Hyak Lodge No Longer Available
Washington State Parks is no longer offering public rentals at Hyak Lodge at Snoqualmie Pass, one of the vacation housing options mentioned in an article in last month’s RV Life. As we reported in the article, you can find complete information on state park vacation housing options at www.parks.wa.gov/vacationhouses.

Monaco Wins Customer Survey
Pied Piper Management Company of Pacific Grove, California, said Monaco RV dealerships ranked highest in its 2007 survey to measure how shoppers are treated at retail locations that sell Class A motorhomes. Pied Piper conducts anonymous shopper evaluations of auto, motorcycle and RV dealerships. Ranking behind Monaco as the top five brands were Damon, Itasca, Sportscoach and Holiday Rambler. Seven other brands were above the industry average.

The survey found that salespeople for Monaco ranked first in offering test drives and providing compelling reasons to buy. Itasca dealerships ranked first in offering financing options to customers and in explaining the availability of extended warranties

RV Built for Horsemen
The United States Equestrian Federation, which is the national governing body for equestrian sports, has created a partnership with a new company that is building a vehicle that combines an upscale RV and horse trailer in one unit.

Equine Motorcoach was named “The Official Horse Transport Vehicle of the USEF.”

The company was founded by Tom and Carolyn Stinnett, owners of one of the nation’s largest RV dealerships, and Julie Calzone, owner of a national advertising and public relations firm. The new Equine Motorcoach uses a truck chassis from Volvo Trucks of North America. Production is completed at a factory in Europe. All the coaches are custom-built and are available in 3, 4-6 and 7-9 horse configurations.

Winnebago Reports Gains
Winnebago Industries says an increase in sales of Class A motorhomes helped it post a gain of 15.7 percent in fourth quarter revenue for the period ending August 25. Revenue amounted to $205.4 million. Net income was up nearly 60 percent to $14.8 million.

For the entire fiscal year, revenue was up less than 1 percent from the previous year to $870.2 million, while net income dropped from $44.7 million to $41.6 million. The company’s president, Bob Olson, offered a cautious approach to the coming year. He noted that motorhome sales industry wide are down nearly 5 percent this year through August, but said he believe that the Federal Reserve’s decision to reduced interest rates should help the market, though “it may take some time for this to translate into sustained growth.”

Thor Reports Record Income
Thor Industries, the world’s largest RV manufacturer, reported record net income of $50.3 million for the final quarter of its fiscal year, ending July 31, even though sales were down 6 percent to $754.9 million. Net income was 16 percent higher than the previous year.

Company officials said earnings were helped by improved manufacturing efficiencies, lower warranty costs, higher interest income, and a lower tax provision due to a favorable tax settlement. For the entire year, sales dropped from $3 billion to $2.85 billion and net income declined to $134.7 million from $163.4 million. Despite the decline, earnings remained strong, enabling the company to declare a special dividend of $2 per share, in addition to its regular quarterly dividend of 7 cents.

Viewing Wolves at Yellowstone
An opportunity to observe wolves in the wild is part of the Learning and Lodging program this winner at Yellowstone National Park in a collaboration between concessionaire Xanterra Parks and Resorts and the nonprofit Yellowstone Association Institute.

“Everything comes together in the winter to make Yellowstone the best place in the world to see wolves in the wild,” said Jeff Brown, the Yellowstone Association’s director of education. “Wolves are spotted every day in the Lamar Valley. They follow the elk and other prey to the lower elevations near the park road, and they are relatively easy to see against the backdrop of the white snow.”

The Winter Wolf Discovery program is a four-night package that includes accommodations at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and excursions to view wildlife. The program is offered from Dec. 26 to Feb. 27. A variety of other lodging and learning programs are also available. For information, visit www.yellowstoneassociation.org or call (307) 344-5566.

Dutchmen Trailers Certified
Dutchmen Manufacturing has announced that is has become the first recreation vehicle manufacturer to receive compliance certification from the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.

The association, which represents companies that produce light-duty and medium-duty trailers, grants the certification to member companies that comply with federal safety regulations and meet selected industry standards. Dutchmen, a subsidiary of Thor Industries, builds trailers under a number of brand names, including Denali, Victory Lane, Four Winds, T@B and T@DA.