Newmar Corporation Pledges $250,000 in Support of RV Learning Center Dealership Education Efforts

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The Newmar Corporation has pledged $250,000 to the RV Learning Center, bringing their total contribution to $260,000. Newmar is the RV Learning Center’s first four star business partner.

“We feel that contributing to the RVDA Education Foundation’s RV Learning Center will symbolize how important we think it is to have RV dealers who are staffed with well-informed and knowledgeable employees so that they may be able to provide the best customer service possible,” said Newmar’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Craig Alexander.

Rick Horsey, Chairman of the RVDA Education Foundation stated, "I am thrilled to welcome Newmar Corporation as the RV Learning Center's first four star partner! Newmar understands that educated dealers and dealership employees make the critical difference in a customer's life and we are happy to welcome their tremendous support of the Center's work."

This contribution is part of an ongoing campaign by the RVDA Education Foundation to support the RV Learning Center. Dealers and their business partners are asked to contribute to the Center, which is dedicated to providing dealers and their employees with new and innovative ways to operate RV dealerships; sharing proven methods and practices; and encouraging the highest professional standards for dealerships of all sizes. RV Learning Center education programs will include distance learning; live workshops; online products; publications; and certification for RV dealership personnel.

For more information on the RV Learning Center, visit www.rvlearningcenter.com, send an e-mail to info@rvda.org, or send a fax to (703) 591-0734.

The RVDA Education Foundation is a tax exempt organization as described in section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions may be tax deductible as charitable donations.

Tru Align Captures SEMA Best New Product Award

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New system allows shops to align custom and bent wheels with current equipment The annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas is filled with thousands of new automotive products, all vying for the attention of nearly 100,000 discerning automotive trade visitors. Among all those new products at this year’s SEMA Show, the Tru Align wheel alignment system was judged Best New Product in the Tools & Equipment category.

Why did the Tru Align system win such a prestigious award? According to the judging panel, it won because it answers a real need. These days, huge custom wheels and low-profile tires are enormously popular, but they often offer big challenges to technicians when it comes to aligning them properly. The heads of many alignment machines simply won’t fit on the biggest of the big wheels and even when they do, they can frequently damage the wheel’s finish, resulting in costly customer complaints. The newest premium tires with integral “rimprotectors” and the increasingly popular lipless wheels also present challenges for wheel alignment technicians.

The Tru Align wheel alignment system is a new, patented solution to these problems. It was designed by a master alignment technician to take the wheel completely out of the wheel alignment scenario. Because of this, custom wheels, lipless wheels and even bent wheels are no longer a problem in performing an accurate wheel alignment. Of course, accurate alignment is crucial to tire life, an especially important consideration in these days of very expensive lowprofile tires.

The Tru Align system enables the technician to position the alignment-machine heads on precision-constructed plates that automatically position themselves at the dead-center of each hub rather than trying to attach them directly to expensive, easily damaged wheels. The plates are affixed to the vehicle by simply removing three lug nuts and replacing them temporarily with special adapters that hold the plate in place. The simple installation is very intuitive for the technician, and it enables perfectly accurate alignments using current alignment machines that are in most shops today.

The Tru Align system consists of four 12-inch or 13-inch precision plates and eight sets of steel adapters that temporarily replace the lug nuts while the alignment procedure is taking place. The multi-piece kit allows technicians to perform accurate alignments on virtually any vehicle on the road in North America, using their current alignment machines and tools.

The complete standard Tru Align system kit with four 12-inch plates is $1995.00. The kit with 13-inch plates retails for $2095.00. It can be ordered by phone at 1-800-881-7335 or on the Tru Align Web site www.trualign.com.

Official Ballot Results Announced for 2004-2005 PRVCA Board of Directors 

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Rebecca Lenington, Executive Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association, is pleased to announce the official ballot results of the 2004-2005 PRVCA Board elections. The elections were held at the Annual “Red Carpet Breakfast” on September 10, 2004 and the results are as follows. Welcomed into new positions are Brad Bryant of Bryant’s RV Showcase as Chairman, and Pat McClure of Shoemaker & Besser Insurance Group as Vice Chairman. Returning to serve another term are John Martin of Martin Camper Sales as Central District Director, Jim Turner of Turner Airstream, Inc. as Southwestern District Director, Greg Starr of Starr’s Trailer Sales, Inc. as Northwestern District Director, John Zimmerman of Sunline Coach Company as Senior Manufacturer Director, Ernie Yoder of Woodland Park, Inc. as Park Trailer Manufacturer Director, Tim Umstead of Tobin Associates, Inc. as Finance Director, and Ron Gilbert of Drummer Boy Camping Resort as Campground/Resort Director. Serving out the remainder of their terms are Mike Keller of Keller Marine & RV Service, Inc. as Secretary, Ed Flick of Fulton Bank as Treasurer, Greg Dewalt of Dewalt’s Rec. Vehicles, Inc. as Southeastern District Director, Julius “Jay” Mauro of Holiday Rambler Corp. as Manufacturer Director, Pat McClure of Shoemaker & Besser Insurance Group. as Insurance Director, John Roba of JR Products as Supplier Director, Brad Rhone of Rhone’s Travel Trailers, Inc. as Northeastern District Director, and Lester “Les” Umberger as Honorary Member.

Elkhart County Executives to Serve as Officers on RPTIA Board

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Senior executives from five Elkhart County companies have been elected as top representatives on the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association’s board of directors.

The election, which took place during RPTIA’s annual board meeting in Middlebury Oct. 29th, reinstalled the same slate of officers who held top board positions in 2004. RPTIA’s officers for fiscal 2005 include:

• President: Olin Wenrick, Trophy Homes, Inc., Elkhart
• Vice President: Curt Yoder, Kropf Industries, Inc., Goshen
• Secretary: Rick Woodcock, Cavco Industries, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.
• Treasurer: Ernie Yoder, Woodland Park, Elkhart, Ind.
• Past President: Tim Howard, Breckenridge Division of Damon Corp., a Thor company in Nappanee

L.G. “Gus” Feiler, owner and COO of Williamsburg Furniture, Inc. in Nappanee, was also elected to serve as a supplier representative for a three-year term. Lyn Hart of Emerald Coast RV Center, Inc., in Gulf Breeze, Fla., was also elected to serve a three-year term as a board member representing dealers and campground owners.

In other action, RPTIA’s board of directors approved a budget of $400,000 for fiscal 2005, which began Oct. 1.