Forest River makes first retail sale of motor home with new Workhorse UFO™ chassis
Gus Johnson saw a nice Class A motor home he'd like to move into, up from his "Class B Plus"¯ vehicle. But he had one concern: he had never driven anything as big as this 35-foot Georgetown from Forest River. However, when he became the first owner of a motor home built on the new Workhorse UFO™ chassis, any concern was quickly relieved.
"I drove it home about 60 miles from the dealership and I was very surprised,"¯ he said. "It drove great. It handled well and was really quiet. I liked the engine being in the rear. In fact, I was very surprised when I first started it "” you can't hear the engine run. I was holding the key down, but it was running. When I looked at the rpm gauge I could see it had started."¯
"The other thing I liked is that when you're in traffic it accelerates very quickly,"¯ said Johnson, When starting out or maneuvering in traffic at lower speeds, "it seems to get going. You don't have to wait on the other cars or watch them go around you like I was used to."¯
Gus and Garnett Johnson of Sebring, Fla., purchased the Georgetown 359TS model with the rear 8.1L GM Vortec™ gas engine from sales representative Gail Grinstead at Dusty's Camper World in Bartow, Fla. The Forest River model was the first to be delivered to a customer since the company announced it would use the new rear-engine chassis from Workhorse Custom Chassis as a Georgetown platform.
Forest River is currently in full production with the chassis, and RVers can expect more Georgetown units built on it to start showing up at Forest River dealerships across the country in the coming weeks, said Art Colvin, general manager of Forest River. "Our dealers are very interested in this product, and right now we're the only one who has it on the lots,"¯ said Colvin.
The Johnsons had looked at several Class A coaches. One thing that attracted them to the Georgetown unit was something it didn't have "” the engine "doghouse"¯ hump between the driver seats. "That's really nice,"¯ said Johnson. "All the other ones had a doghouse. Not having it makes a great feature because it gives you more room and it gives you the appearance that you have more room."¯
The Johnsons found that another unique attraction of this Georgetown model was the desk and easy chair that sit against the back wall. "My wife really liked that, she thought it was great,"¯ said Johnson. This area, as well as the lack of the front engine doghouse, was enabled by the flat floor capability provided by the Workhorse UFO™ chassis, which doesn't allow the front or rear engine to protrude above the floor. Other rear-engine motor homes cover the protrusion with a bed and cabinetry, which limits floorplan options.
Monaco Corporation and Winnebago Industries have announced they will also be building units on the Workhorse UFO™. Monaco expects to start production within the next month, and Winnebago will start production in the spring. Other manufacturers are similarly expected to announce plans for the new platform, which offers a choice of rear engines and enables manufacturers to build a greater variety of floorplans on a completely flat floor.
Dusty's has two more Georgetown models on the Workhorse UFO™ available as of presstime. "I think a lot of buyers are going to find these attractive for all the reasons Gus describes,"¯ says sales rep Grinstead. "The way it drives is going make people more comfortable about stepping up into a Class A. The flat floor provides more space and options that people like. And it's quiet. People can easily carry on a conversation."¯
Workhorse increases powertrain warranty to 100,000 miles
Workhorse now offers the best powertrain warranty in the motor home industry. Following General Motors' September announcement to extend the powertrain warranty of its complete car and light truck lineup, Workhorse is similarly announcing that it will warranty its powertrains, beginning with 2007 chassis models, for 5 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Production of 2007 platforms began in July 2006.
This upgrade from Workhorse's standard 3-year/36,000-mile warranty applies to Workhorse's W16/18, W20/22, W24/25.5 and new Workhorse UFO™ gas chassis. The longer warranty covers the engine, transmission and rear axle assembly. It includes the Hydramatic 4L85-E or 4L80-E transmissions used with W16/18 chassis. The Allison transmissions used with the other models will continue to be covered by Allison's 5-year or 200,000-mile warranty.
The General Motors 2007 warranty applies to the popular Chevy-Workhorse 14,050 lb. GVWR Class C chassis for motor homes.
Workhorse gas chassis all use GM's 8.1L Vortec™ engine, with the exception of the W16/18, (16,000 and 18,000 lb. GVWR) chassis, where the 8.1 L engine is an option to the standard 6.0 L Vortec.
"As with GM, this longer warranty reflects the confidence we have in the quality of our product. You can talk about quality, but the warranty says how well you back up the talk. This warranty covers the guts of the driving platform and, we hope, provides additional peace of mind to the motor home owner,"¯ said Bill Walmsley, Workhorse RV marketing manager. "These new warranty terms are part of our effort to elevate the level of RV quality and service "” exactly what RVers are demanding and what so many in our business are talking about. What we're telling RVers is that the Workhorse chassis is not only great to drive "” it's the one you can rely on."¯
All other Workhorse parts and components supplied or installed by Workhorse will continue to be covered as before by Workhorse's limited 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.
Winnebago Industries the latest manufacturer to use new Workhorse UFO™
Winnebago Industries is the latest manufacturer to announce it is building on the Workhorse UFO™ chassis. It has created two new motor homes, the Winnebago Destination and Itasca Latitude, which will use the rear gas Workhorse UFO™ as their standard chassis.
The first models are expected on dealer lots by late spring, but both will be shown during the Florida RV Supershow in Tampa Jan. 17 to 21. The Destination will be on display at the Lazydays RV Supercenter and the Latitude will be at the Winnebago booth, No. 5227, at the Florida State Fairgrounds, supported by the Harberson Swanston dealership.
Monaco Coach and Forest River previously announced their use of the new rear engine chassis from Workhorse. Monaco will start production of the Monaco LaPalma and Holiday Rambler Vacationer models on the Workhorse UFO™ later this month. Forest River is presently manufacturing its Georgetown motor home on the Workhorse UFO™.
All manufacturers are using the Workhorse UFO™ rear gas option with the GM Vortec™ 8.1 L engine, the first such rear gas chassis in years. A diesel option will be available in the spring.
Workhorse RV Marketing Manager Bill Walmsley indicated that several other OEMs were working with Workhorse to develop motor homes with the new chassis.
"We think 2007 will see significant changes in motor home floor plans and in the way RVers think about front- and rear-engine Class A motor homes. The new Workhorse UFO™ chassis is generating a wave of new choices for RV consumers,"¯ said Walmsley.
Workhorse UFO™ beats competitor's air brakes by more than a coach length
It's been mentioned in test drives. But now the test data proves it. The Workhorse UFO™ Quadraulic™ four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are superior "” to the competition's air brakes! The results from head to head tests performed at the Bosch Proving Grounds in South Bend, Ind., showed the Workhorse UFO™ coming to a complete stop MORE THAN A COACH LENGTH SOONER from 60 mph than the competition's rear diesel pusher.
Here are the plain facts:
Coach on Workhorse UFO™ 26,000 lb. GVWR loaded to 26,000 lb. Average stopping distance, 60 mph to 0 mph: 189 feet.*
Similar coach on competitor's 28,000 lb. GVWR rear diesel pusher with air brakes and loaded to 26,000 lbs. Average stopping distance, 60 mph to 0 mph: 238 feet.*
Difference: Workhorse UFO™ stopped 49 feet sooner.
Question: Which chassis would you rather be driving?
Just one more reason why the Workhorse UFO™ is the First Of Its Kind.
*Average of six runs
People like having a Cat® around
Workhorse recently announced it would be using a C7 Caterpillar® engine for its R Series diesel chassis, starting in late spring. A number of people have told us how pleased they are that we are helping to keep this engine option in the RV marketplace.
Cat engines retain a very loyal following among RVers. For a number of RVers, a Cat is the only engine they want driving their motor home. And the 2007 C7 Cat for the R Series exudes the kind of power that gives you confidence in any situation. It's an in-line, 6 cylinder, 7.2 liter powerplant that generates 350 hp at 2,400 rpm and 925 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,440 rpm. It is fully compliant with 2007 emissions standards, using Caterpillar's unique ACERT™ Technology.
The introduction of the Cat C7 into our chassis lineup is just another reason why we call ourselves the customer's advocate to the RV industry. That commitment has led to the widest selection of motor home chassis and chassis engines offered by any manufacturer. If you want a choice, Workhorse is what you want
Test drives and special display to show benefits of new Workhorse UFO™ chassis
Workhorse will display its all-new rear-engine Workhorse UFO™ chassis at the 2007 Florida RV Supershow Jan. 17 to 21 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Booth 145. Workhorse will also conduct test drives of the new Workhorse UFO™ chassis.
You may sign up for a test drive on the rear gas model by going to the Workhorse booth or by accessing
Test Drive A UFO In Tampa.
The display chassis is unique in itself: the chassis has a platform built on it to demonstrate the front-to-back flat floor that it allows, which enables a greater variety of coach floorplans. The platform is also Plexiglas in spots to let visitors view the innovative components beneath their feet.
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