Ameri-Camp Hopes to Grow Operations

Syracuse, Ind., officials hope industrial growth and new jobs will result by extending utility lines to recreational vehicle builder Ameri-Camp LLC, according to a report in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. During a special town council meeting Tuesday (Aug. 1), the Syracuse Town Council will hear a proposal from the Elkhart County Redevelopment Commission on creating a tax increment finance, or TIF, district for Ameri-Camp, Syracuse Town Manager Jeff Noffsinger said. Ameri-Camp plans a $7.1 million... Read more

Fleetwood Offers Expansion Plan in Ky.

Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. has proposed to local officials buying 20 acres and expanding its travel trailer plant in Campbellsville, Ky., according to a report in the Louisville Courier Journal. The travel trailer factory was designed to produce 450 trailers per quarter but is currently making about 1,000 units. The newspaper reported that the proposed expansion would add 150 jobs to the 219-employee plant, which has an average wage of $12.35 per hour. If approved, the project will allow the company... Read more

Fairmont Debuts Brookwood Park Trailers

Fairmont Park Trailers, a division of Fairmont Homes Inc., debuted the Brookwood line of park trailers in June during a month-long dealer open house. The event coincided with open houses at Fairmont Homes and sister company Gulf Stream Coach Inc. at the company’s complex in Nappanee, Ind. The Brookwood line, priced in the mid to lower end of the market, features several upscale amenities such as Whirlpool appliances, berber carpet, hardwood cabinetry, vinyl thermopane windows and architectural... Read more

Travel Trailers Pump up June Shipments

A robust towable segment again offset declines in motorhome wholesale shipments in June, as the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) reported that overall deliveries were up 11.3% to 37,400 units from 33,600 a year ago. The towable market, driven by a 23.3% increase in June travel trailer shipments, was 15.8% ahead of last year’s pace with 32,200 units delivered compared with 27,800 in 2005. Strength in the towable wholesale sector, however, is not supported by retail sales. According... Read more

RV Learning Center Receives Donations

The RV Learning Center recently received several donations, according to the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA). Contributions include: • The Ron and Lisa Fenech Foundation Inc. donated $25,000 to the RVDA Foundation’s RV Learning Center. “At Keystone RV, we are very committed to improving our customers’ RV experience,” said Ron Fenech, president and CEO of Keystone RV Co., Goshen, Ind. “It is great to be able to support my dealer friends as we work together to improve... Read more

Coachmen Reports 2Q, 6-Month Profits

While “challenging market conditions” pulled down second quarter and six-month revenues for Coachmen Industries Inc., the recreational vehicle and manufactured housing builder showed a profit during both periods compared to net losses a year ago. “In the face of difficult markets, we have put together back-to-back profitable quarters with the successful completion of many of the actions under our Intensive Recovery Plan and improvements in our housing group,” commented Claire Skinner,... Read more

Featherlite Merger Boosts Stock Price

The merger of Featherlite Inc. with a subsidiary of Universal Trailer Holdings Corp. will form “the nation’s premier trailer company” which will be “more than twice as big as the nearest competitor,” according to executives. Conrad Clement, CEO of Featherlite, and Tom Frey, CEO of Cincinnati, Ohio-based Universal Trailer, speaking during a brief press conference Thursday (July 27), expanded upon their planned merger announced earlier in the day. Featherlite said shareholders will receive... Read more

Michigan Campers Migrating to RVing

At Michigan’s Algonac State Park on the St. Clair River, the leviathans of the land meet the leviathans of the lakes. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, thousand-foot freighters rumble by on the river, while a few yards away, a parade of massive recreational vehicles cruises the park access road, checking out the coveted front-row campsites. Visitors to Algonac, and most other Michigan State Parks, have likely noticed a lot more trailers and motorhomes in recent years. In 2001, nearly... Read more

Baird Poll: Dealers Coping in Soft Market

Robert W. Baird & Co., a Milwaukee, Wisc.-based investment firm that regularly tracks the recreational vehicle industry, recently released findings from a survey of 112 dealers designed to gauge dealer sentiment and trends during the second quarter. Results of the company’s “July RV Dealer Survey” showed dealers remain upbeat about the long-term market outlook despite soft retail demand and a slowing in discretionary spending. Other highlights from the Baird report include: • Retail:... Read more

Tiffin Showcases FRED in Allegro Line

Freightliner’s front-engine diesel chassis (FRED) will be available for 2007 on most models of Tiffin Motorhomes Inc.’s previously all-gas Allegro Class A motorhome line. Tiffin debuted the new FRED-powered Allegro, retailing from $102,000, and other 2007 models during the Red Bay, Ala.-based company’s dealer meeting July 16-18 at the Marriott Denver (Col.) Tech Center. The FRED Allegro will be powered by a 5.9-liter, 300-hp Cummins engine. “The front-engine diesel has given RVers... Read more

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