Motorhome Owners Riding Out Gas Price Spike

If he’s running on empty, Bill Phillips easily can spend more than $600 to fill the fuel tank of his 45-foot-long Legendary Prevost motor coach. “It heats up my credit card,” he said. But, according to a report in the Register Guard, Junction City, Ore., Phillips said the high cost of fuel is not about to deter him from seeing the country behind the wheel of his luxury RV, which gets about 6 miles per gallon when he’s towing his Cadillac Escalade. The retired contractor from... Read more

DURA Gains Extension for Reorganization Plan

Auto-parts supplier DURA Automotive Systems Inc. won four more months to draft a reorganization plan without creditor interference. The Associated Press reported that Judge Kevin J. Carey at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., on Wednesday (May 30) extended the company’s exclusive right to propose a Chapter 11 plan through Sept. 30. Carey’s order, which also extends DURA’s exclusive right to solicit creditor support through Nov. 30, said that the extension is “essential... Read more

NPS Online Reservation System Back in Service

The online reservation site for National Park Service (NPS) campgrounds is now back in operation after experiencing a disruption in service last week. According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, all reservation facilities are back online except for four of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s five drive-to horse camps. The problem occurred on the eve of Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial beginning of the summer vacation season. When contacted by RV Business last week, Lynne Beeson, program... Read more

U.S. Economic Growth Stagnant in First Quarter

The economy nearly stalled in the first quarter with growth slowing to a pace of just 0.6% – the worst three-month showing in over four years. The Associated Press reported that the new reading on the gross domestic product, released by the Commerce Department Thursday (May 31), showed that economic growth in the January-through-March quarter was much weaker. Government statisticians slashed by more than half their first estimate of a 1.3% growth rate for the quarter. The main culprits for the... Read more

Winnebago Showcases ‘08 Line at Dealer Days

From the podium and in private, Winnebago Industries Inc. executives urged recreational vehicle retailers attending the company’s Winnebago Dealer Days in May to pay more attention to the scores they give the publicly held, Forest City, Iowa, motorhome builder this year when responding to the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association’s (RVDA) Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey questions. Of particular concern to new Winnebago President Bob Olson in addressing dealers during the May 14-16... Read more

Tennessee RV Making Move to Knoxville Outlet

Tennessee RV will be moving Friday (June 1) into a new 48,000-square-foot facility located off I-40 in Knoxville that will feature a Camping World RV accessories store. According to the retailer, the company will be transporting more than 50 RVs from their current location in nearby Kodak. “We will be moving every motorized RV in stock and as many towables as possible, depending on the number of drivers,” said Jason Rees, Tennessee RV sales manager. Rees said there will be a security escort for... Read more

Cruise America Counters Rising Gasoline Prices

With the start of the summer camping season under way for many Americans, the head of the nation’s leading RV rental firm urges everyone in the RV industry to take a good, hard look at major factors affecting their livelihood – with his major concerns being product perception, overall product quality and political correctness. In an interview with RV Business, Randy Smalley, CEO of Cruise America, said the “perception” of the rental business is that it’s been hurting because of rising fuel... Read more

MotorHome Magazine Lists Top Romantic Parks

MotorHome magazine, a publication dedicated exclusively to the motorized RV lifestyle, has released its selection of the top 10 most romantic RV parks in the nation – just in time for the busy summer travel season. “More than nine million Americans own RVs, and the upcoming summer vacation season is the perfect time for them to succumb to their wanderlust, explore and experience some of the most romantic outdoor destinations,” writes Terri Blazell, author of the 10 Most Romance-Inspiring RV... Read more

Towable Market Drags Down April Shipments

Declines in April towable shipments – in part reflecting a paring down of inventory on dealers’ lots – offset gains in the Class A and Class C motorhome sectors as deliveries fell 8.8% for the month. According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), April shipments decreased to 34,300 units compared with 37,600 in 2006. For the first four months, wholesale deliveries dropped 13.9% to 127,900 units from 148,500 the previous year. April travel trailer shipments continued to reflect... Read more

Consumer Confidence Bounces Back in May

Consumer confidence bounced back unexpectedly in May, helped by optimism about the job market even as shoppers’ concerns about gasoline price-driven inflation increased. The Associated Press reported that the New York-based Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 108.0 in May, up from a revised 106.3 in April. Analysts had expected the reading to fall to 104.5. The May reading was the highest since March when the index was at 108.2. “The short-term outlook remains... Read more

Next Page »