New Dometic Lab Focuses On Cleaning, Sanitation Products
Employees are making messes — and cleaning them up — at Dometic Group’s new in-house chemical development and testing laboratory in LaGrange, Indiana. It’s all part of the new lab’s focus on the engineering and testing of cleaning and sanitation products for the RV aftermarket.
“While in the past, Dometic has marketed products through partnerships with other vendors, moving forward, everything we release to the market will be an original Dometic formula,” said Dan Smith, a chemical engineer who leads the lab team.
Dometic is placing a renewed emphasis on sanitation products, a segment that represents a significant expenditure among RVers. “We’re trying to make it as lifelike as possible with practical application and functional testing, so, yes, we test on human waste here,” Smith said. “It’s the only way to ensure a product will provide the consumers with the same positive results. Another priority for us is for our solutions to be effective while environmentally friendly.”
Dometic’s products are sold in nearly 100 countries. Information about the company and its product lines is available at www.dometic.com/usa.
Winnebago Expanding To Meet Demand
Winnebago Industries Inc. officials cited increased consumer demand for its motorhomes as the reason behind the purchase in May 2015 of a 33,400-square-foot building in Waverly, Iowa, that will expand the company’s subassembly operations.
The facility, built in 1995, is essentially move-in ready. It is within 100 miles of the company’s Forest City, Iowa, headquarters, which will enable cost-efficient transportation of component parts to the main campus, said Winnebago chairman, CEO, and president Randy Potts.
The Waverly facility will be used for wire loom assembly activities for motorhomes. That operation is being relocated from the Forest City campus. Winnebago officials anticipate investing $1.5 million to $2 million over the next few quarters to buy the building and to cover start-up expenses.
Frank Hugelmeyer To Lead RVIA
Frank Hugelmeyer has been named the next president of Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). He replaces Richard Coon, who announced his retirement in March 2015 after serving as RVIA president since January 2006. Mr. Hugelmeyer will be president-elect and work with Mr. Coon during a period of transition until officially taking over on October 1, 2015.
From 2000 to 2014, Mr. Hugelmeyer was president and CEO of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), working with outdoor brands and business executives in the areas of recreation economics, public lands policy, and consumer trends. Since November 2014, he has been president of Recreation Influence Strategies LLC, a management consulting firm. In addition, he has served on a variety of recreation-related boards and advisory groups.
RVIA is a national association that represents approximately 400 manufacturers and component suppliers that produce 98 percent of RVs made in the United States.
Tucson KOA To Install Solar Structures
Visitors to the Tucson/Lazydays Kampgrounds of America (KOA) site in Arizona soon will be able to camp and build campfires under patented shade structures that produce clean solar energy.
Two 30-foot-high PowerParasol solar structures will provide room for visitors to park RVs in 30 campsites underneath them and will shade more than an acre of the campground. The parasols create dappled light, which allows plants and the campground’s fruit trees to thrive. The design also will preserve views of the mountains and desert landscape and create an open, airy space.
The PowerParasol structures will include 3,500 solar panels with the capacity to generate a megawatt of DC power. In the first year, it is estimated that the panels will produce 1.75 million kilowatt hours of energy, enough to power more than 150 homes.
Strategic Solar Energy is the company behind the PowerParasol. Construction on the KOA project was to begin in late June and is expected to be completed by late October. The campground will use the energy to power its facilities and give visitors access to green energy. Any excess generation will be integrated into Tucson Electric Power’s grid.
Cummins Introduces Quickserve App For Android
Cummins Inc. has released an Android version of its free QuickServe Online (QSOL) mobile app. The app provides access to Cummins parts options, parts catalogs, and engine dataplate information for 15 million Cummins engine serial numbers (ESNs). It also includes a fault-code analyzer for Cummins electronic engines, which explains current fault codes, advises which fault codes are dependent on other fault codes, and recommends which should be fixed first.
The Android version of the free QSOL mobile app is available for download in the Google Play store by searching for “Cummins QuickServeMobile.” A QSOL mobile app for Apple iOS devices is available for free download in the App Store by searching for “QuickServeMobile.”
Winnebago Factory Tours Draw Thousands
How is a motorhome built? Each year, more than 10,000 people find out by visiting Winnebago Industries in Forest City, Iowa.
The free tour begins with a 20-minute video in the visitors center, followed by a drive-through of the grounds in a Winnebago bus. Visitors also walk into three buildings: the Chassis Weld facility, where a front cab and basement storage are added to a chassis; the Stitchcraft facility, in which furniture and window valances are built; and the main production area, called Big Bertha, where mezzanines offer a view of three production lines that occupy an area equivalent to eight football fields.
Before or after the tour, people can stop at the Winnebago Museum in the visitors center. The museum chronicles the company’s 57-year history and the design and construction of its motorhomes. In the spring and summer, the visitors center also features some of the company’s latest motorhomes.
The two-hour tours are offered at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday from April through October, and at 1:00 p.m. in November. Reservations are recommended for groups larger than six. For more information, call (641) 585-6936 or visit www.wgo.net/company/visit.
Online Course Focuses On Weather
A free online course is being offered by the National Environmental Education Foundation to help people understand and prepare for the impacts of extreme weather and climate change.
The course, Extreme Weather 101, provides information through videos, quizzes, and toolkits, and offers tips and links to resources so people can be prepared to protect their lives and property in the face of extreme weather. The course can be found online at www.udemy.com/extreme-weather-101.
New President Begins At ARG
James P. Jacobs was named president of Allied Recreation Group (ARG) and began his duties on June 1 at the company’s Decatur, Indiana, headquarters. ARG, a division of Allied Specialty Vehicles, produces Type A and Type C motorhomes under the brand names American Coach, Fleetwood RV, Holiday Rambler, and Monaco.
Mr. Jacobs previously was general manager of the Dynamax Division of Forest River Inc. He also has held positions at Jayco Inc. and other RV companies.
American Coach Unveils VIP Center For Buyers
American Coach has relocated and renovated its VIP Delivery Center where owners take delivery of their newly purchased motorhomes. Previously located in the American Coach corporate production facility, it is now inside the Allied Recreation Group Parts and Service Center at 1010 W. Commerce Drive in Decatur, Indiana.
The new center includes a coffee bar, high-speed Wi-Fi, and television. Coach tours and introductions occur in two parallel bays. Owners park their old and new coaches in these indoor bays and transfer their belongings from one to the other, avoiding inclement weather.
For more information about American Coach products, visit www.americancoach.com or call (800) 854-1344.
Entegra Coach Unveils Factory, 2016 Products
Entegra Coach hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 11, 2015, to celebrate the latest addition to the Jayco manufacturing complex in Middlebury, Indiana: a 185,000-square-foot building. This facility will house production of 2016 diesel-powered Entegra motorhomes.
The ribbon cutting was part of a two-day event, which included the unveiling of the 2016 Entegra line. More than 30 vendors and dealers were in attendance, along with nearly 300 Entegra Coach owners from across the United States and Canada.
Upgrades to the 2016 Entegra Coach lineup include redesigned front and rear caps; MCD American Duo shades; a JBL sound system custom-tuned for Entegra; and LED marker and turn lights down the full side of the coach.
Entegra Coach is part of the Jayco family of RV manufacturing companies. For information about Entegra products, visit www.entegracoach.com or phone (800) 945-4787.