Dave Barbulesco

As part of a two-year initiative designed to leverage the Winnebago brand’s cachet with RV consumers, the builder recently informed dealers it has essentially phased out its Itasca nameplate. “This is all part of a larger strategy to become more aggressive in promoting the Winnebago brand name,” said Scott Degnan, vice president, sales and product […]

Jim Sheldon admits being openly skeptical when friend and colleague Elden Smith said he was going to take a job with a “trailer factory.” “We were both working sales in the aerospace industry, and were making a pretty great living,” said Sheldon, a longtime executive with Monaco Coach Corp. and a prominent figure in industry […]

Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV) has announced the rollout of a new corporate name, REV Group Inc. The company stated in a press release that the change would “more directly aligning the company with its continuing commitment to building and delivering many of the world’s most popular specialty vehicle brands.” The company serves a diverse group […]

Blistering 100-plus degree heat effectively stalled attendance for the opening weekend of the Oct. 9-18 63rd Annual California RV Show, but an incremental cooling into the mid-80’s drew crowds and pushed the overall gate to a 5.6% increase over last year. Tom Gaither, Western Show director for the sponsoring Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), reported […]

Holland RV Centers’ dealership in San Marcos, Calif., remains open and operational, and is quickly moving to bring some normality back to the business after a three alarm fire broke out late Sunday (Oct. 11) afternoon at a stand-alone service center – one of four buildings on the eight-acre site. “It’s almost business as usual,” […]

General RV Center, one of the nation’s largest family-owned dealerships, is expanding its workforce by more than 10% for the fifth straight year, with plans to add up to 150 employees between its 11 locations and corporate headquarters. “We’re proud to be known as one of the best employers in the industry, which is how […]

A Southern California heat wave that pushed temperatures over 100 degrees cut into overall attendance figures for the opening weekend of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) 63rd Annual California RV Show. The show, which last year drew around 33,000 to the Pomona Fairplex, opened Friday (Oct. 9) and runs through Sunday. “We were right […]

Ochlocknee, Ga.-based Pinnacle Park Homes Inc. has secured financing options for campground owners that want to add their rental cabins, the organization announced in a press release. “The choice is theirs,” said Sales Manager Andy Davis in a press release. “Whether they are looking at the low payment of $9 a day, the low rate of 6.9%, […]

eBay Motors is sponsoring the mobile app for the RV Dealers International Convention/Expo for the second year in a row. The app is designed to improve the overall convention experience by putting all the details of the event on the user’s mobile device along with capabilities for social media sharing, personalized scheduling, and up to […]

The root causes behind retreating Canadian RV sales are largely beyond the industry’s control as the effects of a declining dollar have been exacerbated by diving commodity prices – a market that touched off a significant boon for the economy with the exploration and subsequent mining of oil sands. “It’s certainly the perfect storm of sorts,” […]