Extreme RVs Airing Lights Up ShowHauler’s Site

ShowHauler Super Class C Super Class C motorhome builder ShowHauler Inc., Middlebury, Ind., has seen traffic on its website (www.showhauler.com) jump more than 2,000% since Jan. 29 after one of its custom-built units was featured on a segment of the Travel Channel’s ”Extreme RVs” program. ”We usually get 100 to 150 hits a day on our website,” said Show Hauler Sales Manager Lonnie Troyer. ”The first day after the program was on TV, we got 3,300 hits. I’ve... Read more

Family Tree RV Brand Looks to Grow Franchises

A northern Illinois-based RV-dealership buying group moved ahead in mid-January with a plan to sell a new kind of RV dealership franchise. Family Tree RV Franchise Brand Management Inc., headed by Tom Enyeart, owner of Shabonnah Creek RV in Atkinson, Ill., has solicited 400 RV dealerships to purchase franchises. Enyeart said the goal of the group, which is asking franchisees to pay a $49,900 annual fee and to make a minimum two-year commitment, is to ”level the playing field” with... Read more

Look Trailers Resurrects Pace American Brand

Pace American Journey trailer Look Trailers Inc., Middlebury, Ind., this week closed on the purchase of the former Pace American cargo-trailer factory in Middlebury, putting the last cog in place to resurrect the Pace American brand name. In what can be taken as another signal that northern Indiana’s manufacturing hub is recovering from the recent economic malaise, Look Trailers over the next year or so plans to add 100 people to its 120-member work force to build Pace American and Look cargo... Read more

Breckenridge President Tim Howard Set to Retire

Tim Howard Tim Howard, founder and president of Thor Industries Inc.’s Breckenridge Division, a recreational park trailer builder in Nappanee, Ind., will retire Feb. 1. Howard announced his retirement Wednesday (Jan. 5) in an e-mail to about 150 friends and business associates. ”I’ve been in the industry since 1977 in one way or the other,” Howard told RVBUSINESS.com. ”It’s wonderful to be able to go do things that I want to do. The industry has given me a wonderful... Read more

Peterson Rolls Out 31-Foot Excel Winslow Fiver

Peterson Industries' Excel Winslow fith-wheel Peterson Industries Inc. has introduced its third 31-foot Excel Winslow fifth-wheel floorplan with a design focus on an extra-large bathroom and a true island kitchen. “The strength of the Winslow line is in the 31-foot range,” said Bryan Tillett, president of the Smith Center, Kan., towable manufacturer. ”A lot of our buyers are getting older in years, but they still want to full-time or at least be winter snowbirds. They can have... Read more

Riverside Trailer Offers Stacked Rear Bedrooms

Kids room in Riverside's travel trailer Peru, Ind.-based RV manufacturer Riverside Travel Trailers Inc. for 2012 has introduced a double-slide, 36-foot drop-frame travel trailer floorplan (32LOFTRB) with a pair of stacked rear bedrooms — one for kids with 49-inch ceilings and an upper loft with a slideout that has 6 feet of headroom for adults. ”It’s like a backward fifth-wheel,” said Mark Gerber, Riverside vice president of sales and finance. ”You step down to... Read more

Startup Campsmart.com Strives to Link Markets

A fledgling Elkhart, Ind., company is creating a free website — campsmart.com — with the goal of connecting campgrounds, consumers, RV manufacturers, dealers and suppliers. ‘There is a disconnect that exists between dealers and campgrounds and manufacturers and campgrounds,” said Mark Lucas, president of Campsmart LLC. ”They all are good at what they do, but nobody has been making a non-brand specific effort to bring everything together. ”With an industry... Read more

Yellowstone Debuts Ridgeline Executive Fiver

Yellowstone Ridgeline Executive interior Yellowstone RV LLC, Nappanee, Ind., has introduced the high-line Ridgeline Executive Series fifth-wheel with up to five slideouts. Available in 37- and 38-foot floorplans, the Ridgeline Executive Series features increased storage, a walk-around King bedroom and residential-style kitchen and livingroom. ”Instead of creating another brand and the confusion that goes along with that, we’ve extended the Ridgeline brand,” said Ken Geljack, general... Read more

Freightliner to Debut High-Horsepower Chassis

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC), Gaffney, S.C., will introduce a high-end tag-axle chassis with an engine new to the RV industry at the 49th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky. ”It’s going to be a high-horsepower chassis,” said Jonathan Randall, FCCC director of sales and marketing. ”It is going to be for high-end Class A coaches with a powertrain (engine) that people will be familiar with in the bus business or shell conversions.” While declining... Read more

Forest River Expects $500M Open House Sales

Dealers gather at Forest River open house With total attendance of ”just under 3,000” dealership personnel, Elkhart-based Forest River Inc. is expecting to garner $500 million in wholesale sales from Elkhart County’s 4th Annual RV Open House Week, Sept. 19-23 in and around the RV-building center of Elkhart, Ind. “Tuesday and Wednesday were exactly what we thought they would be,” said Jeff Babcock, general manager of Forest River’s motorized operations, including... Read more

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