Western RV, Pilgrim Merge
Monomoy Capital Partners, which acquired Western Recreational Vehicles last year, has agreed to merge Western RV, whose products include Alpine Coach, with Pilgrim International, which builds travel trailers and fifth wheels.

The new company will continue to operate Western RV’s plant in Yakima, Washington, and Pilgrim’s facilities in Middlebury, Indiana. The combined company, which will have 750 employees, will be headquartered in Indiana. Dave Hoefer, a co-founder of Dutchmen Manufacturing, Four Winds International and Pilgrim, will be chairman of the board; Pilgrim President Steve Bennett will become president and chief operating officer, and Richard Fish, an operating partner with Monomoy, will be CEO.

“This merger is a very positive step for the combined organizations, its business partners and customers,” Bennett said. “Monomoy will provide substantial capital and management expertise for the merger and help us be more competitive in western U.S. markets.”

Pilgrim in its fifth year in existence has become the 15th largest manufacturer of travel trailers and fifth wheels. Western RV, which was founded 36 years ago, builds Alpine motorhomes and Alpenlite fifth wheels and truck campers.

Monaco to Consolidate Plants
Monaco Coach Corporation is closing a factory in Elkhart, Indiana, and moving production of Holiday Rambler and McKenzie fifth wheels and travel trailers to its Wakarusa and Warsaw, Indiana, facilities. The company said it is reviewing alternatives for the 260,000-square-foot plant that is being vacated.

Elkhart employees will be eligible to transfer to the new production lines. The move is expected to be completed by the end of October.

Cell Phone Rules Listed
The Consumer Electronics Association is providing online information on state laws governing the use of cell phones while driving. Some states ban the use of hand-held phones entirely, others impose more limited restrictions, and some offer no regulation at all. You can find out which regulations and penalties apply in each state by logging onto www.digitaldriver.org/roadrules.htm.

RV Companies Reap Media Attention
TV host Bob Barker arrived at the Emmys in a Fleetwood motorhome; CBS is sending a Winnebago across the country to dispense prizes this summer, and PBS has made a Tropi-Cal motorhome a central feature of its outreach to young people.

Fleetwood has been supplying prizes to “The Price is Right” for 20 years and offered the show’s most valuable prize ever, a Fleetwood Terra LX, valued at more than $100,000, on the last show hosted by Barker before his retirement June 15. Then, as a finale, a Fleetwood Discovery diesel motorhome chauffeured Barker and the show’s models to the Daytime Emmy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

A 2008 Winnebago Destination is being used to take CBS staff members across the country to award vacation prizes to viewers of “The Early Show.” Tropi-Cal loaned a motorhome for use in the PBS documentary series “Generation Next,” to gather opinions from 16 to 24-year-olds on their values, ambitions and concerns. Young people were invited to come inside the motorhome and record their thoughts at a Webcam station.

Web Site Lists Scenic Drives
FirestoneLegendaryDrives.com is a new interactive online travel site that guides travelers to scenic drives. The site’s home page contains a map of the U.S. Click on a state and you will be directed to a list of scenic drives with directions and descriptions. Viewers are invited to post photos to illustrate the drives.

The site also includes a comprehensive list of auto museums in each state, and suggests restaurants to try. You can view the site at www.FirestoneLegendayDrives.com.

Sacajawea Center Dedicated
The newly renovated Sacajawea Interpretive Center has been opened at Sacajawea State Park, which is off Highway 12, about five miles southeast of Pasco at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers in Washington.

The center features displays that tell the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition and highlight the experiences of Sacagawea, the young Shoshone Indian woman who accompanied the expedition. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until Nov. 1, when it is closed for the season.

Monaco Offers Free Fuel
Monaco Coach Corporation is offering a Visa card with up to $500 in free fuel with purchase of an eligible Holiday Rambler or McKenzie travel trailer, fifth wheel or toy hauler. The promotion applies to certain 2007 and 2008 models. It runs through Aug 31.

Lippert Acquires Coach Step
Lippert Components, a subsidiary of Drew Industries of White Plains, New York, has acquired Coach Step, a manufacturer of patented electric steps for motorhomes. The purchase price was about $3 million. Lippert plans to shift production from the Coach Step factory in Forth Worth, Texas, to its facilities in Indiana.

Spartan Splits Stock
Spartan Motors, which builds chassis for motorhomes and emergency-rescue vehicles, has split its stock again after reporting record results in 2006 and the first quarter of 2007. Spartan had a 3-for-2 stock split last December and again this summer. The company, which is based in Charlotte, Michigan, earned a record $7.2 million on $142.9 million in net sales in the first quarter of 2007.