What's New in 2012

Written by RV Life Magazine

Sunday, 01 January 2012 00:00

Eagle Cap
Adventurer L.P. (ALP), which produces Eagle Cap truck campers, has expanded the brand with the introduction of a line of Eagle Cap Class C motorhomes.

ALP has been building Class C motorhomes for a rental fleet in Canada since the 1980s, but this marks its entry into the U.S. retail motorhome market. Models range from 19 to 31 feet at prices that start at $63,000.

Greg Tucknies, national sales manager, said the Canadian rental market demands motorhomes that are rugged and can handle extreme temperatures, and ALP is building those same qualities into its new motorhomes for retail sale. “We have been asked constantly why don’t we build a retail Class C,” said Tucknies. “Well, this year we are answering the call.”

Standard features in Eagle Cap motorhomes include air conditioning, interior and exterior LED lights, a Dream Dinette, deep double-bowl galley sinks, full extension ball-bearing guide drawers and a sealed burner stove with oven. Insulated and heated tanks are standard, too, along with thermal pane windows.

ALP builds Eagle Cap motorhomes and truck campers at a factory in Yakima, Washington. For information, visit amlrv.com.

Excel Limited
Peterson Industries, which builds Excel travel trailers and fifth wheels, has stepped up production in hopes of capturing some of the market formerly served by Carriage, which closed its factory last year.

The new 2012 Excel Limited is priced comparably to the Carriage Carri-Lite, and is a top-of-the line luxury fifth wheel. It offers contemporary styling with such features as halogen lighting, a 42-inch LCD HD television, LED taillights and a pillowtop mattress with box springs.

Subway tile behind the stove and around an optional fireplace adds a decorative touch. A wrap-around sofa in front of the fireplace makes it easy to stretch out and enjoy the fire or watch the large TV screen above.

A portable island, solid-surface countertops, a pullout spice rack above the stove and a pullout cutting board are among the conveniences in the kitchen. Options include a stacked washer and dryer and a central vacuum system. The Excel Limited has a suggested base retail price of $97,150.

Peterson Industries, which has been building RVs since 1966, is located in Smith Center, Kansas. For information, visit excelrvs.com.

Forest River Aviator
The Aviator is a luxury travel trailer that is built with composite materials for low maintenance and introduces smart technology, becoming the first RV to integrate the use of a tablet computer.

Forest River is hailing the new travel trailer, which will go into production this month, as revolutionary. “We designed an aerodynamic all-season trailer with a combination of features—many seen for the first time in the industry—that is not found in any other travel trailer,” said Matt Maday, Aviator regional sales manager. “There’s nothing else like it. We utilized technology to simplify many of the electronics and enhance the camping experience.”

A 34-foot version of the Aviator called the Wright Flyer was introduced at the recent National RV Trade Show in Louisville, and was named the “Best in Show” by RV Business. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Aviator has not yet been announced.

Notable exterior features include an aerodynamic front cap with integrated windshield, contoured sidewalls made with composite materials, and a maintenance-free, one-piece fiberglass roof. Maday said the use of composites instead of wood eliminates the risk of water damage.

The Aviator employs what Forest River calls Mobile Onboard Smart Technology. With this technology, you can use your Sony tablet to control the interior and exterior TVs, the entertainment systems and electric fireplace and even take photos and videos and upload them wirelessly for display on a TV screen. And besides watching Netflix videos, sending e-mails, and checking your stock portfolio, you can use the tablet to access owner manuals, get troubleshooting advice and see how-to videos and tutorials.

Forest River, which is headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, builds RVs under a variety of brand names. For information on its products, visit forestriverinc.com.

Jayco Seneca
Seneca The Seneca has been reinvented for 2012 with more power and towing capacity. This Class C motorhome is now built on a Freightliner chassis with a 340 horsepower Cummins diesel engine, six-speed Allison transmission, and the ability to tow more than 8,000 pounds.

“The Seneca was one of our most popular Class C models,” said marketing director Sid Johnson. “We are proud to bring it back in the marketplace with a new chassis, an updated exterior look, and that high-quality features and construction Jayco owners expect.”

The motorhome is available in 36- and 37-foot models. Features include a one-piece fiberglass roof, pass-through storage compartments, glazed maple hardwood cabinetry, solid-surface countertops, and a king-sized bed. An optional customer value package includes a GPS navigation system, leather driver and passenger seats and an in-dash AM/FM/CD/DVD system with a backup camera and monitor. You can also add a washer and dryer, fireplace and exterior entertainment system.

The suggested base retail price on the 36-foot model is $190,699.

Jayco, the world’s largest privately held manufacturer of RVs, is based in Middlebury, Indiana. For information, visit jayco.com.

Lance 1274
The Lance 1274 travel trailer is a new model that is the lightest yet from the popular manufacturer of truck campers and travel trailers. It comes with a kitchen, dinette, dry bath and a pop-out tent sleeper with a queen-sized bed.The trailer has an overall length of 16 feet, 10 inches, and a dry weight of just 2,250 pounds.

Gary Conley, national sales manager, said, “The 1274 feels a lot larger than it is with the pop-out tent sleeper. And with its length and weight, it’s a very easy trailer to tow.”

Norm Jacobson, Lance marketing manager, said the trailer is so light that it should open a whole new market for the company. People will find they can easily haul the 1274 with their existing SUV; no need to buy a new pickup.

The 1274 has a dinette that converts to a bed for extra sleeping capacity. The dinette table is movable, so it can be taken outside to add to the camping experience. Suggested retail price of the Lance 1274 is $19,422.

Lance Camper Manufacturing is located in Lancaster, California. For information on Lance travel trailers and truck campers, visit lancecamper.com.

Nash DLX
Northwood Manufacturing’s founder, Ron Nash, created the Nash travel trailer with the goal of making it rugged and attractive, the “pretty one in work boots.” Building on that approach established 20 years ago, Northwood has produced two new versions for 2012, the Nash LT, and with a few more amenities, the Nash DLX.

Donald Cochran, national director of sales, said Northwood has spent the past year listening to suggestions from owners and dealers. As a result, he said, “Our products have been revitalized and energized.”
Nash trailers are fiberglass-sided and built to handle the extreme climates of the Pacific Northwest. The chassis is built by Northwood and certified by an independent testing lab for off-road durability.

The Nash DLX is available in three floor plans to meet varying needs. The 23B is a bunkhouse model with a massive seven-foot dinette. The 23 D includes a Sit-n-Sleep queen bed/sofa option, and the 23F offers extra storage space and a quiet front bedroom, away from traffic in or out of the trailer. All have residential cabinets, well-equipped kitchens and a walk-on roof.

Enclosed heated holding tanks are standard on the DLX, and there is a two-inch receiver for a cargo rack, bike carrier or barbecue off the rear bumper. The models come generator-ready, and have cooler-sized cargo doors on pass-through storage compartments.

Northwood Manufacturing, which builds travel trailers, fifth wheels and truck campers, is located in La Grande, Oregon. For information, visit northwoodmfg.com.

Newmar Bay Star Sport
The Sport is a new lower cost version of Newmar’s best-selling gas motorhome, the Bay Star. The new model, which debuted at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, is built on the Ford F-53 chassis with a Ford Triton V-10 engine and will be available in four floor plans, from 27 to 33 feet in length.

The Bay Star Sport carries a base suggested retail price of $93,450 for the 27-foot version with two slideouts. Standard features include gel-coated fiberglass sidewalls with vinyl graphics, a six-cubic-foot refrigerator, one-piece tinted windshield, a 32-inch LCD TV and a Dometic patio awning. Among the options are a hydraulic leveling system, slideout awnings, and a 600-watt inverter. Buyers have the choice of two interior packages and two woods finishes.

Newmar says the Bay Star Sport uses the same construction, air conditioning system and slideout mechanisms used on all of its products, but the Sport is an entry-level motorhome at an affordable price.

Newmar is a privately owned RV manufacturer based in Nappanee, Indiana. For information, visit newmarcorp.com.

Roadtrek N6-Active
The new N6-Active from Roadtrek Motorhomes qualifies as an RV, but has some attributes of an SUV or minivan with the extra benefit of a refrigerator, sink, microwave and exterior shower. It is built on the Nissan NV 2500 series van, the same platform used on Nissan’s Titan full-size pickup truck.

The N6-Active has three rows of seating, with the third row seat reclining into a full-length double bed. The first two rows contain four captain’s seats, which can swivel to surround an expandable table. Along one side of the vehicle is a built-in kitchenette.

A pop-up roof allows full standing height inside. There is room to sleep as many as seven people.
The manufacturer says the N6-Active, which is a little longer than 20 feet, can tow 9,000 pounds and get up to 18 miles per gallon. Suggested retail price is $67,470.

The vehicle was introduced at the National RV Trade Show, where Roadtrek co-chairman Jeff Hanemaayer said it received an excellent reaction from dealers. “We sold 14 the first day of the show,” he said.

Roadtrek Motorhomes is based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. For information on its products, visit roadtrek.com.

Thor Palazzo
The diesel-powered Palazzo from Thor Motor Coach is sort of a big brother counterpart to the gas engine A.C.E. that was introduced by Thor Motor Coach in 2010. It has a 300 horsepower Cummins engine on a Freightliner chassis and a cargo carrying capacity of 5,000 pounds.

Introduced as a 2013 model, the Palazzo is an entry-level diesel motorhome, and with an exterior length of 34 feet, five inches, is shorter than most diesel models. But it is loaded with a lot of standard features, including an 18-foot power awning, large pass-through storage compartments, an 18-cubic-foot refrigerator, solid-surface countertops and a 32-inch LCD TV in the living room’s entertainment center and a 26-inch LCD TV in the bedroom. Beauflor residential linoleum is installed throughout. The motorhome includes an extra large shower with a glass door and the bedroom contains a queen-sized bed with a pillowtop mattress.

The Palazzo entry is only eight inches off the ground, which allows for a single step entry to make going in and out of the coach easier. And although it has a low profile at just 12 feet, 2 inches tall, the motorhome has an interior height of 82 inches, allowing plenty of headroom.

The Palazzo will go on sale in February. The price has not yet been announced.

Thor Motor Coach, which was formed through the merger of the Damon and Four Winds brands, is based in Elkhart, Indiana. For information on the Palazzo, visit palazzorv.com.

Winnebago Sightseer
A floor plan with an extendable U-shaped dinette that can be expanded to seat six is one of the innovations in the Class A Sightseer for 2012.

The Sightseer is available in four floor plans, all with Ultraleather cab seats that swivel to face the living area, Corian galley countertops, blackout roller shades, and many other features.

The expandable U-shaped dinette is part of the Sightseer 30A model, a 31-foot floor plan that provides an in-line galley with two pantries, enclosed bathroom and a rear bedroom that offers a large wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a walk-around queen bed. A 42-inch LCD in the living area can slide out for optimal viewing.
Other floor plans offer a queen or king bed, and one adds bunk beds to bring the sleeping capacity to seven. All the plans have multiple slideouts. The Sightseer MSRP starts at $123,025.

Winnebago Industries, which is based in Forest City, Iowa, builds motorhomes, travel trailers and fifth wheels. For information, visit winnebagoind.com.