Rick Kessler

By the end of this week, Wisconsin should officially have its first state association representing RV dealers. The Wisconsin Recreational Vehicle Dealers Alliance already has one bank, four distributors and about 20 of the state’s 74 dealers as members, each pledging a three-year initial membership commitment. The alliance’s articles of incorporation will become official Thursday […]

OptiView, a fully integrated, all-digital LCD instrument cluster unveiled by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) at last year’s National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., is gaining the attention of RV manufacturers. Bryan Henke, manager of product marketing for FCCC, said OptiView is one of several products and campaigns from the company that is doing well for […]

Attendees representing about 90% of Newmar Corp.’s dealer base were treated to the unveiling of 2017 models April 5-7 at the Nappanee, Ind.-based motorhome builder’s annual dealer meeting at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Center in Kissimmee, Fla. The 24 Class A motorhomes on display, all upgraded to varying extents for the 2017 model […]

About 90% of Newmar Corp.’s dealer base was treated to the unveiling of the 2017 models at the Nappanee, Ind.-based manufacturer’s annual dealer meetings, April 5-7 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Center in Kissimmee, Fla. (To view a slideshow scroll to the right side of the RVBUSINESS.com home page. Photos by Lori Ballard). […]

Spartan Motors Inc. CEO Daryl Adams and Steve Guillaume, president of the Spartan Specialty Vehicles division, took time during the Florida RV SuperShow in January to tout the company’s new mobile application, Spartan Connected Care. In addition, Adams later told RVBUSINESS.com that the Charlotte, Mich.-based company’s 2015 financial report — which, released in February, included […]

The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) of Alberta is expecting 120 RVs for its 4th Annual RV Learning Weekend on May 27-29 at Ol’ MacDonalds Resort, located in central Alberta on the south shores of Buffalo Lake. The event is an opportunity for local RVers to enjoy an “entertaining and informative weekend,” said Dan Merkowsky, […]

Unlike a lot of companies, Vancouver, Wash.-based Roadmaster Inc. enjoys the luxury of going to shows, trade or retail, and not only displaying new products — from tow bars, mounting brackets, supplemental braking systems, suspension and steering componentry to anti-sway bars and tow dollies — but having its founder, owner president and chief idea man, […]

With the introduction of the ISR Series SuperLite 20K, Mishawaka, Ind.-based PullRite Towing Systems believes it has reinvented the fifth-wheel hitch. In a traditional fifth-wheel hitch setup, a kingpin off the trailer slides into the jaws of the hitch mounted in the bed of a truck. The SuperLite replaces that with an upside-down ball-and-coupler system […]

A motorhome taken as trade for a classic car – plus the pleas of his sons who enjoyed camping in the RV – is what ultimately led Barrington Motor Sales, founded 50 years ago by Ron Bransky, to become Barrington RV Sales. In 1966 he established the company as a Jeep and Datsun dealer on […]

The transition of its Class A diesel manufacturing from its Forest City, Iowa, campus to Junction City, Ore., as well as the purposeful reining in on its motorized production to better focus on quality signaled a 3.4% drop in motorhome sales, officials at Winnebago Industries Inc. said Thursday (March 24) during a conference call commenting on second-quarter […]