Dealers Honor RV Companies
The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) has presented its 2006 Quality Circle Award to four companies: Monaco Coach Corpora-tion, Roadtrek by Home & Park Motorhomes, Tiffin Motor Homes and Winnebago Industries.

The award is given to companies that earn high ratings in the association’s annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey in four categories: sales support, product competitiveness, service/warranty/support, and management. The award is based on 15 or more dealer evaluations. This year, Nu Wa Industries received a Special Recognition award because it earned a high score but with fewer than 15 dealer evaluations.

The RVDA is a national association of RV retailers, whose members include dealers, rental operators and after-market sales and service locations.

Jayco Tour Wins Honor
The Jayco factory in Middlebury, Indiana, is featured in a new book, Watch It Made in the USA, that lists the best factory tours in the U.S.

The Jayco tour begins with a short video on the history of the company followed by a visit to the sewing department, where most of Jayco’s furniture is made. Then, visitors are escorted down the fifth wheel production line, where Jayco produces its Designer, Eagle and Recon models. The new edition of Watch It Made in the USA lists 300 factory tours selected by authors Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg, a husband and wife team who visit companies throughout the country.

Forest River Forms Unit
Forest River, an RV manufacturer that is part of the Berkshire Hathaway group, has announced the formation of a new financing division in partnership with Textron Financial Corporation. The new division will provide dealers with dedicated lines of credit.

The financing program is designed to reduce dealers’ floor plan interest expenses and increase sales of Forest River Products. Quarterly rebate checks will be given to dealers for Forest River products that are financed through Forest River Financial Services and sold within 90 days.

New RV Company Opens
RV’S is a new company in Rochester, Washington, that specializes in taking RVs on consignment and turning them into cash.

The company buys and sells used motorhomes, fifth wheels, trailers, park models, tent trailers, van conversions and trucks. It can assist everyone from those who are just learning about the RV lifestyle and buying their first RV to those older people who are no longer able to use their RV and are ready to sell.

The company’s ability to make quick sales is facilitated by having customers who are pre-approved and ready to buy. RV’s is located on Highway 12 on the way to Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester. The address is 18309 Albany St. From Interstate 5, take Exit 88 west five miles and turn left at the light on the corner before Lucky Eagle Casino.

For more information, contact Ron Blair or Jay Thomas by calling (360) 273-2886 or e-mailing rvsusave@aol.com.

Western RV Sold
Bob Lee, a 40-year veteran of the RV industry and founder of Country Coach, has agreed to become chairman of the board of Western Recreational Vehicles of Yakima, Washington, following acquisition of the company by Monomoy Capital Partners, a New York equity fund. Lee will be among the investors in the recapitalized company.

Richard Fish, a Monomoy operating partner with 20 years of RV management experience, will become the company’s chief restructuring officer, with Ron Doyle, whose family founded Western RV, continuing to serve as president.

Western RV, which currently has 250 workers, makes Alpine Coach motorhomes and Alpenlite fifth wheels and truck campers.

The transaction, which was expected to close in December, will enable Western RV to continue to operate in its 400,000-square-foot manufacturing and service facilities in Yakima and launch its 2007 products.

Philip Von Burg, a Monomoy principal, said, “The addition of industry experts Bob Lee and Richard Fish will help Western RV focus on operational improvements while creating substantial value for our dealers and customers. We look forward to growing Western RV into a meaningful player in this $14 billion industry.”

Caterpillar Revamps Engines
Caterpillar is offering four new engine models for RVs in 2007, all equipped with new emissions reduction technology to meet 2007 diesel emissions standards. Two of the models, the C7 and C9, will have an improvement of up 4 percent in fuel economy, compared to previous models, according to the company.

The 7.2-liter C7 is available at 300 and 330 horsepower. A 350-horsepower version will be introduced in the spring. The 9.3-liter C9 ranges from 400 to 425 horsepower.

Caterpillar also offers two larger engines, the 12.5-liter C13, which generates 525 horsepower, and the 15.2-liter C15, with up to 625 horsepower.

New Cummins Engine Debuts
Cummins Inc., which has sold more than 3 million ISB diesel engines, has introduced a new version, the ISB XT, which offers extra horsepower for acceleration, extra torque for hill-climbing ability and extra stopping power with an integrated engine braking system.

The new 6.7-liter ISB XT has 350 horsepower, and claims to have the lowest operating cost of any engine in its class. It uses an exhaust gas recirculation system and particulate filter to meet 2007 federal emission requirements.


Web Site Locates Biodiesel Fuel
A free service that tells motorists where to find biodiesel fuel is now available at www.nearbio.com. The Web site has a database of 1,000 locations, including driving directions, hours, payment options and blend information (where available).

Cell phone users can access a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) site nearbio.com (or nearbio.mobi) and retrieve the five nearest biodiesel fueling stations along with driving directions and other details. NearBio was created by WHDC, a privately held California company that specializes in mobile technology applications.