Country Coach Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Limited Edition Magna
Luxury motorhome manufacturer Country Coach, C2132, is celebrating its third decade in the RV manufacturing business with the 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Magna. This 42-foot flat-floor, triple-slideout motorhome, which debuted at the annual Country Coach Class Reunion Rally in September 2003, will be offered in a limited production run of 30 units.
“This coach is a culmination of the things people look for in a Country Coach “” and then some,” said company CEO and founder Bob Lee. “Our design team set out to craft some truly exquisite interiors and they spared no details.”
The Limited Edition Magna is available with one of two interior packages “” the Nottingham or the St. Thomas “” which are matched with granite slab surfaces throughout the coach. The Nottingham offers the stately patterns and colors of a British club with deep red wines, tapestries, hunter greens, and warm taupes. The St. Thomas is outfitted in a South Seas-inspired décor, featuring basket weave paired with linen in combinations of black and taupe, and a hint of sage green. Both interiors include sculptured carpet, patterned tile flooring, stained-glass doors, custom lighting and plumbing fixtures, backsplash, shower surround, window treatment, and bedding details that serve as reminders throughout the coach of its Limited Edition status. For that finishing touch, owners can choose from four exclusive exterior paint schemes to go along with a custom stainless-steel trim package.
Commemorative insignias adorn the sides of the coach, the full rear mud flap, the electric awnings, the driver and passenger seats, the bath towels, and the personalized leather jackets provided with each 30th Anniversary Edition Magna.
For more information, contact Country Coach at (800) 654-0223.
Damon Introduces Updated 2004 Type A DayBreak
Damon Motor Coach, C4690, a division of Thor Industries, recently released the 2004 DayBreak type A motorhome. The DayBreak, starting at $58,515, is one of the lowest-priced motorhomes in its category, but continues to provide many features found in more expensive motorhomes.
The DayBreak is built on either a Ford or Workhorse chassis and includes a steel-truss structure system that makes the model’s new full basement storage possible. The sidewalls are constructed of aluminum and finished with a vacuum-bond laminating process. New to the 2004 edition is a redesigned front cap, along with the introduction of a rear fiberglass cap. As with every Damon motorhome, the DayBreak’s TPO-brand crowned roof is designed to enable better water runoff, less black streaking, and no chalking.
The DayBreak now comes standard with an in-dash AM-FM radio and CD player. Another new feature is a remote-control thermostat that adjusts the operation of the roof-mounted, ducted Carrier air conditioner. A VCR-DVD player and vinyl tile in the bathroom are offered as options.
DayBreak models are available with no slideouts, a single slideout, and two slideouts. Floor plans range in length from 29 feet 10 inches to 34 feet 9 inches. All of the floor plans sleep four to five people comfortably.
For more specific information about the 2004 DayBreak motorhome, contact Damon Motor Coach at (800) 577-5692 or visit www.damonrv.com.
Veterans Show Pride With Window Stickers
U.S. veterans can proudly display their military service involvement with VetSignia window stickers. These stickers are 2 inches by 4 inches, with black letters on a shiny silver background that includes the stars and stripes.
Stickers are available for those who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, overseas expeditionary campaigns, and during peacetime, in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. Veterans who served in the past four major wars can display the war served in and their branch of service. VetSignias show combinations such as “Vet/WWII/U.S. Navy” and “Vet/U.S. Army,” etc. To see black-and-white images of the stickers, visit www.vetsignia.org.
The stickers are made by a small group of retired veterans, led by Bob Kline, a World War II marine who handles the requests. “We were brainstorming about how we could help fellow veterans get recognition on more than just a few special holidays,” he said.
The stickers cost $4 each or three for $10. The price includes shipping and handling. Send requests to Bob Kline, Box 382, Blue Bell, PA 19422; phone (610) 277-1171; or e-mail bobk.ww2usmc@vetsignia.org. Include your branch of service and information about war served, expeditionary, or peacetime.
Camping World Joins Toys For Tots Drive
Camping World, C1970, has joined the effort to help bring Christmas cheer to underprivileged children throughout the United States by participating as a drop-off location in the nationwide Toys for Tots campaign.
“The RVing community is a powerful force, and if that power is focused on this toy drive, there will be lots of happy kids this Christmas,” said Mark Boggess, Camping World president. “We want to make it easy for our customers to participate, and we want to help children have a memorable holiday. Every child should have something special to open on Christmas Day.”
Toys for Tots began in 1947 when a group of Marine Corps reservists in Los Angeles, California, collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. In 1995 the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official program of the Marines and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserves. In 2000 the campaign distributed a record-breaking 15.8 million toys to 6.3 million needy children.
Those wishing to donate can bring a new, unwrapped toy for children from infant to 15 years old to any of Camping World’s 35 locations until December 21. A complete listing of the locations can be found at www.campingworld.com or by calling (866) 694-1580.
Attendance Up At Caravan Salon 2003
Organizers of Caravan Salon 2003, held August 30 through September 9 in Dusseldorf, Germany, announced that 164,000 visitors attended the international trade fair for RVs and camping equipment. The attendance figure represents a 5 percent increase from the 2002 event. In addition, the show attracted 25 more exhibitors in 2003, boosting the total count to 525 companies from 21 countries.
Caravan Salon 2004 is slated for August 27 through September 5 at the fairgrounds in the Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre.
ReserveAmerica Adds More Federal Recreation Sites To Its Reservation Service
ReserveAmerica, an online camping reservation service and campground management company, has added 12 National Park Service (NPS) properties, three Bureau of Land Management (BLM) areas, and one Bureau of Reclamation area to its centralized federal reservation service. Since 1997 ReserveAmerica has provided reservation services for USDA Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness facilities.
The 12 NPS areas are as follows: Arches National Park, Utah; Big Bend National Park, Texas; Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado; Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina/Virginia; Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah; Buffalo National River, Arkansas; Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma; Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado; Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Washington; Lassen Volcanic National Park, California; North Cascades National Park, Washington; and Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri.
The BLM sites, all located in Oregon, include Fishermen’s Bend, Loon Lake Recreation Area, and Wildwood Recreation Site. The one Bureau of Reclamation property is the New Melones Project in California.
To reserve a campsite using this service, visit www.reserveamerica.com.
Life On Wheels Conference Schedule Announced
Gaylord Maxwell, F61099, founder and director of the RV consumer education Life on Wheels conferences, has announced the schedule for 2004. Four colleges will host the program, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next summer.
The first conference will take place at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, May 14 through 17. From July 11 through 16, the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, will become a campground for a six-day program. At this conference, more than 150 different seminars will be presented by approximately 50 experts on RVs and the RV lifestyle. From August 27 through 30, Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa, will host the conference. Then from September 6 through 9, the program will be held at Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania.
Life on Wheels conferences offer seminars in three areas: lifestyle (full-timing, choosing an RV, boondocking, etc.); technical (performance, solar power, gas vs. diesel, etc.); and lifestyle enhancement (RV cooking, digital photography, healthful travel, etc.). Attendees can choose from more than a dozen different seminars each period at the Idaho conference and from at least seven each period at the other “satellite schools.”
The 90-minute seminars offered during each conference run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although there is no homework, most attendees use the evenings as a time to learn from their neighbors parked at the campus campgrounds. Also, many of the instructors are available during the breaks, at noon, and in the evenings for discussing individual concerns.
Many Life on Wheels instructors are well-known magazine writers and book authors. Included are RV lifestyle writers Joe and Vicki Kieva, F164860; Sharlene “Charlie” Minshall, F118896; Gaylord Maxwell; Marilyn Abraham; and Sandy McGregor. Technical experts include Eric Davis, Greg Holder, Robert Henderson, and Mike Steffen. In the lifestyle enhancement category, Lynn and Bob Difley; Mike and Terri Church, F284948; and Arline Chandler share their expertise in magazine articles and books.
For more information about the Life on Wheels program, call (866) 569-4646 or visit www.rvlifeonwheels.com.
John Dodgen Honored In “Great Americans” Book
John Dodgen, president and CEO of Born Free Motorcoach Inc., C1171, a division of Dodgen Industries, has been included in the 2003 edition of One Thousand Great Americans, which is published by the International Biographical Centre of Cambridge, England.
The book, which has been published for 35 years, includes biographical listings for prominent Americans who have succeeded through extraordinary and limitless talent.
Mr. Dodgen was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, on June 22, 1926. His family lived in Clinton, Oklahoma, until 1937 when they moved to Fort Dodge, Iowa. Immediately after high school he joined the U.S. Navy and served in World War II from 1944 to 1946. After the war, he and his brothers Joe and Jack founded Dodgen Industries in Fort Dodge. The company, which manufactured agricultural equipment, eventually moved operations to its current location in Humboldt, Iowa, in 1961.
Once Dodgen Industries was up and running, Mr. Dodgen returned to the classroom, where he earned a bachelor’s degree from Ottawa University in Kansas in 1956. He continued his studies at the Harvard Business School’s program for business. After finishing the program in 1961, he took over as president of Dodgen Industries.
In 1969, as family farming operations were disappearing, Mr. Dodgen redirected the company’s manufacturing capabilities by starting Born Free Motorcoach Inc. to build type C motorhomes. Since then Dodgen Industries has added numerous other divisions of which he serves as president.
Mr. Dodgen is married to Wanda Lou and has four children: James, Mary Lou, John C.T., and Lori.
Winnebago Industries Inducted Into Small Business Administration Hall Of Fame
Winnebago Industries Inc., C93, was one of 23 businesses inducted into the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Golden Anniversary Hall of Fame on September 19, 2003. Other companies receiving recognition included America Online Inc., FedEx Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, Intel Corporation, and Outback Steakhouse Inc.
“We are truly honored to be included as one of the SBA’s ‘best of the best'” said Bruce Hertzke, Winnebago Industries’ chairman, CEO, and president. “We are very thankful for the SBA’s assistance in our formative years and truly grateful for the opportunities that it provided for Winnebago Industries to grow and become the leader in the motorhome industry.”
Winnebago Industries was founded as a travel trailer company in 1958 under the name Modernistic Industries of Iowa, with 17 employees. In 1960 the fledgling company received a $75,000 loan from SBA and in 1961 changed its name to Winnebago Industries. On September 24, 1964, its manufacturing plant was devastated by fire, but with the assistance of another SBA loan of $390,000 in 1965, the company was able to construct a new factory, and within a few months was building motorhomes. Today Winnebago Industries, based in Forest City, Iowa, employs approximately 3,700 people nationwide.
The Golden Anniversary Hall of Fame honors businesses that have received SBA assistance and, through hard work and commitment to excellence, have achieved outstanding success.
RV Resort Enlists Gary Burghoff As Spokesman
Gary Burghoff, who is best-known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Radar in the the TV series “M*A*S*H,” has teamed with Nature Coast Landings RV Resort, C8067, to promote the resort through personal appearances and print endorsements.
The resort, located near Crystal City, Florida, is a relatively new RV community in Citrus County that features numerous outdoor and nature-based amenities, such as fishing and boating. The first stage of development is completed, with all 86 sites sold. The second stage, which will include 71 sites, is under construction, and another 85 sites are planned to be developed in 2005. One of two clubhouses is completed, with a second to be finished in the spring of 2004.
Mr. Burghoff, an avid RVer, nature enthusiast, and nationally recognized wildlife artist, owns a site at the resort and will live there when not traveling or spending time at his homes in California and Connecticut.
For more information, contact Nature’s Coast Landings RV Resort at (352) 447-2299.