Boosting fuel efficiency by 70 percent, new Workhorse chassis and Damon Avanti motor home ready for a crowd at Louisville show
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 2, 2008) — A new Class A motor home that boasts up to 70 percent better fuel economy than comparable coaches is set to draw a crowd at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville this week.
The all-new 31 ˝-foot Avanti from Damon Motor Coach drew rave reviews during its rollout at fall RV shows, including the Pennsylvania RV and Camping Show and the California RV Show. The press, for one thing, has been all over it — from the cover of RV Business magazine, to the automotive pages of The Washington Times, to being named “2009 Coach of the Year” by the RVBuddiesonline.com website.
2009 Damon Avanti Class A Motorhome
The Avanti (which means “forward” in Italian) has been in production since October and started shipping to dealerships in November. It is the first motor home to be built on the W16D front-engine diesel platform from Workhorse Custom Chassis. The W16D is a new RV-enhanced version of a proven 16,000 lb. GVWR Workhorse diesel platform that is both lower and narrower than traditional Class A motor home chassis, enabling lower, sleeker motor home body designs.
The W16D is powered by the MaxxForce™ 5 V6 diesel engine from Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV). The MaxxForce 5 is mated to an Allison 1000 Series transmission and produces 200 horsepower and 440 lb.-ft. of torque. Other key W16D features that enhance the drivability and manageability of the motor home include high-performance Brembo 4-wheel disc brakes, 50-degree wheel cut and electronic instrument cluster with full instrumentation and information center.
Leading edge EGR technology makes the MaxxForce 5 a “clean diesel” engine that improves both emission levels and fuel efficiency. That and the relatively light weight of the engine and chassis both contribute to the Avanti’s fuel economy and payload capacity. The Avanti will be on display at Damon Booth 3000 and the W16D at Workhorse Booth 2018.
Matt Thompson, Damon vice president of sales for Avanti, describes the Avanti’s drivability as “awesome.” The Avanti’s coach is nearly 12 inches lower than any other Class A motor home and is six inches narrower. The low center of gravity, combined with the excellent ride and handling of the Workhorse chassis, gives it “an automotive feel,” said Thompson. “I think people will find it fun to drive. Certainly not like any other Class A.”
Its excellent payload capacity means the Avanti can put diesel class storage and amenities into a smaller motor home, enabling owners of larger motor homes to conveniently downsize. Thompson calls the storage space on the Avanti “phenomenal.” “Our 31 1/2-foot model has as much storage as a comparable 37-foot coach,” he said. “We worked hard to utilize every square inch.”
A walk-around queen bed, split bath layout, large screen TV and curvaceous nautical interior styling are some of the diesel-class luxury and amenities packed in the coach, making it “a great choice for both a first-time buyer or an experienced RVer looking to drive something a little ‘greener’ but with the storage and amenities they’re used to,” said Thompson. “They still have the interior space advantages of a Class A, but in the size of a Class C (motor home with a separate van cab compartment) and with better fuel economy than many Class Cs.” Damon also expects to have an even shorter floorplan in the 25- to 26-foot range available soon
The RV-enhanced W16D chassis marks the latest in a series of chassis firsts from Workhorse that have multiplied motor home choices for consumers over the past decade.
“Our work with Damon on this project is typical of how we respond to manufacturer and market needs,” said Tony Monda, vice president of marketing and product planning for Workhorse. “We see ourselves as the customer’s advocate in the RV industry, and that means being proactive in developing new answers for new challenges.”
Workhorse Custom Chassis
Workhorse Custom Chassis is an affiliate of Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV), a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International® brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce™ brand diesel engines, IC brand school and commercial buses, and Workhorse® brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine parts and service. Another affiliate offers financing services. Additional information is available at
www.Navistar.com/newsroom.
For additional information about Workhorse visit
Workhorse.com.
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