When General Motor’s financial woes began, the automaker announced it would be closing 1,000 to 1,200 under-performing locations to make the company’s other dealerships more profitable. Don Steves, owner of Don Steves Chevrolet in La Habra, Calif.,  survived the first round of cuts because its business was good. But when GM filed for bankruptcy, the automaker [...]

TrailManor Inc.’s Elkmont line of super-lightweight upright trailers has been expanded to three models, with the introduction of the all new Elkmont 22. The 22-foot trailer offers a more compact version of the Elkmont 26 floorplan, without the sofa and bedroom wall. There’s a walk-around, queen-size bed, a full-sized dinette, marble-look countertops and woodgrain floors, according [...]

Keystone RV Co. announced today (Sept. 3) the appointment of Matt Berg as Fuzion product manager. A 10-year Keystone veteran, Berg brings to the position an enthusiasm for toy haulers and in-depth understanding of product development, according to a news release. Berg previously served as district sales manager for several Keystone brands, most recently [...]

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) hosted the head of one of China’s leading private companies at the association’s headquarters in Reston, Va., on Aug. 16 to discuss the developing RV industry in China, the trade association reported. Those involved in the meeting were (pictured in photo left to right) RVIA’s Vice President of Standards and [...]

The 2011 Coast to Coast Conference, Feb. 21-23, in New Orleans, will educate registrants about that right camping-related product. And, according to Bruce Hoster, president of Denver-based Coast to Coast Resorts, an affiliate of Affinity Group Inc., the time is now and that product is membership camping. “It’s a product whose time is right and is [...]

Outlook 2011: A New Era Begins will kick off the National RV Trade Show on Tuesday, Nov. 30, with a lineup of insightful presentations that will focus on how the RV industry can meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that a changing, more cost-conscious, linked-in market will present in 2011 and beyond, [...]

The Economic Development Corp. (EDC) of Elkhart County honored 10 local business leaders at its Investors Meeting for their contribution to the winning trend, according to a news release. Elkhart County, Ind., transformed quickly from a symbol of recession to a sign of recovery, recently celebrated last year’s stunning success, when more than $245 million in [...]

Lippert Components entered into a license for the exclusive right to manufacture and sell the patent-pending RVLOCK, a remotely operated locking system for towable RV entry doors. “This sleek new battery-operated system integrates the remote features into the door handle and eliminates the need for multiple parts which are currently necessary, reducing warranty exposure. RVLOCK also [...]

Editor’s Note: Annie Lowrey, a writer for The Washington Independent, wrote the following column. In writing a short piece for the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I ended up learning a bit about the market for recreational vehicles — campers, mobile homes, trailers, etc. And I ended up hearing about one of the very unintended consequences [...]

Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc., Goshen, Ind., introduced the all-new Voltage high-end fifth-wheel SURV during the Tulsa Boat, Sport and Travel Show Aug. 27-29 in Tulsa, Okla. ”We wanted to build a toy hauler that is different than anything on the market; we wanted to cut a different path,” said Nate Goldenberg, Dutchmen’s Voltage [...]

Domestic U.S. RV industry suppliers apparently have worked through any concerns they may have had over working with a new Chinese motorhome manufacturer, according to Bill Horvath, project manager for the motorhome division of Yutong Bus Co. Ltd., which plans to enter the U.S. market by next spring with the En Route Class A motorhome. More [...]

Attendance during the first five days of Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, Germany, has exceeded promoters’ expectations, and more than half of the 120 towable and motorized exhibitors displaying product at the world’s largest consumer RV show are reporting sales higher than last year. More good news for the global economy? ”We are pretty pleased. The trade show [...]

Pace International, a national authorized distributor for DISH Network LLC and a leader  in integrated home-theater solutions, has introduced a new “pay-as-you-go” satellite  program designed specifically for the RV market. The program, marketed as “HD for the  road less traveled,” is the first of its kind and is supported by a customized RV toll-free  support [...]

When the Mission of Mercy (M.O.M.) needed a new RV in order to accomplish its mission of  ”providing dignity to all people and being an instrument of healing through love,” it headed to Beaudry RV Co. in Phoenix, Ariz. The deal resulted in a discounted cost for a 2011 Monaco Diplomat. The special consideration on pricing [...]

Lippert Components has acquired the operating assets of Sellers Mfg. Inc., a Milford, Ind.-based firm which modifies chassis primarily for producers of Class A and Class C Motorhome RVs, transit buses and specialized commercial trucks. The purchase was completed on Aug. 30. The purchase price was not disclosed. Automotive manufacturers of these types of chassis produce standard-length [...]

Watch today’s Featured Video, courtesy of WSBT-TV, South Bend, Ind., about the following story on the new Campers Inn RV dealership in Elkhart, Ind. There are more positive signs for Elkhart’s RV industry. A new dealership has recently opened its doors, and business is booming. Before the economy took a turn for the worse, there were nearly [...]

The white limousine backed down the driveway shortly after 4 p.m. Friday (Aug. 27) and stopped. Jordan Mathieu emerged, being held by his father, Michael, and they gazed at the surprise in their backyard at their home in Fairfield, Maine. It was his wish come true: a brand-new pop-up camper. For the next hour, Jordan, 3, bounced [...]

The Economic Development Corp. (EDC) of Elkhart County, Ind., recently honored Dometic among 10 companies for their commitment to leadership in the growth and prosperity of the local economy. About 100 people were in attendance at the 2010 Investors Meeting during which the EDC identified and showed appreciation to the companies with congratulatory remarks and the [...]

Editor’s Note: The following story was written by Staci Backauskaus and first appeared in Better RVing, a publication of Lazydays. You may have seen the Travel Channel special highlighting vintage RV renovations, but you may not know about the Tin Can Tourists, a group of nearly 1,000 who proudly rally and caravan their vintage campers all [...]

Editor’s Note: The holding company for the properties of the old General Motors Corp. has filed its bankruptcy reorganization plan. The press release announcing the filing follows. Motors Liquidation Company (f/k/a General Motors Corporation) (“MLC”) today announced that MLC, MLC of Harlem, Inc. (f/k/a Chevrolet-Saturn of Harlem, Inc.), MLCS, LLC (f/k/a Saturn, LLC), MLCS Distribution Corporation [...]