Washington Calendar for 2007 Available Now
The 2007 Washington State Parks calendar, which features spectacular photographs of parks around the state, is now on sale to raise money for the care and maintenance of state parks.

The cover is a winter scene of Emerald Island on Lake Wenatchee. Other photographs show the Point Wilson lighthouse at Fort Worden State Park, an aerial view of Fidalgo Island and the Deception Pass bridge, historic buildings at Fort Simcoe, and an orca breaching the water off the coast of Lime Kiln Point State Park. The calendar contains the work of Washington photographers Mary Liz Austin, Brandon Cole, Terry Donnelly, John Marshall, Michael Sedam, Kirkendall-Spring and Jamie and Judy Wild. The calendar sells for $12.95 and can be purchased at www.parks.wa.gov/specialoffers.

Voters Approve Parking Limits
Voters in Lakewood, California, approved two measures in November that will prohibit the parking of RVs on city streets except while they are being loaded or unloaded. The measures passed by a 2 to 1 margin.

Under the new system that will go into effect on July 1, 2007, residents will be able to obtain city permits to park on the street for one to three days while loading or unloading their motorhome or trailer. The citation for parking without a valid permit will be $40 per day. The Lakewood City Council put the measures on the ballot after some residents complained that parked RVs were creating traffic problems on the city’s narrow streets.

Anchorage Offers Podcasts
The Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau has a new tool to capture the interest of tourists—videos online that depict the city’s winter Fur Rendezvous, the July 4th celebration, and other activities in the city.

The videos can be accessed at the tourist bureau’s podcast Web site either for viewing online or to be downloaded to an iPod. The Web address is www.49threel.com.

Dynamax, Conquest, CrossRoads Gain Sales
Dynamax, Conquest and CrossRoads RV are reporting remarkable gains in sales this year.

Dynamax says its motorhome sales rose more than 46 percent in the first half of this year while many motorhome builders were reporting sales declines. Conquest, a builder of Class C motorhomes, said its retail sales grew 16 percent in September after an August in which it had its largest shipping month in two years. Conquest Motorhomes is a division of Gulf Stream Coach.

Meanwhile CrossRoads RV, which builds fifth wheels and travel trailers, reports that it is continuing to experience explosive growth, with sales doubling the last two years. The growth has propelled the company into the top 25 brands in travel trailers and the number four position in fifth wheels. To keep up with demand, the number of employees has grown from 75 in 2003 to 425 today. CrossRoads RV, which is based in Topeka, Indiana, was purchased by Thor Industries in 2004.

New Owner to Refurbish RV Resort
Sands RV and Golf Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, is undergoing a $500,000 improvement project after being acquired by American Pacific Holdings. The 521-space RV resort is getting a new fleet of golf carts for its nine-hole golf course and some RV sites are being reconfigured to accommodate larger rigs.

In addition, American Pacific is setting up a park model dealership at the resort to sell 400-square-foot park models manufactured by Dutch Park Homes of Goshen, Indiana, and Laurel Creek Homes of Phoenix, Arizona.

Winnebago Reports Earnings
Winnebago Industries ended its 2006 fiscal year with a decline in earnings, but, “We remained solidly profitable,” said Chairman and CEO Bruce Hertzke. The company earned $44 million on revenues of $864.4 million, despite a revenue decrease of nearly 13 per cent.

The company said it gained market share in Class C motorhomes, with strong sales for the diesel-powered Winnebago View and Itasca Navion, but sales were soft for higher-priced models. Hertzke said a decline in fuel prices and a pause in interest rate hikes will help the economic picture, though motorhome sales may remain soft in the immediate future.

Company Offers Extended Service
RVProtection.net, based in Mill Creek, Washington, is offering extended service plans on recreation vehicles to shield RV owners from the high cost of repairs.

The service extends warranty coverage after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. Scott Stevens, chief executive officer of RVProtection.net, said, “The essence of our market is consumers who seek out protection and understand the value that our products represent. As a privately held company, our growth is solely dependent on our industry relations, our consumer satisfaction and the strength of our products.”

Before buying an extended warranty, Stevens said, consumers should determine what is covered, what deductibles apply, where the work can be performed, whether inspections are required and if the contract is transferable. More information is available at the Web site, RVProtection.net, or by calling (877) 248-8265.

Nevada Seeks Tourism Director
The Nevada Commission on Tourism has appointed Larry Friedman to serve as interim director of the agency until a successor is found for Bruce Bommarito, who resigned to become a vice president of the Travel Industry Association in Washington, D.C.

Friedman is the commission’s rural programs senior manager, overseeing programs that award grants to rural communities for tourism promotion. Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, who chairs the commission, will head a search committee to find a successor to Bommarito. The commission will choose three finalists and submit their names to the governor, who will make the appointment.