Winnebago Previews New Models
More than half the models offered by Winnebago in 2006 will be new or redesigned, dealers learned at the company’s annual Dealer Days held recently at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the new models will be the Winnebago Tour and the Itasca Ellipse, which are mid-level additions to the company’s diesel lineup.

The Ellipse and Tour have bold exterior paint designs and an interior height of 7 feet, 2 1/2 inches, with slideouts that are 6 feet, 2 inches high. Four models will be available in lengths of 36 feet to 40 feet.

The redesigned diesel models include the top-of-the-line Winnebago Vectra and Itasca Horizon, with interior heights raised to 7 feet, 2 1/2 inches. The Winnebago Adventurer and Itasca Suncruiser Class A gas models also have increased interior height for 2006 and have added a new floor plan that offers 365 square feet of living space.

RV/MH Hall of Fame Gains Donations
New gifts to support construction of a Recreation Vehicle/Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana, were announced in August at an induction ceremony for 12 new Hall of Fame members.

The gifts included $1 million from Thor Industries, $1 million from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s “Go RVing” campaign, and $350,000 toward a $1 million pledge from Winnebago Industries. Ron Younkin, whose family has long been involved in manufactured housing in Ohio, contributed $350,000 to complete his family’s gift of $500,000. In addition, Champion Enterprises made a payment toward a $1 million pledge for construction of a 15,000-square-foot convention center as part of the new facility. Groundbreaking for the RV/MV Hall of Fame was held last month. Completion of the first phase is scheduled next spring.

RV Vacations Save Money
A new survey released by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) shows that RV trips are more economical than vacations taken by car, airline or cruise ship, even when factoring in RV ownership and fuel costs.

The comparison was made by PKF Consulting, which analyzed the costs incurred by families taking trips to popular vacation spots, such as the Grand Canyon, Florida, and Alaska. The study focused on three types of RVs: a folding camping trailer, conventional travel trailer and a Class C motorhome.

For example, the study found that a weeklong vacation by a family of four towing a travel trailer from Salt Lake City to the Grand Canyon would be $2,820 cheaper than traveling there by plane, renting a car and staying in a rental property. The savings would amount to 70 percent.

A family of four could also travel in a motorhome from Atlanta to Orlando on a one-week trip and pay $1,658 less than a family traveling by air, renting a car and staying in a hotel. The comparison is based on a campground cost of $27 per night and hotels averaging $125 per night.

The study also found that renting an RV for a 14-day trip to Alaska would produce a vacation about half the cost of an Alaskan cruise.

Good Sam Club Chooses Favorites
Members of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest membership organization of RV owners, have voted for their favorite places to shop and visit. Winners received the club’s 2005 Welcome Mat Award.

Colorado was named the favorite state to visit and British Columbia was named the favorite province. America’s Best Campground in Branson, Missouri, was honored as the best campground. Other winners included Alaska as the best place to fish, Harrah’s as the best chain of casinos, Cracker Barrel as the best restaurant, Wal-Mart as the top shopping center and Walt Disney World as the favorite tourist attraction.

Merritt Sets Attendance Records
The Merritt Mountain Music Festival in British Columbia, which featured country superstar Tim McGraw, shattered attendance records this year, attracting an estimated 148,000 people, festival promoters reported.

Tickets will go on sale at Ticketmaster locations this month for the 2006 Merritt Mountain Music Festival, which will be held July 11-16. Updates on artists scheduled to appear at the festival and other information can be obtained at www.mountainfest.com.

RV Companies Earn Honors
Two leading RV manufacturers, Thor Industries and Winnebago Industries, have been recognized as among the 50 best manufacturers in America in a list compiled by IndustryWeek.

The list was based on financial performance over the past three years in such areas as revenue growth, return on equity, profit margin, asset turnover, inventory turnover and return on assets.

Thor Names Group President
Richard (Dicky) Riegel, who has served as president of Airstream since 2002, has been promoted to Group President at Thor Industries, with authority over Airstream, Thor California, Komfort, CrossRoads, General Coach-Oliver, B.C., General Coach-Hensall, Ontario, and Breckenridge. Under Riegel’s leadership, Airstream’s sales doubled and its profits increased tenfold.

Succeeding Riegel as president and CEO of Airstream is Robert Wheeler, who had been vice president of product development and engineering.

Monaco Starts Franchise Program
Monaco Coach Corporation is going to change the way it sells RVs, setting up the industry’s first franchise program to focus attention on its motorhome brands: Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Beaver and Safari. The goal is to emulate the appearance of automobile dealerships, where brand names traditionally stand out.
“This is a significant step within the RV industry because it challenges the traditional way that RVs themselves have been positioned at the independent dealerships that we all depend on,” said Kay Toolson, chairman and CEO of Monaco.

Historically, RV dealers have carried an array of vehicle brands, without emphasizing one brand over another. The new franchise program will encourage dealers to sell RVs with a brand focus, instead of a commodity focus. Each franchise dealer will have a new sign installed with the Monaco brand, and each dealership also will have a stylish detail center where customers can learn about the features and benefits of the Monaco brand.

The program, called “Franchise for the Future,” also includes training for salespeople to help them convey to customers the advantages of buying a motorhome built by Monaco. Monaco, which is headquartered in Coburg, Oregon, has more than 5,500 employees and sold more than $1.4 billion worth of RVs last year.