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Customer Joe Maseda, Jr. honored by Dusty’s Camper Word of Bartow, FL while taking delivery of his 17th RV. It’s unfathomable to know that we have delivered that many RVs to a single customer” states K.C. Crum, President, Dusty’s Camper World. Three generations of the Crum family have sold units to Maseda.

When asked, Why does he always purchase his RVs from Dusty’s Camper World?, Joe replied “because of the service and friendliness”. Each time Joe decides to make a purchase he diligently checks dealers all over Florida and south Georgia. “Every time I always come back to Dusty’s. They have a great selection and the best prices”. His 17th purchase was a 2004 Fleetwood Wilderness travel trailer. As a full-timer, Maseda loves the RV lifestyle because of the flexibility and mobility. He states, “RVing is the best way to see America”.

Joe has shared his love of the RV lifestyle with his family. Two years ago, Joe took his grandson on a trip to Alaska, traveling 7600 miles in 30 days. Recently, his son purchased a new travel trailer from Dusty’s Camper World. As Joe was leaving he turned to his sales associate and asked,

Because of customers like Maseda, Dusty’s Camper World has experienced tremendous growth with $60 million in annual sales volume. Dusty’s currently employs 94 team members. Dusty’s is also near completion of a $1 million dollar addition to its service facility to better serve their customers. Dusty’s is a full-line RV dealer carrying fold downs, travel trailers, fifth wheels, motorhomes, diesel pushers and park models serving the USA since 1967.

Dutchmen Manufacturing broke ground May 30th on phase two of its latest expansion project. The new office facility, located on Caragana Court in Goshen, IN will be occupied by the end of October.

The office facility will house the executive offices, sales and marketing departments, accounting and human resources.

According to Florea, “We have simply outgrown our current offices. Our sales and marketing departments have been located on the other side of town. This new office is next to three of our Goshen plants and is more centrally located to our other production facilities around the Goshen area.“

Work is nearly complete on Dutchmen’s new manufacturing facility, which is located next to the new offices. The new plant will accommodate the increased demand for Dutchmen’s laminated fifth wheel and travel trailers that are sold under the Dutchmen, Four Winds, and Colorado brand names.

Accompanying Richard Florea, President of Dutchmen Manufacturing, for the ground breaking ceremony was Steve Paul, Vice President of Sales, Jeff Newport, Vice President of Operations, and Mark Schwartzhoff, Vice President of Finance. Representing J.A. Wagner Construction was Jim Wagner, CEO, Scott Wagner, Project Manager, and Pat Duffy, Architect.

By the end of the year, Dutchmen Manufacturing will operate approximately 550,000 square feet of manufacturing space and employ nearly one thousand people in its ten facilities.

PleasureLand and BIR Agree to Major Sponsorship Package for 2003 Racing Season

Brainerd International Raceway (BIR) and PleasureLand RV Center officials have announced a major sponsorship deal whereby PleasureLand will have a significant presence at BIR this year.

PleasureLand, Minnesota’s largest RV dealership signed a one-year sponsorship deal that includes naming rights to BIR’s year-old 160-site RV Park, which will now be called the PleasureLand RV Park. The park encircles Lake BIR, in the shadows of BIR’s main grandstand.

The PleasureLand-BIR deal also includes title sponsorship of BIR’s Show & Go event, which will now be called the PleasureLand RV Center Show & Go. The event features classic cars that compete in drag racing and a spectacular car show. The drag racing categories include King Street, Real Street and Outlaw.

“The PleasureLand RV family is very excited about this exclusive sponsorship” said Dan Pearson, owner of PleasureLand RV Center. “It supports our business principals of local involvement and promoting the RV lifestyle.”

Lazydays RV SuperCenter recently had its 10,000th student complete its RV Driver Confidence Course. This comprehensive course offers driver training for motor homes, travel trailers and fifth wheels and consists of both a classroom session and a “hands on” driving session.

“This course is an integral part of Lazydays value added benefits program,” said Don Wallace, Founder and CEO of Lazydays. “TheRV Driver Confidence Course, along with the ongoing product training that our sales consultants receive, enables us to help educate the RV owner. Educating our customers is an important part of our strategy to serve the RV industry and achieve our goal of $1 billion in annual revenues.”

Federal regulations require all tire makers to provide tire buyers with registration cards for the voluntary registration of tires. This allows manufacturers to maintain a data base of names and addresses so that customers can be contacted quickly in case of a tire recall.

In addition to those cards, Falken now has added a web site registration page for those customers that did not receive the cards from retail dealers, or who prefer the concenience of on-line registration.

This new registration page allows for easy documentation of tire identification and serial numbers. Further, the customer information is secure and will not be released by Falken or used for any reason other than recall notification.

To access this new service simply go to Falken’s web site at www.falkentire.com, then to the “Tech & Warranties” menu, and to the “DOT Tire Registration” page. Fill in the required blanks and click on the send button.

The snowbirds are marking their calendars for the 2004 show schedule in Quartzsite, Arizona. This tiny desert hamlet bursts at the seams when the tens of thousands of RVers converge on Quartzsite for the big rock & mineral shows and the numerous swap meets and flea markets that take place there each winter season.

One of the largest and most popular venues each year is the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show that takes place in the 45,000 square foot,"BIG TENT", just South of Interstate 10 on State Highway 95. The dates for the 21st Annual Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show are January 15th through January 25th.

There is no charge for admission or parking at this huge show that now ranks as one of the largest consumer RV events in the country. The attendance for the 2003 show was estimated at well over 150,000 and the numerous RV related exhibits included the "who‚s who" of the RV industry. There were several hundred new and used RVs on display along with a dozen service bays offering immediate installation, repairs & service on many of the items that were exhibited at the show.

The 2004 show looks like it will be even bigger with exhibit space selling at a record pace. For more information call 800-969- 5464 or visit www.quartzsitervshow.com.

National City Bank and Gulf Stream Coach Inc. have announced a strategic alliance through which National City will provide the financing programs that will allow Gulf Stream dealers across the country to offer customers some of the lowest rates in the industry on RVs.

Brian Shea, president of Gulf Stream Coach Inc., said that this alliance will provide a strong retail lending source for Gulf Stream's network of over 400 dealers across the country. "As one of the top five manufacturers in the RV business, we consistently provide our dealers with world-class products and programs to offer their customers. National City provides an experienced credit team that can offer credit decisions within a one hour or less turnaround time as well as two party contracts designed for the most efficient financing in our industry," he said.

Greg Jelinek, executive vice president, dealer finance, National City Corporation, explained, "This relationship will strengthen our position as a market leader in the RV finance industry. Both Gulf Stream and National City share a similar culture based on delivering the right product at the right price to consumers. Our goal is to become the valued lending partner to the entire network of Gulf Stream dealers and provide the financing structure to ensure that their customers enjoy the best financing options anywhere."

Safety Vision, one of the leading global mobile video surveillance companies in the world, has hit the $100 million mark in total sales.

Since inception back in 1993, Safety Vision continues to solidify its position as the leader in mobile video surveillance. "Providing the best products at the best prices is our main objective, comments Bruce Smith, president of Safety Vision, LP.

Safety Vision designs, install, manufacture, market, sell, and service innovative electronic products and systems for rear vision and on-board video surveillance. These products and systems include rear vision, digital and analog video recorders, cameras, monitors, microphones, switchers, thermal imagers and other accessories.

Lazydays RV SuperCenter delivered 779 RV’s in May and exceeded $66,000,000 in total revenue during its Gold Star Sale. This represents a 16% improvement over prior year and a record month of May for the entire 27-year history of the dealership.

“I am very pleased about the positive sales trends we have achieved so far this year. I attribute it to the commitment of our employee-owners to our number one goal of making customers for life,” says Lazydays’ Founder and CEO, Don Wallace. “This accomplishment puts us closer to our goal of achieving one billion dollars in sales annually.”

Lazydays was founded in 1976 in Tampa, Florida and relocated in May 1996 to a much larger RV destination complex in Seffner, Florida, which is just east of downtown Tampa. The dealership is located on 150 acres with an 83,000 sq. ft. main building, over 1,000 RV’s on display, 273 service bays and 300 RV campsites. Lazydays’ expansive complex requires a fleet of 150 golf carts to move both customers and employees throughout the property. Additionally, the dealership serves over 300,000 meals annually to its customers, prospects and employees. The site has a 40,000 sq. ft. Camping World store, a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and a Flying J RV Travel Plaza; all the amenities needed for the world’s number one RV destination experience.

OnStar helped police in suburban Chicago recover the first OnStar-equiped motorhome stolen since major RV manufacturers began offering the in-vehicle safety and security system earlier this year.

Police recovered the $350,000 American Eagle Coach in Palos Park, IL, after it had been stolen several days earlier from its owner in central Florida. The motorhome had been driven cross-country and was in good condition when police confiscated it at a personal residence. The vehicle was returned to its owner.

OnStar works closely with emergency and law enforcement agencies, using the Global Positioning System and wireless technology, and has responded to over ten thousand stolen vehicle location requests. There are more than 2 million OnStar subscribers on the road today.

“OnStar is a natural fit for the RV industry to provide road travelers with route support, travel connections, emergency assistance and hands-free, voice-activated calling, and now we’ve demonstrated another great OnStar benefit for the RV market,” said OnStar President Chet Huber.

Motor Home owners who are seeking a little adventure south of border now have a free resource tool on the web, www.ontheroadin.com.

The website lists over 400 RV sites throughout Mexico, including pictures and up to date information on costs, services and locations. The web developers, Bill and Dorothy Bell have traveled extensively throughout Mexico researching the information, photographing and checking "almost every camp and RV site in Mexico."

The site also provides useful information on how to make the trip safe and enjoyable including such information as going through military checkpoints, the border crossings, and medical and safety issues.

The site currently receives over 20,000 hits every day and according to Dorothy Bell, it is "staggering" the amount of requests for further information people need. "People want to feel safe while traveling and our web site provides the information necessary to travel through Mexico safely," Bell said.

"Baby boomers who back packed throughout Mexico and Europe in the 60's are now turning to the adventure of RVing. Mexico can provide that adventure and travelling by RV makes the adventure comfortable," Bell said.

Bill and Dorothy Bell go well beyond just providing a web site. "We answer every question that is emailed us," Dorothy said. "We love RVing and we love visiting Mexico."

Mountain Family RV has yet another award to add to their vast collection. On Friday, May 16, 2003, the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce awarded the dealership with the 2003 Excellence in Commerce for a Retail Business Award noting that they are "a trend setting RV dealership and provide quality recreational vehicles in a no hype, no pressure atmosphere." The award is given to the business that presents a dedicated and distinguished service to the Reno-Sparks area.

In addition to receiving this prestigious award, Mountain Family RV has been awarded the "Circle of Excellence" award 9 years in a row, for the highest level of customer satisfaction it provides each visitor. Nationally recognized as a quality dealer by the RV Dealer Association of America and winner of two Reno/Sparks Chamber of Commerce "Excellence in Commerce" awards. Mountain Family RV is the only recreational dealer in the country to win the United States Chamber of Commerce "Blue Chip" award.

"Our staff is made up of very dedicated and caring employees who take great pride in our reputation for integrity. Our commitment to the customer and to each other is to be the best everyday," states Tom Bordigioni, President of Mountain Family RV.

Mountain Family RV has been in business for 15 years and employs 30 people. The "Home of the Happy Camper" always has more than 150 travel trailers, 5th wheels, campers, travel trailers, toy hauler and motorhomes.

They occupy a 6 acre facility. In addition to selling new recreational vehicles, they have a vast selection of used RV’s. Mountain Family RV is the factory authorized dealer for Fleetwood, Tiffin Motorhomes, National RV, K-Z, Weekend Warrior, Holiday Rambler and Potomac RV. Mountain Family RV offers a full parts/accessories and service department.

Check presentation. Pictured from left to right: Jerry Reese, past President MHRV, Larry Pletcher, Sr. past President MHRV, Eric Hoogstad, Captain Salvation Army, Puyallup Corps, Bob Wallin, past Treasurer MHRV, Dana DeTray, current President MHRV, LaDonna Kummerfeldt, Jr. past President MHRV, Dave Helgeson, MHRV Show Director, and Rick Mazza, current Treasurer MHRV

The MHRV (Manufactured Home & RV) Show Association a not for profit association of manufactured home and RV industry leaders recently donated over $2,300.00 to the Puyallup Chapter of the Salvation Army. The money was raised during a charity auction held at the annual MHRV membership meeting.

Gift baskets were auctioned off to members with MHRV supplying matching funds to each winning bid.

The check presentation was made during opening day of the 30th annual Puyallup Home & RV Show April 30th. "Helping others be their best is what MHRV is all about", said MHRV President Dana DeTray. "Whether it is helping manufactured home and RV dealers present their products to the public or supporting the local community, MHRV is happy to lend its support," continued DeTray. For information on becoming a member of MHRV, visit their website at:WWW.MHRVSHOWS.com

Parker Issues Position Statement on Mobile Air Conditioning Intellectual Property

After several recent patent infringements, Parker Hannifin Corporation has initiated a widespread evaluation of its mobile air conditioning product lines to determine whether additional violations exist. Parker is and has been a leader in the mobile air conditioning industry since air conditioning units were first installed in passenger cars. It has already met the challenge of lowering refrigerant gas emissions and alternative refrigerant components.

Parker's industry participation includes the research, development and perfection of the components it supplies. In many cases, the final designs have unique product features that have been patented. The warehouse of intellectual property owned by Parker has been supplemented as a result of several key acquisitions. For example,

Parker's acquisition of Eaton's thermal expansion valve product line in September 2001 brought numerous patents to Parker. These include incorporation of freeze protection to the expansion valve and a design to moderate fluctuation of flow.

"We have recently come across several patent violations in our accumulator dehydrator and thermal expansion valve products," said Dave Rudyk, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Parker. "The practitioners were unaware of the violations and agreed to stop when the issue was brought to their attention."

Parker is now examining product lines across the industry to determine if any more infractions have occurred. The company actively pursues legal action, when necessary, to enforce its patent rights. "It is important to note that while the manufacturers of infringing products are liable, the distributors, resellers and customers of such products are also liable” Rudyk said.

With annual sales exceeding $6 billion, Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision- engineered solutions for a wide variety of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs more than 48,000 people in 44 countries around the world. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.parker.com, or its investor information site at www.phstock.com.

The Good Sam Club and Coast to Coast have roared into the world of NASCAR racing with an exciting sponsorship program of WB Motorsports. The racing team from Plainwell, Michigan operates two cars that compete at the fastest paved 3/8-mile NASCAR sanctioned track in the world, the Kalamazoo Speedway. One of WB’s two cars features the famous Good Sam logo on the coveted hood position, and the television show RVtoday is boldly represented on both rear quarter panels. WB’s other car also features Coast to Coast on the hood and Good Sam on both rear quarters.

Spectators and race teams come from as far away as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and beyond to watch a special class of cars that have been dubbed the fastest short track vehicles in the country, with the fiercest competition known in the sport. The Good Sam and Coast to Coast cars will compete weekly from April to October in over 28 races. WB Motorsports boasts three track championships and a Rookie of the Year award for 2002, so fans and team alike are very familiar with not only the drivers, but also the sponsors that support and accompany the team.

Kenny Head (two-time track champion) is the driver of the Good Sam car and is currently in contention for Rookie of the Year in the Limited Late Model category. Gabe Sheppard is the driver of the Coast to Coast car and was Rookie of the Year at Kalamazoo Speedway in 2002.

The cars are at the forefront of all track promotions, including print, radio, displays, race events, special promotions and the Internet (www.KalamazooSpeedway.com). Kalamazoo Speedway will also play host to Fan Appreciation Day for the Good Sam Club and Coast to Coast on August 30th, 2003.


July 2003		Volume 28 - Number 12

RV Industry News