Parks Set Winter Schedule
Some campgrounds at Washington state parks have closed for the winter, but most are remaining open, giving campers an opportunity to enjoy the parks when they are least crowded.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has posted the winter schedule online at www.parks.wa.gov/park-sched.asp. More than 90 parks are remaining open seven days a week, and another seven are open weekends and holidays. Seventeen parks will1 be closed until March or April. In addition, from now until March 31, Tolmie State Park will be open only Wednesdays through Sundays, and Goldendale Observatory will be open from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Campers may park their RVs or pitch their tents on a first-come, first-served basis at most state parks during the winter. State parks that accept reservations year-round are Cape Disappointment, Gray-land Beach, Fort Columbia, Ocean City, Pacific Beach and Deception Pass. Reservations may be made by calling (888) CAMPOUT. Fort Worden State Park, whose campground is partially open during winter, maintains its own reservation system at (360) 344-4400.

Monaco Acquires R-Vision
Monaco Coach Corpor-ation of Coburg, Oregon, has reached an agreement to buy R-Vision, an Indiana-based manufacturer of travel trailers, fifth wheels and motorhomes, for approximately $60 million.

R-Vision builds Trail-Lite towables and is particularly strong in the lightweight trailer market. It also builds utility trailers and specialty trailers for transporting automobiles, racecars, motorcycles and horses.

Monaco said the acquisition will add from $200 million to $220 million in sales and 13 to 16 cents a share in earnings in 2006. Monaco said Denny Bailey will continue as president of R-Vision and Craig Swisher will continue as president of R-Vision’s Specialty Products Group.

Earlier, Monaco announced it would eliminate about 225 jobs after posting a net loss of $6 million for the quarter that ended October 1. The company said concerns about the economy, fuel prices and interest rates have especially impacted the market for low-end diesel and high-end gas motorhomes. Even though Monaco improved its share of the market in Class A motorhomes, fifth wheels and travel trailers, revenue for the quarter slipped to $297 million from $358 million a year ago.

“Overall, we are disappointed with our financial results for the quarter and in light of the current and expected markets we are committed to make the required changes in our company in an effort to return it to profitability,” said Monaco Coach Chairman and CEO Kay Toolson. Reducing the non-production workforce by 17 percent will save $8 million. Cost-saving initiatives and revenues of $300 million to $310 million should enable Monaco to break even in the fourth quarter, the company said.

Third quarter results included a one-time net of tax charge of $1.6 million relating to the closure of the Royale Coach bus conversion facility, and pre-tax charges of $1.5 million related to the relocation of Beaver manufacturing in Oregon from Bend to Coburg.

Hotel Opens to Horses Only
Equestrian visitors to northern Nevada now have a horse hotel where they can park their horses. Wynema Ranch, just north or Reno, provides horse stalls for $20 a day or $150 a month, but human guests must stay in their own RV or trailer. The ranch is surrounded by miles of open and forested land for riding. For information, call the Wynema Ranch at (775) 233-4133.

Camping World Awards Prize
Terry Gates of Hammond, Louisiana, has won the grand prize in the “Live Free in Your RV” sweepstakes conducted by Camping World stores. The $20,000 prize package included $5,000 in RV and car insurance, $5,000 worth of gasoline, $5,000 toward RV payments, $1,000 in Cracker Barrel gift certificates and $2,000 in spending money.

Historic Park to Be Upgraded
The National Park Service has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Ward Charcoal Ovens Historic Park to improve its campground and visitor area 15 miles south of Ely in eastern Nevada. The park contains six beehive-shaped, 30-foot high ovens that were built in 1873 to produce charcoal to fuel silver smelters. The grant will be used to renovate campsites, install fire rings and picnic tables, and make other improvements.

Thor Reports Sales Gains
Thor Industries, the largest manufacturer of recreation vehicles and mid-size buses, reported record sales of $2.5 billion for the fiscal year ending July 31, and said fiscal 2006 has started strongly with RV sales up 21 percent in August and September.

The company reported an RV backlog of $398 million as of September 30, a 60 percent gain over the figure a year ago. Part of the increase is attributable to orders for trailers to house victims of Hurricane Katrina.

For the fiscal year ending July 31, net income reached $121.7 million, a 15 per cent increase over the prior year. Wade F.B. Thompson, Thor chairman, said, “This record performance far surpasses any other company in our business.” He noted that motorhome sales have been soft for the past several months, but that shipments of towables, which account for about 68 percent of Thor’s revenues, are up industrywide about 2 per cent through August of this year.

Thor brands include Aerolite, Airstream, Cross-Roads, Damon, Dutchmen, Four Winds, Keystone and Komfort.

Workhorse Produces Sport Chassis
Workhorse Custom Chassis has introduced a new limited-edition super sport chassis (SSC) option for 2006 motorhome customers who want extra power and higher performance. Workhorse says the SSC can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in only 25.4 seconds. The suspension and handling have been enhanced with a rear track bar and performance-tuned Bilstein shocks. The W Series platform is powered by a Vortec 8.1L gas engine.

The SSC chassis is available to all motorhome manufacturers and can be requested through RV dealers on new motorhome purchases. Suggested retail price of the SSC package is $3,579.

Coast Opens New Center
Coast Distribution System, which is one of North America’s largest suppliers of parts and accessories for RVs and pleasure boats, has opened a new distribution center in Visalia, California, that occupies 190,000 square feet. The new center is twice the size of the building it replaced. The company says it needs the extra space to accommodate products imported from overseas.

Hurricanes Boosts Sales
Drew Industries, a leading supplier of components for recreation vehicles and manufactured housing, says sales, which were weak in July, picked up in September and October, aided by new products, gains in market share, and unprecedented orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The company noted that FEMA has ordered as many as 100,000 travel trailers and 25,000 manufactured homes as temporary housing for hurricane victims. Drew shipped from $6 million to $8 million in FEMA-related orders in the last 15 days of its fiscal third quarter, ending September 30, and expects $20 million in FEMA-related sales in the fourth quarter. The company earned $9.8 million in the third quarter on record net sales of $171 million.

Elko Offers Brochure
The Elko Convention & Visitors Authority has created a new brochure, “Adventures on the Edge,” that lists locations for hunting, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, biking, horseback riding, scenic tours and more in northeastern Nevada. The guide includes maps of the area. It was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Commission on Tourism, Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Department of Wildlife. To order a copy, visit www.exploreElko.com.