Matt Wald RVIAdirector of government affairs said onlyfour mdash Oregon where the program start-ed plus Washington Florida and Iowa mdashhave actually posted ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logos thus faron the blue informationsigns near exits along the interstate highwaysystem
Other states whereldquoRV Friendlyrdquo signs aregoing through the localregulatory process andshould pop up soon are Texas LouisianaNew Mexico Tennessee and MichiganAdditionally Wald said five more statesare expected to consider approving ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo signage during the winter legislative season
Along with Oregon Louisiana was aleader in the movement until HurricaneKatrina struck 11frasl2 years ago bringing itsprogram to a screeching halt
Wald credits organizations such as theGood Sam Club and the Family MotorCoach Association (FMCA) for promot-ing the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquo concept in theirhome states ldquoRVers that Irsquove talked to saythey absolutely love itrdquo Wald noted
ldquoThey see it as not only a benefit in termsof their being able to get in and out of aretailerrsquos parking lot but they also see it asa quality-of-life issue
ldquoIt reduces their stress when they are onthe highwayrdquo he added ldquoThey donrsquot haveto worry that if they get off the interstatewhether they are going to have troublefinding a place to turn around so they canget back onrdquo
The Federal Highway Administration(FHwA) already has tentative guidelinesfor the states to follow which are expect-ed to be finalized later this year
Facilities must have paved surfaces freeof potholes and overheadwires with a minimumswing radius of 50 feet toallow RVs easy entry andexit Restaurants andother businesses requiringshort-term parking musthave two or more spacesthat are 12 feet wide and65 feet long At fueling
facilities pump lanes must be at least 12 feet wide and overhead canopies a minimum of 14 feet high
ldquoThe big thing is being able to get inand out of a retailerrsquos parking lot with-out having to unhook or to back outrdquoWald said
Depending on the state retail locationsthat meet the criteria pay between $25 and$150 a year to affix the round ldquoRVFriendlyrdquo logo to the blue informationalsigns posted near interstate highway exits
Wald said hersquos been told by boaters thatthey too watch for the ldquoRV Friendlyrdquologos ldquoThey figure that if a retailer can
Stress-RelievinglsquoRV Friendlyrsquo SignsPopping Up AlongAmericarsquos HighwaysNine States AdoptOthers to Follow
BY BOB ASHLEY
bull Most compact height in the market Will fit inmost travel trailers and motorhomes
bull Optional safety rails available for non-RV use
bull Folds up against the wall for the most compactdepth available in a folding bed system
bull Designed for inner spring mattress comfort
bull The most versatile folding bed system inthe market
Toll Free 800-4 LIFTCO (454-3826)24076 Reedy Dr bull Elkhart IN 46514
Phone (574) 266-5551 Fax (574) 206-9296
wwwliftcoinccom
FOLDING BED SYSTEMSThe ULTIMATE way to transform
WASTED SPACE into Usable Living Area
FullTwin Combination
Twin Bunk Bed
Ask for our New
STREAMLINE
Bunk System
LIF
TC
O C
IRC
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continued on page 48
037-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11807 417 PM Page 37
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
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RV
ICE
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
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RV
ICE
CA
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200738
Clearing TheAir on DieselEmissionsRegs
by Chris Hemer
2007rsquos New Diesel Rules Will
Dramatically Reduce Smog-
Producing NOx and Particulate
Matter ndash But Itrsquos a Change
That Wonrsquot Come Cheap
038-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 38
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
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ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
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RV
ICE
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S 2
000
CIR
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ICE
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 39
For decades most of the clean-air legislation hasbeen directed at gasoline engines Unleaded fuelcatalytic converters and electronic fuel injection aremajor technological milestones in the effort to cleanthe air we breathe Now itrsquos dieselrsquos turn
New emissions regulations have changed the for-mulation of diesel fuel as well as the engines that useit And although there have been some doom-and-gloom predictions on the subject mdash mainly based onrumors of poor fuel economy and low power andhigh cost considerations mdash all indications are thatthe new regulations will have little impact on current and future diesel motorhome owners
A Regulation Rundown The Emergence of ULSD FuelThe ldquo2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Engine Rulerdquo (2007
Highway Rule) as it is referred to by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) wasnrsquot established overnightLike most emissions regulations it represents yet anoth-er step mdash albeit the biggest one so far for diesel enginesmdash to clean up the air
In 1990 the Clean Air Act of 1970 was amended toinclude provisions for controlling ground-level ozonecarbon monoxide and particulate emissions (also knownas particulate matter or PM) from diesel engines By1993 Low Sulfur Diesel fuel had been introduced with amaximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million (PPM)also known as S500 enabling catalyst technology thatwould reduce PM emissions
Numerous revisions were to follow but the next bigstep came in December of 2000 when the EPA
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Fleetwoodrsquos American Eagle Class A diesel pusher is among the diesel motorhomes that utilize power plantsthat have been affected by the diesel regs in thise case Cummins Caterpillar engines running from 400 to 600 hp
039-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 244 PM Page 39
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200740
announced a comprehensive national program that would regulate a heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system starting in model year 2007 The 2007 Highway Rule was born
Much the way lead can damage theemissions equipment on contempo-rary gasoline engines sulfur canharm the new emissions equip-ment on diesels hence the intro-duction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Dieselfuel (ULSD or S15) ULSD cannotcontain more than 15 PPM of sulfur one ofthe soot-producing agents in diesel fuel
According to the EPA the combination of newemissions equipment and ultra-low sulfur fuel will reduce PMemissions by 90 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 95 As a resultthe 2007 Highway Rule will provide annual emission reductions equiva-lent to removing the pollution from 90 of todayrsquos trucks and buses mdashabout 13 million of them mdash when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet hasbeen completely replaced by 2030 When that happens the EPA esti-mates a reduction of 26 million tons of smog-producing NOx emissionsand 111000 tons of PM each year
Refineries were required to start producing ULSD as of last June andretail stations were required to carry the new fuel as of mid-October of lastyear Unless RVers put their coaches away for the winter in September theodds are good that ULSD is in their RVsrsquo tanks right now
How the Regulations Will Affect RV ConsumersThe introduction of ULSD has created two key concerns on the part of
motorhome ownersFirst How will the new fuel affect his current engine And secondly
how different will the new engines be Since the majority of motorhomeowners have a pre-2007 coach wersquoll start with RVers
As mentioned earlier reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel resultsin lower PM emissions but it also reduces the lubricity or the lubricat-ing quality of the fuel However from everything wersquove been toldULSD will neither harm RVersrsquo current engines nor require expensivemodification While it is true that lubricity will be reduced at therefinery level the American Society for Testing and Materials adopt-ed a lubricity specification for all diesel fuels that will compensatefor the reduced sulfur level at the terminal level
RVers may have also heard or read that ULSD might reducefuel economy and even cause fuel leaks in their pre-2007engines According to Chevron Corp the processing requiredto reduce sulfur to 15 PPM does indeed reduce the aromaticscontent and energy of the fuel resulting in a reduction of energycontent (btu) However the expected reduction in energy contentis only about 1 which is predicted to cause only a 1-to-2 loss in fuel economy In other words RVers will probablynot notice any apparent decline
Depending on the engine and its age fuel leaks are also a possibilityaccording to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) ldquoA small number ofvehicles may require preventive maintenance in the form of upgrading cer-tain engine- and fuel-system seals that may not perform well in the tran-sition to the new fuel and could leakrdquo a statement from the CDFA notedldquoStudies of test fleets have indicated that fuel system leaksare not exclusive to a particular engine type hellip it is antici-pated that only a small fraction of the (pre-2007) vehi-cles will be affectedrdquo the report added
According to a statement by Chevron Corp fuel leakswere also an issue when Low Sulfur Diesel was intro-duced in the early 1990s Those leaks ldquo hellip occurred atpoints where elastomers (O-rings) are used to seal joints inthe fuel system During the 1993-1994 period the most commonoccurrences were injector-pump leaksrdquo But like the CDFA Chevronrsquosfindings are that the problem is not exclusive to one engine type fuel typeor geographic region ldquoIt is anticipated that only a very small fraction ofthe vehicles may be affectedrdquo said Chevron
Caterpillarrsquos C15 enginewith a Diesel ParticulateFilter (DPF) attached tothe exhaust
Cummins rsquo07 ISL Engine
Cumminsrsquo Particular Filter (CPF)
040-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 40
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
G S
TAR
ON
SU
RFA
CE
S C
IRC
LE 1
18 O
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041-RVB02 PG 41 SAMSUNGps 11507 706 PM Page 41
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
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RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
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RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
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w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
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RV
ICE
CA
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
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037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
copy 2006 Cheil Industries Inc
NOW AVAILABLE IN 10 INSPIRING COLORSTempest offers designers a look that rivals natural stone and quartz Yet it has all the features and benefits of solid surface such as a seamless appearance nonporous hygienic properties and virtually unlimited design possibilities
Tempest features a larger translucent particulate that gives it amazing depth and a unique appearance not before seen in solid countertops and surfaces
To learn more visit wwwstaroncomor call 18007957177 copy 2007 Cheil Industries Inc
Introducing Tempest The Next Generation From Staron Surfaces
SA
MS
UN
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TAR
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200742
According to Cyndi Nigh on-highway communicationsmanager for Cummins Inc Columbus Ind there have
been a few instances of minor fuel leaks due to gasketsand seals shrinkingldquoIn most instances replacing the part eliminates this
issuerdquo she said ldquoWe have seen only a few cases of thisand are treating it as a warrantable failurerdquo In summa-ry ULSD has been designed to be backward-compat-ible with the millions of diesel engines that arealready on the road and will probably not have anyaffect on RVersrsquo engines However because a fuel leak
can be a potential fire hazard itrsquos not a bad idea to have fuelsystems inspected once RVers start using ULSD especial-ly in older or high-mileage engines and at routine main-tenance intervals after thatThere also is a misconception that the 2007 engines will
be different from the engines they replace While in someinstances that may be the case the changes are not necessarilyrequired by the use of ULSD In fact most of the changes are tothe emissions system also known as the ldquoafter treatment systemrdquo
and have little if any effect on the design of the engine itselfThough they may vary in design function and trade
name the after treatment system on the new engines consists of an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system
and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in addition to or inplace of a diesel-oxidation catalyst The DPF replaces the
muffler assembly and continually undergoes what is known as ldquoregenerationrdquo
ldquoWhen operating conditions maintain sufficient exhaust temperatures thediesel particulate filter is continually being cleanedrdquo noted Nigh ldquoThis is
known as lsquopassive regenerationrsquo Active regeneration occurs when there is not sufficient heat in the exhaustrdquo In such instances Nigh explained exhaust tem-peratures are raised by injecting a small quantity of fuel upstream of the dieseloxidation catalyst This process known as ldquodosingrdquo raises the exhaust-gas temperature high enough to oxidize the carbon from the filter
ldquoActive regeneration will occur very infrequently in a motorhome applicationand is totally transparent to the operatorrdquo said Nigh ldquoThere is no smell or soundassociated with regenerationrdquo Each manufacturer will also employ its own tech-nologies to reduce emissions For example Cummins has introduced a high-efficiency crankcase ventilation system which removes oil residue associated withengine ldquoblow-byrdquo (atmospheric pressure that squeezes past the piston rings andenters the crankcase forcing oil vapor up the breather tube)
Peoria Ill-based Caterpillar Incrsquos C7 and C9 engines feature variable-nozzleturbocharging to control the air volume required at various engine loads andspeeds for more complete combustion And Michigan-based Detroit Diesel hasdesigned its Series 60 engine with Monotherm pistons that combined withchanges in oil-ring geometry and a smoother bore finish are said to reduce oil con-sumption by almost 40 The Series 60 will also incorporate a variable-geome-try turbocharger new fuel injection system and new engine management system
The only real downside of the 2007 regulations will be higher costThough none of the engine manufacturers would be specific our research indi-
cates that after treatment systems will spur a price increase of $4500 to $6000for medium-duty engines and $7000 to $10000 for a heavy-duty engine TheDPF will also require periodic cleaning but that may never have an impact onRVersrsquo wallets since it is only required every 200000-400000 miles in a typicalmotorhome application Even then Cummins estimates cleaning will take only30 minutes not including removal and re-installation while CAT has its ownsystem of cleaning the DPF without removing it from the vehicle it claims serv-ice will take about as long as an oil change
Speaking of oil changes theyrsquore going to cost more too because they require anew low-ash oil (designated CJ-4) According to Fleet Owner magazine the newoil will be 30 to 40 more expensive than current CI-4 blends due to extraor-dinarily high development costs Everything else however including serviceintervals coolant and lube filters will reportedly remain the same
Indeed the 2007 Highway Rule has changed diesel engines and fuel foreverJust like the gasoline-engine emissions regulations that preceded it it may takesome getting used to mdash but it will do a lot of good in the long run
Detroit Dieselrsquos Series 60engine will use Monotherm
pistons said to reduce oilconsumption
TERMS OF THE TIMES
DPF Diesel particulate filter
NOx Nitrogen oxide
PM Particulate matter
PPM Parts per million
S15 (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 15PPM of sulfur
S500 (Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel)Diesel fuel with no more than 500PPM of sulfur
S5000 Diesel fuel with no morethan 5000 PPM of sulfur
042-RVB_0702_LO_Diesel_Tecps 11807 245 PM Page 42
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
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RV
ICE
CA
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043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
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CLE
114
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
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RV
ICE
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000
CIR
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RV
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
At Textron Financial we know success comes in all sizes For more than 40 years we have been providing innovativeinventory financing solutions to a diverse mix of distributors and dealers across the US and Canada Whatever your size
wersquoll provide the financial tools to help you achieve success
Wersquore here to help you grow
Call Textron Financial today at 1-866-844-8398wwwtextronfinancialcom
bull Revolving Lines of Credit with up to 100 Advance Rates
bull Flexible Terms to Address Seasonal Sales Cycles
bull Dedicated Knowledgeable Account Representatives
bull State-of-the-Art Online Account Management
bull Strength amp Resources of a Fortune 200 Company
The right financing for
WHATEVER SIZEyour business is
TE
XT
RO
N F
INA
NC
IAL
CIR
CLE
107
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
043-RVB02 PG 43 TEXTRONps 11507 707 PM Page 43
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200744
TR
EN
DS
ET
TI
NG
P
RO
DU
CT
S
AN
D
SE
RV
IC
ES
CU
TTIN
G
SOUTHCOrsquoS E-KEEPER OFFERS AFFORDABLE ELECTRONIC SECURITYSouthco officials say their compact new electronic E-Keeper offers the ability to add convenient affordable electronicaccess security to a wide variety of enclosure applications Its ability to accept electronic signals from a variety ofsources mdash including RF key fobs numeric keypads mag-stripe card readers and even battery-powered remote accesssystems mdash gives users maximum flexibility for integrating specific levels of secure access control The novel design ofthe Southco E-Keeper incorporates the electronic access action within the keeper instead of the latch and fits into bothnew and existing installations with avariety of mechanical door latches When matched with a manually oper-
ated latch the E-Keeper offers theflexibility of using either the electronic signal or the manual latchmechanism to disengage the doorAvailable in multiple sizes and formats Southco 210 NBrinton Lake Road ConcordvillePA 19331 (610) 459-4000 FAX(610) 459-4012 infosouthcocomwww southcocom
ASA INTRODUCES 2 NEWJENSEN WALLMOUNT
STEREOSASA Electronics recently introduced two newJENSEN wallmount stereos to the RV industrythe AWM910 AMFMMP3CD and AWM960AMFMMP3CDDVD Both run on 12-voltpower The 50-watt AWM910 features aUSEuro AMFM tuner (with 30 station presets)and a vertical CD mechanism that plays CDCD-R and CD-RW compatible CDs The unit is
also designed with a front head-phone output as well as a frontaux audio input for use with aniPod or MP3 player
The AWM960 features a fullysuspended slot-type DVD mecha-nism that withstands the bumpsand jolts of mobile applicationsIt too features 30 programmablestation presets along with a pre-set scan automatic memory stor-age a headphone output and aunified wireless remote controlthat is fully compatible with all
JENSEN LCD TVs Other features include modern blue backlit controls an auto-dimming display an alarmclock and an aux audiovideo input for those who choose to enjoy their iPod or MP3 player tunes ASA Electronics 53200 Marina Drive Elkhart IN 46514 (800) 688-3135 FAX (574) 266-1533 infoasaelectronicscom wwwasaelectronicscom
edge
044-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 246 PM Page 44
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 45
Diversification is not a new con-cept to John G Regan founderand CEO of MPR Corp dba
Fabric Services which prepares fabricleather and vinyl for recreational vehi-cle OEMs and suppliersRegan founded the Bristol Ind com-
pany in 1988 to distribute fabric to thevan conversion industry Several yearslater as the Big Three automakersbegan limiting distribution of their con-version vans to control quality Reganturned to products for the RV industryldquoThat was a pivotal point for merdquoRegan said ldquoI knew from the begin-ning that I wanted to diversify and Istarted right then The RV industry is inmy backyard It was obviousrdquo
In addition to products for van con-verters Fabric Services today countsamong its clients auto- heavy truck-and bus manufacturers RVs howeverare key ldquoDuring the last 10 years ourbiggest emphasis has been RV prod-uctsrdquo Regan added
In the RV arena Fabric Services sellsprepared interior soft goods to OEMsand tier-one par ts suppliers andclaims to be the top supplier of softvinyl for RV ceilings ldquoIn the RV indus-try so much of the focus is on the interior trimrdquo Regan said ldquoItrsquos a deco-rator-oriented industryrdquo
Fabric Services at the same timerepresents Guilford Mills WilmingtonSC which makes material for pleatedshades and distributes storage com-partment-liner material for Milliken ampCo Simpsonville SC
In 2005 Fabric Services acquiredFlame Treat Inc Elkhart Ind and nowcan treat fabrics to meet federal flame-retardant standardsMost recently Fabric Services bought
controlling interest in privately ownedAbercrobmie Textiles LLC a 60000-square-foot textile mill in Shelby NC ldquoWhen I started I didnrsquot buy anythingfrom overseasrdquo Reagan said ldquoNowbesides mills in the US we buy prod-ucts from Asia and South Americardquo
The North Carolina mill allows FabricServices to provide some productsmore quickly which enables OEMs toreact with more immediacy to marketchanges ldquoProducts that come out ofAbercrobmie will cut the lead time inhalf and be competitively pricedrdquoRegan saidFabric Services employs 80 people in
Bristol and 30 in North Carolina Thecompanyrsquos 80000-square-foot Bristolfactory contains two fully automatedadhesive lines a flammability testing-and certification laboratory a lab totest material for abrasion and tearstrength and a di-electric sealing system
A member of the Recreation VehicleIndustry Association board Reganmaintains that manufacturers dealersand suppliers in general have madesubstantial progress during the last twodecades ldquoThrough the years the RVindustry has become much more pro-fessionalrdquo Regan said ldquoThatrsquos a posi-tive because that fits in with our direc-tion as a companyrdquo mdash Bob Ashley
lsquoDecorator-Orientedrsquo RV IndustryProves Integral to Growth of InteriorSoft-Goods Supplier Fabric Services
BUSINESS PROFILE
RV MIRRORS GET MEMORYTECHNOLOGY
Hadley a leading manufacturer and marketerof truck transit and RV products haslaunched the production of the ldquoMemoryMirrorrdquo an RV class of mirrors that includesmemory function mdash a feature drivers alreadyenjoy in their luxury vehicles that recognizesthe driver a convenience if another personfrequently drives the vehicle
Powered with an Eaton computerized motorthe Hadley mirror is actuated through thememory circuit board built into the mirrorcomponent Inside the RV drivers identifythemselves using the Teltex touch-pad controlpanel that provides the electronic interface tothe mirror as well as to the driver pedals seatand steering positions
The Memory Mirror makes its debut on the Country Coach Rhapsody Class A motorcoach which is being launched for the 2007 model year Additionally the Memory Mirror being used on the Rhapsodyincludes a through-the-glass camera optionthat sends an image to a monitor displayinside the RV This upgrade feature adds another level of safety and security mdashproviding on-screen surveillance for both sides of the motor coach Hadley Products 4600 Wyland DriveElkhart IN 46516 (574) 293-5669wwwhadley-productscom
045-RVB_0702_LO_CuttingEdgps 11807 247 PM Page 45
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RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 2007 46
While every effort is made to maintain accuracy and completeness last-minute changes may occasionally result in omissions or errors
ADVERTISERSrsquo INDEX FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on products and services advertised in this issue circle the number onthe attached Reader Service card corresponding to the number of the company that interests you and mail
RS Advertiser Pg RS Advertiser Pg116 ADCO Products 32
105 Aqua-Hot 25
103 B W Custom Truck Beds 14
117 Brake Buddy by Hopkins Mfg 47
131 Canvas Replacements 51
Classifieds 52-53
106 Crossroads 31
132 DTI RV Parts amp Appliances 23
114 Dicor Corporation 48
108 Flight Systems 48
Freightliner 13
123 GE 56
127 GE Money 5
101 Girard Systems 33
124 Good Sam Authorized Dealers 49
126 Liftco 37
102 Lyons Industries 17
111 MBA Insurance Inc 24
113 Maxx Air Vent 19
112 Monaco Coach Corporation 2
120 NedCan Products 50
121 Onan Corporation 15
115 Pollmeier Inc 9
104 Progressive Insurance 51
129 RV Logic Inc 17
128 RVBay 10
122 River Park Inc 12
109 Roadmaster Inc 30
110 Roadmaster Inc 18
118 Samsung Staron Surfaces 41
130 Systems 2000 50
107 Textron Financial 43
The RV Marketplace 53
119 TrailManor 55
125 Xantrex 6
046-RVB_0702_LO_Ad Indexps 11807 243 PM Page 46
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 47
Opinion from page 16
rates There is something wrong when that isnecessary to make ends meet in the servicearea It seems that paying that rate would pre-clude the dealer from needing help from themanufacturer to solve problems It would indi-cate a very professional well-trained servicearea able to take care of things on the first trynot get us into ldquothree tries and yoursquore outrdquoLemon Law issues Raising rates to cover upother shortcomings in the management of thedealership should not fall on your ldquopartnerrdquo
I wonder how much thought is given thesedays to where the funds come from to pay forsome of these things In the end Mr NewGeneration you are extracting it from your cus-tomers You simply force the manufacturerrsquosprice to you to be higher
Get your RVDA groups to lobby for as manypro-dealer state laws as you can mdash then askyour manufacturer to help you with problemdealers that steal your business from yourbackyard Laws that protect the consumer andare fair to both manufacturer and dealer arefine Just be careful what you are asking for mdashyou may not like it when you actually see thesethings in action
It starts to look like there is an adversarialrelationship developing in the RV industrybetween dealers and manufacturers Only the
ignorant can believe that that is a good thingWin the battle and lose the war
My friends on the RVIA side of things are soproud of their ldquoGO RVingrdquo efforts they are giv-ing up control of their own destinies ldquoGORVingrdquo is a good thing but at least half of thatbudget should be spent on state lobbying forfair rules mdash rules that in the end are trulyhealthy for both groups as well as the retailcustomer
Yes I am very familiar with manufacturerscramming too many dealers into the same mar-ket areas I am also familiar with manufacturersduplicating their products so that they can dou-ble their penetration in the same market areasSome of the largest and most successful man-ufacturers both past and present have donejust that It has always been a mystery to mewhy a dealer would buy from such manufac-turers They certainly wouldnrsquot want to be part-ners with someone like that would they In theldquohow it wasrdquo days it took only a simple phonecall to your partner to take care of such issues
Irsquom leaving the business a few years earlierthan I might have otherwise simply because itrsquosnot any fun anymore Irsquom tired of listening to arecord with the needle stuck in the same oldgroove It is sad to see things getting like theyare to see what potential there is mdash and howdisappointing not to see it realized
I canrsquot help but give you a few names of deal-ers that understand what it means (or meant
TOP OF THENEWS
some are deceased) to be partners with theirmanufacturers Mel Sue and Randy Shipp ofTennessee Fred and Leland Wagner ofTennessee Bob Clark of Florida BurgessPeters of New York Jack Thurman ofOklahoma Johnny Sloan of Oklahoma RandyKetelsen of Colorado Ken Downing ofArkansas Don Williams of Alabama LarryBromme of Minnesota John Sirpilla of OhioBob and Jerry Spier of Michigan and BobHorsey of Delaware
I started this letter asking ldquoWhat are youthinking aboutrdquo and Irsquoll leave you with thatThe RVDA side is not honestly thinking aboutthe future of the industry except for its ownselfish interests The RVIA side is getting blind-sided looking to promote the industryrsquoslifestyle and not thinking about protecting itsfuture You all need to be looking for solutionsthat are mutually beneficial You all need to betalking to each other objectively about growingthe industry You all need to look each other inthe eye say it like it is clear the air and startsolving problems together mdash giving a little taking a little with an open mind That is whatsuccessful partners do
One committee is being created after anoth-er You all need a committee to work on how towork together
Good-bye RV industry You have been verygood to me
mdash Denny Bailey
BRAKE BUDDY BY HOPKINS MFG CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD
047-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11907 225 PM Page 47
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
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Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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FLI
GH
T S
YS
TE
MS
CIR
CLE
108
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RV Business Senior Editor Bob Ashley is an Indianapolis-based freelance writereditor and a 25-year newspaper veteran Hefocuses on the RV industry and nationalrecreation issues
FLIGHT SYSTEMSFrom the leader in Generator Controls
Has the tools to make servicingONAN RV GEN SETS easy andlow-cost improved replacement
controls to fix them right
The
ControlCircuitBoards
TestTrouble-shootingamp Service
ToolsVoltage
Regulators
bull 2-Yr Warrantybull Tech Support
bull LOW Prices
w w wf l ightsystemscom bull To l l -Free 800-403-3728 505 Fishing Creek Rd bull Lewisberry PA 17339
reg
DIC
OR
CIR
CLE
114
ON
RE
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SE
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ICE
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YS
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ICE
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Public Domain continued from 37
handle an RV it can also handle a pickuptruck pulling a boat trailerrdquo Wald said
bull bull bullAlthough you havenrsquot seen it much in
print because itrsquos not a popular topicdiesel Class A chassis and motorhomemanufacturers estimate that new dieselemissions which went into effect Jan 1will add $5000 to $10000 to the cost of amotorhome
The RV consumer at that may be getting off easy
According to an estimate from thetrucking industryrsquos Diesel TechnologyForum diesel-engine costs for that sectorwill increase by $12000
Thatrsquos the main reason why a record373000 diesel big rigs were built in theUS last year as over-the-road haulersordered new trucks before prices went up
As everyone in the RV industry knowsthe effect on sales was different in themotorhome sector According to theRVIA diesel motorhome shipmentsthrough October were down 34 for theyear compared to 2005 but not down asmuch as gas
bull bull bullA lawmaker in Tennessee has come
under criticism for a TV ad he recordedpromoting Music City RV in Nashvillewhere he bought an RV a couple ofyears ago
Recently the elected Tennessee Houseminority leader Republican state repHarry Brooks said he did nothing wrongbut nonetheless would ask the TennesseeEthics Commission for an opinion
Brooks said he taped the commercialwhich identified him as a state representa-tive at the request of Music City GeneralManager Gary Armagh whom he saidwas a friend that he met when Armaghworked for another RV dealership
Brooks said he was not paid for the adand among the stipulations was that thedealership and its employees wouldmake no contributions to his re-electioncampaign
bull bull bullFlorida a key state for RV sales can
look forward to four more years of fiscalconservatism according to Marc Dunbara legislative consultant to the Florida RVTrade Association (FRVTA)The electionof Republican Gov Charlie Crist andconservative legislative leaders ldquobode(s)well for a positive business climate inwhich small business owners are able togrow and thrive without significant gov-ernment intervention or oppressive taxa-tionrdquo Dunbar wrote in an FRVTAnewsletter to members
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200748
048-RVB_0702_LO_Pub_Domainps 11907 219 PM Page 48
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
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SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
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RV
ICE
CA
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New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
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FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
For a proven way to increase RV salesand profits put the Good Sam seal ofapproval on your dealershipFrom the sales office to the service bays you can
use the power of the Good Sam name to drive
business to your dealership Itrsquos the most powerful
business-building program wersquove ever offered from
the most recognized name in the RV industry
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS RECEIVE
bull National Advertising Support
bull Good Sam Certification for Pre-owned Units
bull Exclusive Good Sam Extended Service Contracts
bull Protected Territory
bull Bonus Package for Every Customer
To find out more about joining the Good SamAuthorized Dealer network call 1-800-547-1948
or visit goodsamdealerscom
So itrsquos not surprising that they also rely on it when theyrsquore in the market
A million RVers rely on the Good Sam name when theyrsquore on the road
GOOD SAM AUTHORIZED DEALERS CIRCLE 124 ON READER SERVICE CARD
049-RVB02 PG 49 AGI DEALERps 11507 708 PM Page 49
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200750
TOP OF THENEWS
Florida RV from page 14 Sunline Coach from page 14
had this been done before Featherlitersquos board of directors rejected the
idea But Clement Spor and other Featherliteinsiders moved ahead according to courtpleadings They launched Universal from spaceFeatherlite was leasing in Sanford Clementwas chairman and put up the seed money$257000 according to court records Sporwas president
Two of Clementrsquos sons Tracy Clement 40and Eric Clement 37 already executives of
ldquoThe travel trailer business wasnrsquot as robust as2005 but we were still doing fine throughAugustrdquo he said ldquoWe really saw a drop-off inSeptember in October It all came down to Nov10 ndash thatrsquos when we told the workers of the shut-down although we had been cutting back production for several weeks
ldquoIt became apparent that operationswise and cashwise it just wasnrsquot feasible to keep the doors open We realized that a deal would not be consummated in the time frame we neededrdquo
As a result of the closing around 150 ofSunlinersquos 170 workers were laid off The compa-ny operating with a few supervisory personnelbegan liquidating its finished goods inventory toits dealer body and sold out of inventory in mid-November
Bucara maintains that operations could becompletely reinstated within 60 to 90 days if theycan find a buyer
Bucara was part of an investment group thatincluded Paul Kozloff Bruce Cobb and JohnWhitehall which bought the family-run businessin February of 2004 Cobb left the company inMarch 2005
Lewis M Martin Sunlinersquos chairman and aprincipal of the firm since its founding in 1964 WLarry Lawrence Jr the companyrsquos CEO and partowner since 1978 and John Zimmerman chair-man emeritus who had been involved withSunline since 1975 had decided to head intoretirement and at the time of the sale describedthe buyers as ldquohand-pickedrdquo
Zimmermanrsquos son Dale stayed on with Sunlineas executive vice president of production
4073582000
salessys2com
wwwsys2comOne Software Package
From One Company
The Turning Wheel RV Center is a 5 location dealership with 20 service bays and 15 manufacturer brands
ldquoWithin one year of opening we reached $40 million
in sales winning lsquoRookie of the Yearrsquo with
both the Monaco and McKenzie corporations Our success is driven by
hard work proven business strategies and the
use of System 2000rsquos Dealership Management
Software for over 20 yearsrdquo
From left to rightRoy Smith John Murray
Ray Martin Mandy AlonsoMarco Martinez
Since 1965 Diffutherm is a leading European manufacturer of a wide range of sealants
adhesives anti-corrosion amp stone chip coatings and sound deadening compounds
Customers include most of the major European RV Auto and Truck OEMs
Also available under Private Label
Dekasyl MSndashPolymer SealantsAdhesives
Complete range of MS-Polymers
from highly flexible sealants
to superior FMVSS 212 approved adhesives
Environmental friendly replacement of PUR
NO Isocyanate - NO Solvents
Well proven in the industry
Available in white light grey black and clear
NE
DC
AN
PR
OD
UC
TS
CIR
CLE
120
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
SY
ST
EM
S 2
000
CIR
CLE
130
ON
RE
AD
ER
SE
RV
ICE
CA
RD
New V-nose R-Vision Fifth-WheelDesigned for Short-bed Pickups
R-Vision Inc Warsaw Ind has added a fifth-wheel toits 3-year-old Max-Lite towable lineup suitable fortowing behind short-bed pickup trucks The coach fea-tures a modified V-nose with a radius rather than asharp angle that according to the company reduceswind resistance and increases interior space in thecabover bedroom ldquoThe whole idea was to move theprofile back to be able to put it in a short-bed truckrdquosaid Jeff Terhune director of product development forthe Monaco Coach Corp subsidiary Available in five24- to 28-foot floorplans this new model weighs 5900to 6800 pounds empty MSRPs start at $16000
Featherlite also were officers of Universal Lipson filed suit in July against each of them
and Featherlite accusing them of defraudingtime-share investors to prop up Featherlite andits stock price
Lawyers for Featherlite in their court plead-ings say the company was not responsible forwhat went on at Universal
Three months after Universalrsquos receiversued Conrad Clement sold Featherlite to aCincinnati corporation for $109 million Heopted to keep the Sanford operation that man-ufactures luxury coaches He son Tracy andanother investor are now its owners
050-RVB_0702_LO_TOP4ps 11807 422 PM Page 50
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 51
$1 Million to $5 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $1838369 148 $1980198 152 -72Used RV Sales $542383 239 $625889 242 -133Total Dealership Sales $3148913 $3409597 -76
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $871425 277 $949870 279 -02 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $419132 481 $432025 455 26 ptsAdvertising Expense $54992 63 $63819 67 -04 ptsTotal Expenses $759068 871 $776299 817 54 pts
Net ProfitLoss $112357 129 $173572 183 -353Net Profit of Sales 36 51
$5 Million to $10 Million DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $4493594 154 $4438109 154 36Used RV Sales $1196012 200 $1165897 200 26Total Dealership Sales $7193148 $6884370 45
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $1822736 253 $1723057 250 03 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $790169 434 $739041 429 05 ptsAdvertising Expense $111021 61 $106992 62 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $1436427 788 $1328545 771 17 pts
Net ProfitLoss $386309 212 $394512 229 -21Net Profit of Sales 54 57
$10 Million and Higher DealersOCTOBER YTD 2006 AVERAGE DEALER 2005 AVERAGE DEALER CHANGE
New RV Sales $10742436 137 $10634239 135 10Used RV Sales $3171547 186 $3162861 184 03Total Dealership Sales $17093918 $16831982 16
GROSS MARGINS GM GM Total Company GM $3964548 232 $3764498 224 08 pts
Expenses GM GMPersonnel Expense $1806150 456 $1684634 448 08 ptsAdvertising Expense $234049 59 $224075 60 -01 ptsTotal Expenses $3222167 813 $2926102 777 36 pts
Net ProfitLoss $742381 187 $838397 223 -115Net Profit of Sales 43 50
October rsquo06 Mid- to Large-sized Dealers Report YTD New-Unit Sales IncreasesDealers in the under $5 million category reported new inventory levels up slightly above last year butsales and net profit down compared to rsquo05 according to data obtained by the Spader Companies SiouxFalls SD In contrast dealers in the $5 milion-to-$10 million and above-$10 million brackets registeredsales above last yearrsquos levels in the case of mid-sized dealers new-unit sales are running 36 higherwhile total dealership sales are up 45 compared to last year Annual net profits for all dealer groupswas down but mid-sized dealers showed a net profit of 54 of sales at end of October
RETAIL TRENDS
TOP OF THENEWS
The Boat Motorcycle and RV Adjuster investigatesanalyzes and determines the extent of Progressivesliability concerning loss or damages specific toSpecial Lines products and attempts to effectsettlement with claimants Now hiring for ourBuena Park Riverside Modesto SantaClarita Concord and San Jose CA offices
bull Bachelorrsquos degree OR a minimum 5 yearsrsquocombined relevant work experience and postsecondary education
bull Relevant experience includes work as aclaims adjuster a property damage adjusteror repair work within an automobile repairandor body shop OR work experience in aposition that developed or required the abilityto think critically solve problems effectivelycommunicate verbally and in writing andembrace new challenges
bull Ability to work a nontraditional schedule thatmay include evenings andor weekends
bull Valid driverrsquos license with good driving record
For a full job description visit our website atjobsprogressivecomTo apply submit your resume to Susan_L_Chappellprogressivecom
e
Equal Opportunity EmployerMFDVcopy2006 ProgressiveResource Services Company Mayfield Village OH
Itrsquos a job that will put you in the driverrsquos seat Literally
BOAT MOTORCYCLE amp RV ADJUSTER
CA
NV
AS
RE
PLA
CE
ME
NT
S C
IRC
LE 1
31 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
DP
RO
GR
ES
SIV
E IN
SU
RA
NC
E C
IRC
LE 1
04 O
N R
EA
DE
R S
ER
VIC
E C
AR
D
037-RVB_0702_LO_Retail treps 11907 1228 PM Page 37
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200752
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SO FLORIDA RV SPS Been in bus 25 yrsamp wife wants to retire Fantastic opportunityto live work amp fish in paradise 300 on hwypaint booth RV lift 2 acres 5 work bays anda 2-story sales parts amp service bldg This is anopportunity for you to walk into a businessamp make money now Reply RVB-765 PO Box8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 EmailClassifiedsTLcom with subject RVB
CONSULTANTTRAINING
JOHN MANCINELLI35 year RV industry veteran
Consultant ndash to all RV retail segmentsTrainer ndash 2 12 day sales training workshop
johnmancinelliinsightbbcom270-793-0509
DEALERSHIPS FOR SALE
COLORADO RV DEALERSHIP For SaleFabulous Location and Facility Huge Potentialfor Growth in Rapidly Growing Area RealEstate Available Call Paul at 303-499-6008 oremail at pchamblissfrontrangebusinesscom
SERVICE MANAGERRV TECHNICIANSExperienced Service Manager is needed for ournewly-expanded 32-bay service departmentApplicant must have the ability to train anddevelop people expand our chassis and bodyshop departments and achieve a high standardof customer satisfaction and profitability Alsoadding RV chassis and body techniciansCompensation package dependent on experi-ence and potential Wersquore only 30 minutes southof Indianapolis near a major outlet mall onI-65 We represent several major manufacturersincluding Itasca Holiday Rambler and FourWinds Come grow with us at EDMUNDSONRV SALES Send your resumeacute to Max PriceGen Mgr Fax 812-526-0834 or emailmpriceedmundsonrvcom
SALESGENERAL MANAGERSWe are the fastest growing RV Dealer in thesoutheast and need qualified Sales Managersand General Managers to help us growWe offer an excellent compensation package forthe right individuals Come join the team Suncoast RV We offer a career not just a jobSend resumeacute or call Matt Grimes 904-962-4646Email MGrimesSuncoastrvcom
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
WWWROBERTSAGENETThe Career Site for the
Wheeled Products Industry
JOB HUNTING NEED RV PERSONNELCall Jerry Roach 800-546-5579
Robert Sage amp AssociatesServing the RV Industry since 1969
wwwrvemploymentnet
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED RV LOT SALESPERSONneeded immediately for Five-Star MotorcoachResort in Pahrump NV located in the vicinityof Las Vegas Contact Natalie atnatalievlvcmcom
SOUTHEASTrsquoS FASTEST GROWINGFAMILY of RV Dealerships seeks MasterTechs Workhorse Certified Techs andRVIA Certified Great paycomm NotRVIA Certified Wersquoll help you Call Paul(352) 804-0493
C L A S S I F I E D SUse this form or your own stationery to submit your ad copy
copy
Classified Ads mdash Priced at $16 per line 40 characters and spaces per line five-line minimumAd closing for the April 2007 issue is February 6 This issue reaches subscribers March 30
GENERAL INFO Blind Box service is available at an additional cost of $15 Allow one line of billable space for Blind Box addressFor ad with photo limited to RVs and real estate please add $30 bull For your ad to appear in red type add $25All classifieds are prepaid by check credit card or money order No agency commissions or cash discountsPlease refer questions to Angela Pezzullo at (805) 667-4391 email apezzulloaffinitygroupcom
NameAddressPhoneFax Run for issuesCredit Card Number Expiration
Signature Category
Mail to RV BUSINESS Classifieds PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002-9912 or Fax to (805) 667-4379 Attn Classified Ads Department
052-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 52
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
FEBRUARY 2007 RVBusiness 53
Due to growth SURFACE SHIELDS INChas Account Manager (Sales amp marketing)opportunities in Orland Park IL We specializein converting pressure sensitive films Our highquality products expertise in merchandising ampcommitment to service has made us the 1provider to Flooring Building RV MovingAuto amp Hardware mkts Acct Mgr priority isto grow sales win existing mkts by inside ampoutside sales support outside Reg Sales Mgrsnew prod intros amp mktg tasks Resp maintainamp strengthen relationships wcurrent amp growingcustomer base win a specific mkt pro-activelycontacting existfuture customer to buildrapport drive sales amp optimize prod mixmanage mktplace $ review profit amp prepareforecasts for inventory levels Resources dealersamp branch offices of exist accts trade showsdirect mail rebates phone advertising media ampwebsite reqs Req exp in consultativeinfoselling sell over phone prev B2B salesmktgexp 3+ yrs pref strong planning process org ampfollow-up integrate wsales ops amp financialtravel to 25 MS Office amp Outlook teamattitude flexibility creativity amp adaptabilityBenefits solid earnings potential base +commission med dental life pd vacholiday401k profit sharing bus casual envirVisit wwwsurfaceshieldscom Apply emailresumeacute to resumessurfaceshieldscom or Fax708-226-9848 No agency calls ResumeacutesMUST include salary history to be considered
PROPERTY FOR SALE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
RV PARTS
wwwWINNEBAGOPARTScomParts for all WINNEBAGOITASCA products
including RenaultLeSharo For personalservice at fair prices call 800-933-7742
(641-896-2222 non USA) 8-5 Central M-FParts are our ONLY business
Coachmen Wholesale Parts DepotAn Authorized Coachmen Parts DistributorCall us for all your Coachmen SportscoachShasta needs Courteous experienced staffWholesale Pricing Same Day Service 8-5 EST(866) 412-7936 wwwcoachmenpartscom
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESWANTED
PACKRAT STORAGE mdash Consigns Buys RVsClass A B C Motorhomes
Not Picky Cash for ReferralsNationwide Pickup 1-877-520-MINI
wwwpackratsacom
$ WE BUY $ MOTORHOMESCLEANmdashLOW MILESmdashNO SMOKEPETCASH Payment amp NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader 1-509-993-0321RVs NORTHWEST bull SPOKANE WA
REAL ESTATE
AUSTIN WANTS YOUR RV BUSINESSPerfect 4-acre parcel High Visibility FencedGated 800 sq ft Office Was originally a park-and-ride with spaces for 400+ cars For Sale orLease Partnership considered
(512) 484-7664 or (512) 751-8960
SERVICE TRAINING
INCREASE PROFIT for your service depart-ment Have your people certified as MASTERRV TECHNICIANS Call (941) 722-5256RV SERVICE ACADEMY in PalmettoFlorida wwwrvsanet
Licensed and approved for VA training
Make your
classified ad all
RED
For only $50 moreTank LevelsDC current and voltageGenerator control
AC current and voltageTemperaturesLoad control
Elwood Controls LLC bull infoElwoodControlscomwwwElwoodControlscom bull 561-714-0883
RV BUSINESSMARKETPLACE
For information on Advertising rates writeRV Business Marketplace
PO Box 8510 Ventura CA 93002or call (805) 667-4100
053-RVB CLASS 2007-FEBRUARps 11807 247 PM Page 53
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
RVBusiness FEBRUARY 200754
Cale
ndar OF EVENTS
FEBRUARY 1-4Ocala RV ShowOcala Speedway Ocala Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 7-11Houston RV ShowReliant Center Houston Texas(361) 749-4436 wwwhoustonrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 8-11Flint Camper amp RV ShowPerani Arena amp Event Center Flint Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Edmonton RV Exposition amp SaleNorthlands Park Agricom amp SportexEdmonton Alberta Canada(780) 455-8562 wwwrvda-albertaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Seattle RV amp Outdoor Recreation ShowQwest Field amp Event Center Seattle Wash(425) 277-8132 wwwmhrvshowscom
FEBRUARY 8-11MinneapolisSt Paul RV Vacation ampCamping Show Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis(800) 848-6247 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 8-11West Palm Beach RV ShowSouth Florida Fairgrounds W Palm Beach Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 8-11Valley Forge RV Show amp SaleValley Forge Convention Plaza King of PrussiaPenn (888) 303-2887 wwwvfrvshowcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Cincinnati RV Super ShowWall 2 Wall Sports Complex Mason Ohio(941) 827-7144 wwwrvexponet
FEBRUARY 9-11NC RV Camping ShowNC State Fairgrounds Raleigh NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 9-11Colorado Springs RV Sport amp Outdoor ShowPhil Long Expo Center Colorado Springs(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 9-11Topeka Boat amp Outdoor ShowKansas Expo Centre Topeka Kansas(800) 756-4788 wwwrjpromotionscom
FEBRUARY 14-18Detroit Camper amp RV ShowRock Financial Showplace Novi Mich(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 14 - 18Allegheny Sport Travel amp Outdoor ShowPittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville Penn(216) 529-1300 wwwsportandtravelcom
FEBRUARY 14-18Des Moines SportshowIowa Events Center Des Moines Iowa (800) 985-2402 wwwdesmoinessportshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-18Chicago RV Camping amp Boat ShowDonald E Stephens Convention CenterRosemont Ill(847) 934-8300 wwwchicagorvshowcom
FEBRUARY 15-19Northeast RV ShowRockland Community College Field HouseSuffern New York(845) 343-2772 wwwrocklandexpocom
FEBRUARY 15-18Kansas Sports Boat amp Travel ShowKansas Coliseum Wichita Kansas(303) 892-6800 wwwbigasalloutdoorscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Clark County RV ShowClark County Fairgrounds Exhibition HallRidgefield Washington(503) 246-8291wwwoloughlintradeshowscom
FEBRUARY 15-18Calgary Boat and Sportsmenrsquos ShowRoundup Centre Stampede Park CalgaryAlberta Canada(403) 245-9008 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 16-18Granite State Camper amp RV ShowState Armory Manchester NH(207) 865-1196 wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18Maine Camper amp RV ShowPortland Expo Portland Maine(207) 865-1196wwwamericasbestshowscom
FEBRUARY 16-18St Cloud Sportsmenrsquos ShowSt Cloud Civic Center St Cloud Minn(763) 755-8111 wwwcenaikocom
FEBRUARY 16-18The Georgia RV amp Camper ShowThe North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross(770) 279-9899 wwwnorthatlantatradecentercom
FEBRUARY 16-18Knoxville RV amp Boat SupershowKnoxville Convention Center Knoxville Tenn(877) 822-6402wwwoutdoorexpositionscom
FEBRUARY 16-25Indianapolis Boat Sport amp Travel ShowIndiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis Ind(765) 641-7712 wwwrenfroproductionscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Central Florida RV ShowVolusia County Fairgrounds De Land Fla(813) 741-0488 wwwfrvtaorg
FEBRUARY 22-25Las Vegas Sportsmenrsquos Boat RV ampTravel ShowCashman Convention Center Las Vegas Nev(800) 877-3107 wwwagieventscom
FEBRUARY 22-25Ottawa Boat Sportsmenrsquos amp CottageShowLansdowne Park Ottawa Ontario Canada(905) 361-2677 wwwsportshowsca
FEBRUARY 22-25Battle Creek Camper amp RV ShowKellogg Arena Battle Creek Michigan(517) 349-8881 wwwmarvacorg
FEBRUARY 23-25NC RV Camping ShowCharlotte Convention Center Charlotte NC(336) 881-7143 wwwapplerockcom
FEBRUARY 23-25Fredericksburg RV amp Camping ExpoFredericksburg Expo amp Conference CenterFredericksburg Vir (540) 548-5555 wwwfredericksburgexpocentercom
054-RVB_0702_LO_Calendar4ps 11807 249 PM Page 54
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
ldquoInstead of looking for customerswhat if they found yourdquo
The New TrailManor Itrsquos something to see
Visit the TrailManor booth in Louisville and in 3 minutes wersquoll showyou why dealers can sell more than 60 trailers a year at some of thehighest margins in the industry
We have a terrific product A great marketing team And over 1 million names of current RV buyers on ourmailing lists
For your dealer pack and DVD call 1-800-707-7061wwwtrailmanorcom
T h e T r a v e l T r a i l e r T h a t T o w s L i k e A P o p - U p
TRAILMANOR CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD
055-RVB02 PG 55 TRAILMANORps 11507 710 PM Page 55
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Driving GrowthOur goal is to help drive growth for your dealership no matter what thefuture may look like At GE wersquoll tailor financing programs so you can maximize cash flow stock more units and increase your sales
Our financing solutions include
gt inventory financing gt consumer financing gt business credit cardsgt equipment financing gt real estate financing
To find out how to offer consumer financing please call 866-838-0654
To learn more about our inventory and other financing programs call ustoday at (800) 289-4488 or visit us online at wwwgecomcdf
Proud Supporters of
GE CIRCLE 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD
056-RVB02 PG 56 GE COMMERCps 11507 709 PM Page 56
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom
Welcome to our digital edition of RV Business Magazine This for-mat makes it easy for you to navigate the magazine andprovides direct links to Internet sites of our advertisers ourRVBusinesscom Web site and many Web sites to supplement oureditorial features
We recommend a Page Layout view of Continuous - Facing butAdobe Reader provides several options you may prefer
We hope you enjoy reading our Digital RV Business Magazine andwe encourage your comments and suggestions to our editor at
jsullawayaffinitygroupcom
bull Click on the RVBusinesscom button to go directly to our Web site
bull Click on the User Guide button on any page to bring you back to this page
bull Click on the Contents button to take you to the Table of Contents page from anywhere in the magazine
bull When the hand icon changes to a pointing fin-ger it indicates a link to a Web site or to another page inthe magazinebull Use the Zoom tool to zoom in on the page Usethe Zoom-out tool and hold down the option(Macintosh) or Windows key to toggle back and forth bull Click and drag using the Dynamic Zoom tool toinfinitely control the zoom
Here are some tips on how to use Digital RV Business
User Guide ContentsGo Tocom