12-19-07 - New Product! Plak-R RV Membership Mounting System
December 19, 2007, 2:45 pm12/14/07 - New RV Product! Portable RV Coffee/Side Table
December 18, 2007, 7:37 pm|
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| Portable RV Coffee/Side Tables | |
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Our folding coffee table is made of solid hardwood (no veneer), with extra attention paid to grain matching of the table top sides. The leg designs add a stunning visual appeal, with dowel inserts insuring long-lasting enjoyment. All of our tables are finished with two coats of air-activated lacquer. There is no finer value in a coffee table! | |
[Click Here for More Details]
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Measurements:
A heavy gauge vinyl storage cover is included with each table purchase.
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12-03-07 - Inability to Raise Cash Shuts Down National RV
December 3, 2007, 11:38 pm
Inability to Raise Cash Shuts Down National RV
Steve Bibler
RV Business
Monday, December 3, 2007
The inability to raise additional cash to finance operations was the final blow that led to National RV Holding Inc.’s decision last week to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“We did get out of debt but we couldn’t stop the burning of cash,” said Dave Humphreys, acting CEO, in an interview with RVBusiness. He said company officials during last week’s National RV show in Louisville “were having crisis calls every day to try to figure out how to get to a point of getting some income for our shareholders.”
The Perris, Calif.-based company, parent to Class A motorhome builder National RV Inc., is mired in a five-year decline during which it lost some $80 million. The company ranked No. 7 in gas-powered Class A motorhomes sales in September, according to Statistical Surveys Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., but its retail sales were off 31% for the year through September and its market share had fallen from 5.5% a year ago to 4.7%.
But despite an encouraging response from its dealers to some of its new products, the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which it did on Friday (Nov. 30) in federal court in Riverside, Calif. The action will free the company from the threat of its creditors’ lawsuits while it reorganizes its finances. Unless the court rules otherwise, National RV remains in control of the business and its assets.
Approximately 600 employees were informed on Friday that the company was closing. Letters to the idled workers said in part, “This layoff is expected to be permanent and the entire site will be closing.”
In a press release announcing its Chapter 11 filing, Humphreys stated, “We are saddened to let go our excellent employees, especially so close to the holidays, and even more so because National's motorhomes have never been better than they are today. After evaluating our options, however, we ultimately determined that seeking protection in bankruptcy was in the best interests of creditors and shareholders.”
The company introduced two new entry-level Class A motorhomes at Louisville: the gas-powered Rip Tide featuring two slideouts retailing for $85,000, and the diesel-powered Nautica featuring a full-wall slideout retailing for $140,000. Humphreys called these offerings “spectacular products.”
He said dealers “really loved the diesel” but didn’t like the floorplan for the gas-powered unit. “Our guys said that would be easy to adjust,” Humphreys said.
Both new products employed newly developed, patent-pending “Dura-Hull” construction, utilizing interlocking aluminum extrusions and lightweight framework. Both also feature integrated water management channels designed to route water across the length of the coach into hidden drains, thus eliminating streaking.
Humphreys said the impression he got from talking with other manufacturers at the show was that “the low end and high end (Class A motorhomes) are very strong but the middle is ‘mushy’ and we had a lot of products in the middle.”
Humphreys said “one of the tragic things is they had orders for 200 motorhomes before the show. We just couldn’t get the capital to build them.”
In the company’s most recent quarter ending in August, sales were down 42% while losses topped $8 million.
“We thought we had a realistic plan to return to profitability,” Humphreys said. He said he is confident the liquidation of the company will yield enough revenue to pay off all the company’s creditors.
“There are a lot of parts to this company that are very valuable in the liquidation,” he said. “The question is whether someone will buy the whole company or parts of it.”
Humphreys said that he and other key management officials will stay on and see through liquidation of the company as well as a lawsuit the company has against Channahon, Ill.-based Crane Composites Inc. and its parent, Crane Co., over faulty sidewalls.
The sidewall issue was a major blow to National RV’s recovery, Humphreys maintains. National RV began 2006 by showing significant progress in its turnaround efforts, with continued market share gains and reduced losses, but the defective fiberglass issue resulted in substantial unexpected costs and created a liquidity strain. That was compounded by a continued decline in the Class A industry, the company said in an earlier statement.
“This created an environment of severe uncertainty that began to significantly adversely affect the company, its employees, suppliers, customers and dealers,” the company added.
Humphreys also defended the sale at the start of the year of Country Coach, National’s only profitable segment, to a group led by the manufacturer’s largest shareholder for $38.75 million. The move was part of a continuing attempt to turn around the financially struggling company. The deal left National RV debt-free but without its only profitable asset.
“It was a very good move,” Humphreys said. “There were a number of things going on and we couldn’t help Country Coach with what it needed. I don’t think the synergism was what it should be. Country Coach deserved to do their own thing.”
Ironically, on the day National RV filed for bankruptcy, Country Coach announced it would lay off a portion of its work force in Junction City, Ore.
National’s closing follows a year of turmoil. In April, the company sold its 607,000-square-foot complex and land and began to lease back the buildings for 10 years. Four months later, the company's chief executive, Brad Albrechtsen, who led the company for six years, stepped down. Humphreys, the company’s recently appointed chairman, was named CEO.
In October, the company’s stock was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after its share price for a month fell below $1.
Steve Bibler
RV Business
Monday, December 3, 2007
The inability to raise additional cash to finance operations was the final blow that led to National RV Holding Inc.’s decision last week to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“We did get out of debt but we couldn’t stop the burning of cash,” said Dave Humphreys, acting CEO, in an interview with RVBusiness. He said company officials during last week’s National RV show in Louisville “were having crisis calls every day to try to figure out how to get to a point of getting some income for our shareholders.”
The Perris, Calif.-based company, parent to Class A motorhome builder National RV Inc., is mired in a five-year decline during which it lost some $80 million. The company ranked No. 7 in gas-powered Class A motorhomes sales in September, according to Statistical Surveys Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., but its retail sales were off 31% for the year through September and its market share had fallen from 5.5% a year ago to 4.7%.
But despite an encouraging response from its dealers to some of its new products, the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which it did on Friday (Nov. 30) in federal court in Riverside, Calif. The action will free the company from the threat of its creditors’ lawsuits while it reorganizes its finances. Unless the court rules otherwise, National RV remains in control of the business and its assets.
Approximately 600 employees were informed on Friday that the company was closing. Letters to the idled workers said in part, “This layoff is expected to be permanent and the entire site will be closing.”
In a press release announcing its Chapter 11 filing, Humphreys stated, “We are saddened to let go our excellent employees, especially so close to the holidays, and even more so because National's motorhomes have never been better than they are today. After evaluating our options, however, we ultimately determined that seeking protection in bankruptcy was in the best interests of creditors and shareholders.”
The company introduced two new entry-level Class A motorhomes at Louisville: the gas-powered Rip Tide featuring two slideouts retailing for $85,000, and the diesel-powered Nautica featuring a full-wall slideout retailing for $140,000. Humphreys called these offerings “spectacular products.”
He said dealers “really loved the diesel” but didn’t like the floorplan for the gas-powered unit. “Our guys said that would be easy to adjust,” Humphreys said.
Both new products employed newly developed, patent-pending “Dura-Hull” construction, utilizing interlocking aluminum extrusions and lightweight framework. Both also feature integrated water management channels designed to route water across the length of the coach into hidden drains, thus eliminating streaking.
Humphreys said the impression he got from talking with other manufacturers at the show was that “the low end and high end (Class A motorhomes) are very strong but the middle is ‘mushy’ and we had a lot of products in the middle.”
Humphreys said “one of the tragic things is they had orders for 200 motorhomes before the show. We just couldn’t get the capital to build them.”
In the company’s most recent quarter ending in August, sales were down 42% while losses topped $8 million.
“We thought we had a realistic plan to return to profitability,” Humphreys said. He said he is confident the liquidation of the company will yield enough revenue to pay off all the company’s creditors.
“There are a lot of parts to this company that are very valuable in the liquidation,” he said. “The question is whether someone will buy the whole company or parts of it.”
Humphreys said that he and other key management officials will stay on and see through liquidation of the company as well as a lawsuit the company has against Channahon, Ill.-based Crane Composites Inc. and its parent, Crane Co., over faulty sidewalls.
The sidewall issue was a major blow to National RV’s recovery, Humphreys maintains. National RV began 2006 by showing significant progress in its turnaround efforts, with continued market share gains and reduced losses, but the defective fiberglass issue resulted in substantial unexpected costs and created a liquidity strain. That was compounded by a continued decline in the Class A industry, the company said in an earlier statement.
“This created an environment of severe uncertainty that began to significantly adversely affect the company, its employees, suppliers, customers and dealers,” the company added.
Humphreys also defended the sale at the start of the year of Country Coach, National’s only profitable segment, to a group led by the manufacturer’s largest shareholder for $38.75 million. The move was part of a continuing attempt to turn around the financially struggling company. The deal left National RV debt-free but without its only profitable asset.
“It was a very good move,” Humphreys said. “There were a number of things going on and we couldn’t help Country Coach with what it needed. I don’t think the synergism was what it should be. Country Coach deserved to do their own thing.”
Ironically, on the day National RV filed for bankruptcy, Country Coach announced it would lay off a portion of its work force in Junction City, Ore.
National’s closing follows a year of turmoil. In April, the company sold its 607,000-square-foot complex and land and began to lease back the buildings for 10 years. Four months later, the company's chief executive, Brad Albrechtsen, who led the company for six years, stepped down. Humphreys, the company’s recently appointed chairman, was named CEO.
In October, the company’s stock was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after its share price for a month fell below $1.
11-28-07 - 2007 Engines Performing Well, Say Caterpillar Customers
November 28, 2007, 11:28 am
For North American Release: November 27, 2007
Release Number: T11PR07
Editorial Information:
Charissa Ebbert
Caterpillar Inc.
Global On-Highway
309-578-7378
Ebbert_Charissa_M@CAT.com
Reader Responses:
Send requests for information to:
Caterpillar Inc.
Global On-Highway
P.O. Box 610
Mossville, IL 61552-6110
1-800-321-7332
2007 Engines Performing Well, Say Caterpillar Customers
With a complete line of four Caterpillar® 2007 engines in full production and readily available, customers are providing feedback on how the newest additions to the Caterpillar engine line are doing on the road.
One such customer is Ray Birkmire, an over-the-road driver for New Century Transportation in Westampton, N.J. Birkmire, a 35-year veteran of driving trucks, averages 130,000 miles each year running east coast to west coast. He currently is running a 430-horsepower 2007 Cat® C13 with ACERT™ Technology. So far, he's put 80,000 miles on the engine, using the required ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.
Even with the different fuel requirements, performance and fuel economy is equal to or better than previous engines, Birkmire said.
"I'm happy with the engine, it does a good job. I'm not seeing any performance issues with it using the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. It pulls a mountain in Tennessee that I regularly run at about 65 miles per hour, the same as the previous Cat engine I had," he said. "We're getting good fuel mileage, too—it gets 6.8 miles per gallon, and I was amazed that this truck would get that."
Although the engine iron has changed slightly with the addition of the self-regenerating diesel particulate filter, driving this new C13 feels the same as running a Cat engine always has, according to Birkmire. "There's no special training required. The dealer sat down with me when the truck came in and explained the regeneration process and the indicator lights," he said. "Usually it regenerates all by itself, I don't have to do anything."
Designed to meet the new, stringent 2007 EPA emissions standards without sacrificing performance, reliability or fuel economy, the new engines provide lower emissions than ever before. One pleasant surprise for Birkmire was how clean the new Cat engine runs.
"There's no smoke coming out of that stack, which amazes me," Birkmire said. "It doesn't smoke at all, and the stack on the truck does not get carbon buildup in it. It actually keeps the trailer clean!"
Birkmire worked closely with New Century's Caterpillar dealer, Ransome Cat located in Bensalem, Pa., to ensure that the transition to the new engine went smoothly. "The support from Caterpillar has been really good," he said. "When I first got the truck, they called me and wanted to know how I was doing and what fuel mileage I was getting. If I am having any issues, they want to know about it."
Cat customer Robert Long, chief financial officer of USA Dry Van Logistics, LLC, in McAllen, Texas, concurs with Birkmire's opinion of Caterpillar support.
"Cat's always been the preferred motor. There are fewer breakdowns. I've always liked the support Cat's given—I like the way they stand behind it. When we spec the truck, I don't get the support from the competitors," Long said.
Long also mentions fuel mileage as a Cat advantage. "We had to take 10 competing engines and test them, and the Cat's doing a lot better than those engines, averaging about 7.2 or 7.4 miles per gallon," he said. "We weren't afraid to jump into the new motor, and it's doing well for us. Drivers love them too, and haven't had problems with them."
With the same range of engine ratings, fuel economy and projected life to overhaul as previous Cat engines, the 2007 engines continue to provide the value, performance and fuel economy customers expect, according to George Taylor, director and general manager, Global On-Highway at Caterpillar.
"With refinements to the same technology approach proven successful over millions of miles, the new engines are meeting or exceeding our customers' expectations in every way," Taylor said. "The more than a half million engines with ACERT Technology on the road today are a clear statement on the customer value our engines deliver."
For more than 81 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making progress possible and driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2006 sales and revenues of $41.5 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. The company is a technology leader in construction, transportation, mining, forestry, energy, logistics, financing and electric power generation. Caterpillar is a leading manufacturer and supplier of truck and bus engines in the combined medium and heavy duty categories in North America. More information is available at http://www.cat.com.
###
To download the image, please click on the link below, refresh the screen and then select file save as
Image 1: http://emailmarketing.weyforth-haas.com/CAT/Birkmire-and-Truck_HR.jpg
Caption: Ray Birkmire, a 35-year veteran of driving trucks, averages 130,000 miles each year running east coast to west coast. He currently is running a 430-horsepower 2007 Cat® C13 with ACERT™ Technology.
Image 2: http://emailmarketing.weyforth-haas.com/CAT/Long-USALogistics.jpg
Caption: Cat customer Robert Long is the chief financial officer of USA Dry Van Logistics, LLC, in McAllen, Texas.
Release Number: T11PR07
Editorial Information:
Charissa Ebbert
Caterpillar Inc.
Global On-Highway
309-578-7378
Ebbert_Charissa_M@CAT.com
Reader Responses:
Send requests for information to:
Caterpillar Inc.
Global On-Highway
P.O. Box 610
Mossville, IL 61552-6110
1-800-321-7332
2007 Engines Performing Well, Say Caterpillar Customers
With a complete line of four Caterpillar® 2007 engines in full production and readily available, customers are providing feedback on how the newest additions to the Caterpillar engine line are doing on the road.
One such customer is Ray Birkmire, an over-the-road driver for New Century Transportation in Westampton, N.J. Birkmire, a 35-year veteran of driving trucks, averages 130,000 miles each year running east coast to west coast. He currently is running a 430-horsepower 2007 Cat® C13 with ACERT™ Technology. So far, he's put 80,000 miles on the engine, using the required ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.
Even with the different fuel requirements, performance and fuel economy is equal to or better than previous engines, Birkmire said.
"I'm happy with the engine, it does a good job. I'm not seeing any performance issues with it using the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. It pulls a mountain in Tennessee that I regularly run at about 65 miles per hour, the same as the previous Cat engine I had," he said. "We're getting good fuel mileage, too—it gets 6.8 miles per gallon, and I was amazed that this truck would get that."
Although the engine iron has changed slightly with the addition of the self-regenerating diesel particulate filter, driving this new C13 feels the same as running a Cat engine always has, according to Birkmire. "There's no special training required. The dealer sat down with me when the truck came in and explained the regeneration process and the indicator lights," he said. "Usually it regenerates all by itself, I don't have to do anything."
Designed to meet the new, stringent 2007 EPA emissions standards without sacrificing performance, reliability or fuel economy, the new engines provide lower emissions than ever before. One pleasant surprise for Birkmire was how clean the new Cat engine runs.
"There's no smoke coming out of that stack, which amazes me," Birkmire said. "It doesn't smoke at all, and the stack on the truck does not get carbon buildup in it. It actually keeps the trailer clean!"
Birkmire worked closely with New Century's Caterpillar dealer, Ransome Cat located in Bensalem, Pa., to ensure that the transition to the new engine went smoothly. "The support from Caterpillar has been really good," he said. "When I first got the truck, they called me and wanted to know how I was doing and what fuel mileage I was getting. If I am having any issues, they want to know about it."
Cat customer Robert Long, chief financial officer of USA Dry Van Logistics, LLC, in McAllen, Texas, concurs with Birkmire's opinion of Caterpillar support.
"Cat's always been the preferred motor. There are fewer breakdowns. I've always liked the support Cat's given—I like the way they stand behind it. When we spec the truck, I don't get the support from the competitors," Long said.
Long also mentions fuel mileage as a Cat advantage. "We had to take 10 competing engines and test them, and the Cat's doing a lot better than those engines, averaging about 7.2 or 7.4 miles per gallon," he said. "We weren't afraid to jump into the new motor, and it's doing well for us. Drivers love them too, and haven't had problems with them."
With the same range of engine ratings, fuel economy and projected life to overhaul as previous Cat engines, the 2007 engines continue to provide the value, performance and fuel economy customers expect, according to George Taylor, director and general manager, Global On-Highway at Caterpillar.
"With refinements to the same technology approach proven successful over millions of miles, the new engines are meeting or exceeding our customers' expectations in every way," Taylor said. "The more than a half million engines with ACERT Technology on the road today are a clear statement on the customer value our engines deliver."
For more than 81 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making progress possible and driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2006 sales and revenues of $41.5 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. The company is a technology leader in construction, transportation, mining, forestry, energy, logistics, financing and electric power generation. Caterpillar is a leading manufacturer and supplier of truck and bus engines in the combined medium and heavy duty categories in North America. More information is available at http://www.cat.com.
###
To download the image, please click on the link below, refresh the screen and then select file save as
Image 1: http://emailmarketing.weyforth-haas.com/CAT/Birkmire-and-Truck_HR.jpg
Caption: Ray Birkmire, a 35-year veteran of driving trucks, averages 130,000 miles each year running east coast to west coast. He currently is running a 430-horsepower 2007 Cat® C13 with ACERT™ Technology.
Image 2: http://emailmarketing.weyforth-haas.com/CAT/Long-USALogistics.jpg
Caption: Cat customer Robert Long is the chief financial officer of USA Dry Van Logistics, LLC, in McAllen, Texas.
11/20/07 - Product Spotlight: Travasak RV Bedding
November 20, 2007, 3:14 pm
Travasak RV Sleep System
The Travasak Sleep System is two high-qualitycomforters with a complete bed linen set, including the necessary sheets and pillow case(s), all for the price of just one comforter. A great gift for the RVer on your list. Made in twin and queen sizes. Available in Barry, Blue, Sand & Teal.