From the category archives:
Elkhart County, Indiana, has been a poster-child for the ravages of the recession, but, now, the home of the recreational vehicle industry is making a comeback. RV sales are moving out of neutral, into first gear, and RV manufacturers are hiring again.
Source: WTTW, PBS Chicago, Illinois
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The Better Business Bureau is warning about an Anchorage RV rental business.
According to the BBB, B&B RV Rental on the Old Seward Highway near Midtown has racked up numerous complaints over the past few years, all pointing to a troubling pattern of leaving customers with nothing to show for their money.
“Since July 2008, the Better Business Bureau has received over 300 inquiries and 12 complaints about B&B RV Rental,” said BBB spokesperson Tara Sims.
But it’s not the number of complaints that has the Bureau sounding the alarm.
“The key is that the complaints show a pattern of the same type of issues occurring over and over again,” Sims said.
Sims says the problems start when customers first arrive at B&B to pick up an RV.
See the KTUU video for more information and/or read the KTUU article: Anchorage RV rental firm doesn’t make the grade with BBB.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The story features the r-pod light weight travel trailer by Forest River and Damon’s Avanti motorhome.
Note – if you’re reading this in a feed reader, you’ll have to go to Haw Creek page to view the video
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
A RV manufacturing industry executive says that, as a result of the recent recession, the move to lightweight RVs is probably going to be permanent.
The ”Great Recession” probably has made permanent the RV industry’s move toward lighter weight, ”greener” units, Wilbur Bontrager, Jayco Inc. chairman and CEO, told a northern Indiana television audience this weekend (April 10-11).
“I’ve been through a couple of these downturns,” Bontrager said. ”We’re seeing a lot of the same dynamics where we, along with all the other manufacturers, have gone into building lighter weight products. This time around, I believe it will stick.
”This time around, we have technology, we have materials and suppliers who can produce components that can be lighter weight and greener. In the past, this has been more difficult.”
Read the full RVBusiness article – Bontrager: Lightweight Movement Will Stick
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
A California Assemblyman, Bill Monning, Democrat from Santa Cruz, has introduced legislation that, if enacted, would ban the use of 6 chemicals that can damage various types of septic systems and pose threats to groundwater sources.
The legislation, AB 1824, would ban the use of holding tank products containing bronopol, dowicil, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, paraformaldehyde and para-dichlorobenzene, according to a news release.
“We fully support this legislation and think it will encourage businesses to step up their marketing and distribution of environmentally friendly holding tank products in California,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (CalARVC), which has spent the past five years trying to find ways to protect its members’ septic systems and nearby groundwater supplies without forcing private park operators to become “potty police.”
Read the more in the RVBuisness article: Law Would Ban RV Holding Tank Chemicals .
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Roaming Times, a leading RV review and RV consumer report website has selected Earthbound RV travel trailers as the 2010 Green RV of the Year.
David B. Hoefer, Earthbound’s VP of sales and marketing said:
"We’re at the cutting edge. Instead of traditional RV-building methods, we’ve turned to experts in other fields, such as automotive and plastics…”The V-2 Earthbound being produced has already eliminated all wood and wood by-products. “Earthbound has leaped ahead with the use of composites, thermoplastics, and lightweight hybrid structural materials. We’ve been partnering with major international composite suppliers for over 8 years.”
Earthbound trailers are eco-friendly and lightweight. “We have the potential to add 11 million new customers to the towable RV buying market. Our RVs are towable with vehicles that are already parked in many of today’s family driveways.”
Read the rest of the Roaming Time’s announcement: Roaming Times’ Green RV of the Year Award 2010 – The Earthbound travel trailer.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Airstream trailers were the stars of a Today Show segment on April 1st. While the focus was on the Airstream RVs used by celebrities, there is a good bit of Airstream background material as well.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC is planning to buy and equip a 125,000 square-foot manufacturing facility for $2,6 million and create up to 265 jobs over the next 3 years. In February, the company purchased the last active towable RV trademarks from Fleetwood Enterprises Inc.
“Elkhart’s recreational vehicle industry continues to show resilience in the face of a tough national economy,” said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “Heartland’s investment further proves that Elkhart’s traditional industries will play an equal part with emerging sectors in bringing new opportunities to this region.”
Heartland Recreational Vehicles, which employs more than 900 associates across North Central Indiana, plans to begin hiring additional manufacturing and supervisory associates immediately as the new product lines are phased in. The acquisition of the former Fleetwood brands will allow Heartland to expand into markets in the western United States.
Read the rest of Heartland’s press release at Inside Indiana Business – RV Maker Announces Expansion Project
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
