Host Ind. Taps Foreign Market, Enriches ’13 Line

Host Industries Inc., a niche builder of high-end custom truck campers and 4-wheel drive Class C coaches, is looking to leverage an unsolicited demand for its products in the international market that surfaced during the past year.

“People found us,” stated Randall Pozzi, general manager for the Bent, Ore.-based company. “It’s because our products are unique and we are able to custom-build to meet their needs. We’ve been approached by dealers and consumers alike.”

Pozzi reported that Host shipped four units in 2011 to individual buyers in Australia, China and Germany. But he said the company is looking to expand its overseas presence this year to bolster domestic sales.

“Like everyone in the industry, it’s been tough for the past few years, especially being in such a specialized, upper-end market,” Pozzi said. “We’re beginning to see that market come back, but we also are looking to capitalize on that experience we gained shipping those units overseas. We have a few deals in the works and are hoping to build our international sales.”

Pozzi said that one of the challenges is being knowledgeable in the varying codes that are required by different countries. “Lots of items change for overseas shipment, like voltage, wiring, receptacles, LP gas, tail lights, TVs and antennas,” he said.

The 11-year-old company, founded by Jim Hogue and Frank Storch whose fathers pioneered the legendary Beaver brand, built its name on high-quality construction and the ability to accommodate custom requests by buyers.

All of Host’s campers feature multiple slides and 8-foot-wide floors, along with roomy, comfortable interiors. Motor coaches, which are not part of Host’s international plans at this point, are built on Ford F550 crew cab chassis and are designed to handle most terrains.

Pozzi reported that 2013 models would offer several new luxury amenities while also addressing a growing demand for “green” products.

As part of its new lineup, Host is including an all-LED lighting package, insulated windows with Solar Cool glass, pleated shades for better insulation and either a 145-watt or 290-watt solar power system.

Keying in on the trend toward residential amenities, Host has added an upgraded stereo, including a 10-inch subwoofer with a built-in amplifier, and an outside entertainment center featuring a 12-volt, 22-inch flat screen TV with a built-in DVD. Host’s standard camper furnace is now 30,000 Btu.

Interiors will feature four fabrics, four selections of ultra-leather, two countertop colors and two flooring options. Two cabinet colors will also be offered with three door-style options.

“Whether you’re retired and live in your RV most of the year, or you use it for short trips and vacations, you deserve the high quality, durable construction and creature comforts of a Host RV,” said Pozzi. “We may not be the biggest in the industry, but we are definitely among the best.”

For more information, visit www.hostcampers.com or call 541-330-2328.

 

Truck Camper Niche Market Grows in Popularity

One of the smallest segments of the recreational vehicle industry is having a steady year, according to a report in the Goshen News.

Truck campers, which slide into the back of pickup trucks, are just ahead of van campers in annual shipments from manufacturers as reported by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). Actual number of sales are hard to come by as states don’t require truck campers to be registered like a towable. But voluntary reporting to RVIA by some of the 17 truck camper manufacturers show 2,200 such units were shipped to dealers in 2010.

Why buy truck camper? Because pickups are plentiful in both Canada and the United States, according to several manufacturers that displayed product at last week’s National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky.

“In both Canada and the United States, much of the market is on both the East Coast and West Coast,” said Keith Donkin, general manager for Northern Lite in Kelowna, British Columbia, the sole remaining pickup truck camper manufacturer in Canada. “Probably because there is more fishing and hunting on the coasts.”

One of the main advantages of pickup campers for sportsmen, according to Donkin, is they can also pull their boat trailer or another type of trailer while their pickup is loaded with the camper.

Northern Lite is known for its two-piece fiberglass shell. That shell is joined by a two-inch overlay around the camper in a similar fashion as some fiberglass boats.

The Goshen News reported that modern pickup campers feature all the amenities of larger travel trailers, just in a more compact package. Pickup campers have slide-out kitchens and dinettes, queen size beds, furnaces, insulated windows and bathrooms, some with combined showers. Northern Lite’s largest model is 10 feet, 2 inches long.

Consumers also like the quick loading and off-load times made possible by electronic jacks and quick-release tiedowns, Donkin said.

Donkin and his competitor, Mark Hovanec at Lance Camper Manufacturing Corp., Lancaster, Calif., believe the popularity of pickup campers is destined to climb.

“I think the trend people are seeing is a lot of baby boomers are downsizing their motorhomes and fifth-wheels and going into truck campers for driveability and ease of parking,” Donkin said.

Hovanec likened the trend to the Airstream trailer trend in the 1950s and 1960s. Those units were very popular, then slipped for decades, and have now rebounded.

“They were American as apple pie for so long, then there were other options in the RV industry,” Hovanec said of pickup campers. “But I think it will be like Airstream and have a resurgence.”

He believes pickup campers also offer a better camping experience, one where participants feel closer to nature than when they are housed in a luxury fifth-wheel or trailer.

“As the marketing guy,” he said, “I think we are going to see a resurgence in the devotion to our love of this product over the next couple of years.”

Many of the pickup campers in North America are made by Travel Lite in New Paris. Dustin Johns, vice president of the company, brought five pickup campers to the Louisville show this year. He was kept running all morning answering questions about the company’s new “idea” travel trailer, a new product that is a departure from the pickup campers. Still, Johns said the pickup camper market is steady, stable and important.

“The truck campers are holding their own,” he said. “They are more of a niche market, so we don’t expect to pull the numbers as other units. But that’s OK.”

Asked why Travel Lite is moving into the new area, Johns said, “Truck campers are a slow and steady thing for us. Our dealers do a good job for us but we want to grow.”

 

Lance Camper’s New Travel Trailer Grows Sales

The new 1575 travel trailer from Lance Camper Manufacturing Corp. has proven to be a popular favorite for both dealers and consumers, according to a press release.

The 1575 is one of the newest in the Lance travel trailer lineup. With a length of just over 15 feet, it features a residential queen size bed, Lance’s “Super-Slideout” dinette and a dry bath. According to Lance, the interior is open and “feels even more spacious with several large windows.”

“This model offers a lot of value in an RV,” says Gary Conley, national sales manager for Lancaster, Calif.-based Lance. “Add to that the small size, and it’s no surprise it’s become an overnight success.”

The 1575 sleeps four and has a dry weight of just 2,480 pounds making it an easy tow for many of today’s smaller SUVs and light-duty pickups.

For more information, contact Norm Jacobson at 661-949-3322 or email at NormJ@LanceCamper.com.

 

Livin’ Lite Expands Camplite Truck Camper Line

Livin’ Lite Recreational Vehicles LLC has expanded its Camplite truck camper line with the new 6.8 model designed specifically for short bed, half-ton trucks.

According to a press release, the new model is a self-contained unit with all the amenities of a much larger truck camper while still fitting into a 6-foot, 6-inch bed with no overhang. The 6.8 Camplite truck camper also includes a unique exterior garage area that can hold a small generator and a number of other tools and items on its hanging rack system.

Other introductions by the Wakarusa, Ind.-based builder scheduled for the 49th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., include:

• A new “Orbit” profile on the popular Camplite travel trailer series, which combines a painted exterior metal to “form a one-of-a-kind exterior look” in an ultra-lightweight camper.

• A “wood look” interior package featuring Azdel composites. The cabinetry is still framed with welded, tubular aluminum and the cabinet doors are still made of aluminum, but the faces feature Azdel with a wood-grain pattern. President Scott Tuttle noted, “While our all-aluminum construction remains the foundation of our long-lasting, ultra-lightweight design, we have had some customers ask for a richer interior look that only wood can provide.”

 

Travel Lite Launches Super Lite Truck Camper

Travel Lite Inc., New Paris, Ind., has introduced the entry-level Travel Lite 770 Super Lite truck camper that uses an exotic wood from South America to cut down on the weight. ”We’ve use banack wood in the sidewalls, which dramatically reduces the weight,” said Dustin Johns, vice president of the family owned company founded in 1998. ”We also looked at the overall applications. That helped us strip the weight out to make it easily compatible for half-ton trucks.” With a base dry weight of 1,335 pounds, the 770 Super Lite is 12 feet long and 7 feet wide and can be mounted on any full size pickup truck, including those with 5 1/2-foot short beds. ”It works with all full size trucks,” Johns said, noting that with a base MSRP of $7,995, the Travel Lite 770 Super Lite should appeal to those in the market for a used camper. The Super Lite 770 includes a wardrobe, porta-potti, icebox (or optional fridge), cabinets with maple doors over the stainless steel sink and two-burner stove and convertible dinette. Johns reported the company also intends to introduce its first travel trailer series in the near future. ”We have ramped up for it and are very excited for the launch of our new ultra-lite travel trailer line” Johns said.

Kaddy Kruiser Unveils Thunder Truck Camper

Topeka, Ind.-based Kaddy Kruiser RV introduces the new “Thunder” truck camper. This high-end truck camper comes complete with with gel coat fiberglass exterior, a dinette and refrigerator full wall slideout, dry bath with toilet, sink and shower and a fully enclosed basement with a long storage drawer, according to a news release. For all-seasons use, the fresh water and waste tanks are fully enclosed and kept warm by the ducted heating system. The bed area in the cabover includes a padded bedroom ceiling, 60-inch-by-80-inch mattress, night stands, reading lights, wardrobe cabinets and deep foot lockers. The kitchen features hardwood stained maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a double-bowl sink with high-rise faucet and pantry. It also comes s andard with an AM/FM/CD/DVD Player with IPod docking station with indoor and outdoor speakers. More storage is provided with slide out drawers and exterior storage under the dinette seats. This  model is designed for a short box truck but will soon be available for a long box truck. MSRP: $25,900.

Chalet RV Introduces Triple-Slide Truck Camper

A-frame folding camping trailer manufacturer Chalet RV Inc., Albany, Ore., has been aggressively expanding its product offerings. That was made apparent at last week’s 47th Annual National RV Trade show, where the company unveiled a triple-slide truck camper and a small fifth-wheel. Chalet president Chris Hanson calls the company’s new truck camper a “modular Class C.” ”All you have to buy is the power unit (pickup truck),” Hanson said. The 11 1/2-foot camper, with a base retail of $37,799, is equipped with opposing slideouts and a third that comes off the back of the unit, creating a true Class C feel. At the show, Chalet also introduced the 21 1/2-foot Takena5 fifth-wheel with a single galley slideout for a base retail price of $14,900. A 19-foot fifth-wheel is in development.

RVIA: May Wholesale RV Deliveries Match April’s

Total RV deliveries to retailers were 13,300 units in May this year, the same total recorded one month earlier but off 46.8% from this same month last year, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) reported today (June 26).

Motorhome totals were slightly better than the previous month, while towables were slightly less.  On a seasonally adjusted basis, May’s total represented an annual rate of 141,000 units, an increase of 7.5% over last month.

Year-to-date, totals have now reached 57,000 units through May, off 59% compared to this same period last year.  While all vehicle types are lower this year than last, Class A motorhomes continue to experience the largest percentage decline.

By segment the May report had these additional findings:

• 7,900 travel trailers, off 41.5%.
• 2,700 fifth-wheels, down 55%.
• 1,300 folding camping trailers, off 43.5%.
• 200 truck campers, down 60%.
• 400 Class A motorhomes, down 66.7%.
• 700 Class C motorhomes, a 46.2% decline.
• 100 Class B motorhomes, off 50%.

Curtin: ’09 Wholesale Shipments to Total 136,500

The ongoing recession and tight credit will continue to affect RV sales in 2009, according to the latest research of economist Richard Curtin, director of Consumer Surveys at the University of Michigan.

In his Summer issue of Roadsigns, which is prepared for members of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), Curtin said RV shipments are expected to decline to 136,500 units this year. While this estimate is well below his forecast of  186,600 issued last November, it is a slight improvement from his forecast that appeared in the Spring 2009 Issue of Roadsigns, when he estimated total shipments this year would retreat to 130,100 units 

Curtin will expand upon his latest forecast as one of the featured speakers at RVIA’s Committee Week, which gets underway today in Washington, D.C.

“They (shipments) reached a lowpoint in the first quarter of 2009, and can be expected to begin posting small seasonally adjusted gains in the balance of 2009 and into 2010,” Curtin stated. First-quarter shipments totaled 30,400, off 63% from the first quarter of 2008.

“The gains will be focused on conventional travel trailers during the next year or so, although all types of RVs will improve,” he said.

Further, he stated, “The recession is expected to end by the close of 2009 due to the favorable impact of the stimulus package and the revival of more normal credit conditions. Unfortunately, the recovery is expected to be abnormally slow.  The economic outlook still remains quite uncertain, which has clouded prospects for the RV industry as well.”

“The pace of the recovery in RV sales,” Curtin continued, “will be slowed by the shift in priorities among consumers away from spending and toward debt repayment and the building of savings and reserve funds, including their diminished retirement accounts. Although credit will not be as free-flowing as in the past, RV buyers are excellent credit risks and can be expected to return to the market.”

By segment, Curtin offered these shipments forecasts for 2009:

• Travel trailers, 82,600.
• Fifth-wheels, 29,500.
• Folding camping trailers, 10,900.
• Truck campers, 2,000.
• Class A motorhomes, 5,400.
• Class B motorhomes, 900.
• Class C motohomes, 5,200.

Uncertainty Clouds RV Forecast

Curtin concluded with the observation that his forecast bears some uncertainty. He said, “When the economy finally reaches the bottom of its cycle, the initial phase of the recovery is typically anticipated to be as rapid as the descent into recession. That’s a natural assumption since it mirrors the typical cyclical pattern of the past.

” The current recession, however, is hardly typical as it involved a virtual freeze of credit markets and the deepest and longest decline in production and income during the past half century. The full restoration of normal credit flows will be a painstakingly slow and uneven process.

“Moreover, the impact of the new financial regulations, which are as yet largely undeveloped, will continue to add uncertainty to financial markets and lenders. While RV shipments are forecast to be 136,500 in 2009, the range about this forecast is unusually large, plus or minus 15%, with a comparable range for all various types of RVs covered in this forecast.”

The University of Michigan also prepares a monthly report on Consumer Confidence, which took a big jump in May, according to the report.

RVIA: February Shipments Trend Upward

 RV shipments to retailers were reported at 10,300 units in the February survey of manufacturers compiled by  the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), an increase of nearly 40% over last month but 63% less  than this same month, one year ago.

Shipments of towables totaled 9,600 units, while motorized shipments totaled 700 units. Seasonally adjusted, February’s results represent an annualized total of more than 120,000 units.

While towable RVs improved in February, moving up 45% compared to shipments of these same products one month earlier, motorhome totals were the same.  Conventional travel trailers represented 60.3% of this month’s total shipments as compared to 54.1% for all of last year.

In particular, February 2009 shipments, compared with February 2008 shipments were as follows:

• Travel trailer shipments totaled 6,200 units, down 58.1%.
• Fifth-wheel shipments totaled 2,400 units, down 64.7%.
• Folding camping trailer shipments totaled 900 units, down 55.0%.
• Truck camp shipments totaled 100 units, down 80%.
• Class A shipments totaled 300, down 83.3%.
• Class C shipments totaled 400 units, down 73.3%.
• Class B shipments were down 64.6%, with less than 100 units shipped.