The motorhome is built on a Freightliner raised-rail chassis with a 340-horsepower or 350-horsepower Cummins engine and a six-speed Allison transmission.
The coach boasts solid hardwood glazed maple cabinetry, Corian countertops throughout, galvanized-steel storage compartments, Comfort Plus Soft Touch furniture, a seamless fiberglass roof, and full-body deluxe paint with a double clear-coat finish.
Standard features include an electric awning, side cameras, a central vacuum system, a vinyl ceiling, thermal-pane windows, and a 7.5-kilowatt diesel generator.
As with Gulf Stream’s entire product line, the Caribbean includes the GOLD Premium Customer Care Program, which provides customers with access to a specialized group of service representatives to help with roadside assistance, maintenance, and product questions.
The Caribbean has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $168,000. For more information, call (800) 289-8787 or visit http://www.gulfstreamrv.com/.
RV/MH Hall Of Fame Museum Receives One-Of-A-Kind Gift
The RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum, located in Elkhart, Indiana, recently took delivery of a custom-made motorhome donated to its collection.
The Star Streak II, built by Paul Jones of Cape Coral, Florida, is an all-aluminum, fully equipped 22-foot motorhome that will fit in a standard-size residential garage. It was built on a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado chassis and uses a 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado 455-cubic-inch engine with front-wheel drive. It has all the amenities of much larger modern coaches, including three air conditioners, a furnace, a stove, a refrigerator, and a bath with a shower and toilet.
The Star Streak II is now on display in the museum (21565 Executive Parkway, Elkhart), which features more than 50 RV and manufactured housing units built from 1913 up to the present day, including more than 20 units from the years prior to World War II.
For more information about the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum, call (800) 378-869f4 or visit http://www.rv-mh-hall-of-fame.org/.
Sportscoach Legend Provides High-End Driving Experience
The Sportscoach Legend features Freightliner’s new “automatic load proportioning” system.
Coachmen Recreational Vehicle Company, based in Middlebury, Indiana, has revamped its 2009 model-year luxury diesel motorhome lineup with the addition of the Sportscoach Legend.
The Legend is built on a Freightliner XCP chassis that features a Cummins ISM 10.8-liter diesel engine capable of generating 500 horsepower and 1,550 pound-feet of torque, along with a six-speed Allison 4000 MH automatic transmission. It also includes a ZF independent front suspension; a 60-degree wheel cut; air disc brakes on all six wheels; and a tag axle. The chassis’ raised-rail configuration allows for nearly 200 cubic feet of exterior basement storage.
Freightliner also incorporated its industry-first “automatic load proportioning” system, which electronically allocates weight distribution across all three axles for a smooth, comfortable ride. Sensors adjust the ride height and air pressure in the suspension for each axle to balance the load.
The quad-slideout, 45-foot Legend is available with two full-body paint options. The front and rear fiberglass caps are curved to give the Legend a distinctive look and to make it more aerodynamic.
Inside, the Brazilian cherry cabinetry and contoured countertops are also curved to provide an eye-catching look. Halogen lighting in the soft-touch vinyl ceiling adds to the appeal.
Two of the Legend’s four slideouts are in the living area to accommodate dual sofas. The sleeper sofa is integrated with the dinette in such a way that the back of one dinette bench forms the arm of the sofa. Ceramic tile paves the flooring from the entry to the rear bedroom, where two additional slideouts are located.
Sportscoach’s new Legend has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of approximately $300,000. For more information, call (800) 353-7383 or visit http://www.sportscoachrv.com/.
New National Park Web Site For Children
The Kids Zone is a new addition to the National Park Service’s Web site (http://www.nps.gov/) that contains more than 50 interactive activities designed to connect children with the people, places, and events commemorated in the United States’ 391 National Park Service sites.
The Web site, which went online August 25, gives children the chance to learn about Mitsy, a 9-year-old Border collie who performs an important job at the Statue of Liberty; little Lula McLean’s rag doll, which is a witness to history at Appomattox Courthouse; or how Thomas Edison changed our lives.
The Web site includes information about the 325 in-park Junior Ranger programs, where young visitors complete booklets related to park resources and earn certificates, patches, or badges. In 2007 more than 440,000 children participated in Junior Ranger programs nationwide.
Other features include stories by children who live in national parks, biographies of dogs who work in national parks, and an expanded WebRangers page. Children can continue to earn a WebRanger patch after completing exercises that include decoding a secret message from George Washington, helping endangered turtles get to the sea, setting up a ranger station, tracking animals, and learning how to survive in the desert.
The Kids Zone “hot button” on the National Park Service home page provides a direct link to the expanded children’s Web site.
Newell Coach Opens Oregon Sales And Service Center
Newell Coach Corporation, a leading manufacturer of luxury motor coaches based in Miami, Oklahoma, announced the opening of its new West Coast sales and service center in Coburg, Oregon, near Eugene.
The new center offers on-site sales of new and preowned Newell luxury motor coaches, and also provides coach maintenance and warranty services.
“Newell has traditionally dealt with its customers directly from its location in Miami, Oklahoma,” said Jim Simms, general manager of the Coburg facility. “The new center makes it much easier for new and established West Coast clients to shop for Newell coaches and have their current coaches serviced.”
Newell’s new West Coast facility is located at 33100 Van Duyn Road in Coburg (via exit 199 off Interstate 5). For more information, call (541) 343-0062 or visit http://www.newellcoach.com/.
Xantrex Acquired By Schneider Electric, AMETEK
Xantrex Technology Inc., manufacturer of advanced power electronic products, including inverters, chargers, and convertors for the RV industry, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by France-based Schneider Electric for approximately $500 million. Xantrex also will divest its programmable power business to U.S.-based AMETEK Inc. for $120 million.
Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management and has 120,000 employees in 102 countries around the world. AMETEK Inc. is a leading manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices.
Remco Sold
Long known as “The Towing Experts,” Remco Inc., which has manufactured the Lube Pump, Axle Lock, and Driveshaft Coupling product lines for 30 years, has been split and sold in two parts to SuperFlow Technologies Group and Aquatec Water Systems. The sale was announced on September 15, 2008.
Aquatec (800-975-9995), located in Irvine, California, will take over the Lube Pump and Axle Lock product lines. SuperFlow (888-442-5546), located in Des Moines, Iowa, will manufacture the Driveshaft Coupling product line.
According to sources, the plan is to keep the product pipeline to distributors full, with no disruption of supply. This will be accomplished by keeping Remco’s plant in Omaha, Nebraska, open and operating for a few more months. The extensive background files on vehicles and the Remco Web site will be maintained for the foreseeable future as well. At press time, it had not been decided which company, if either, will maintain Remco’s extensive files of vehicles suitable for flat towing.
Podcasting Adventures At U.S. National Parkfs
Rangers at national parks across the United States have turned to podcasting as another way to dispense information about their parks. Hundreds of brief audio and video programs are available on park Web sites and on iTunes, giving visitors a new national park experience. People can learn about park resources, take a guided tour, get help planning trips, and meet actual rangers.
Many parks offer interpretive podcasts about wildlife, history, and topical issues such as climate change and fire management. The most extensive collection of park podcasts is from Yellowstone National Park (www.nps.gov/yell). The “Inside Yellowstone” series has more than 50 episodes, each one to two minutes in length, with more on the way.
Yosemite National Park (www.nps.gov/yose) launched a new monthly podcast called “Yosemite Nature Notes.” A printed publication of the same name began in the 1920s and existed for five decades.
In addition to general information, podcasts offer ranger-led tours of specific areas that people can enjoy on their own schedule. More and more people download guided tours onto their iPods or MP3 players prior to their national park trip. When they arrive, they literally have a ranger in the palm of their hand to guide them on a walking or driving tour.
Podcasts also can include important safety information about trail conditions, along with information about programs such as “Leave No Trace” to help people reduce their recreational impacts.
For national park podcasts and virtual tours, go to http://www.nps.gov/. If a park unit offers online programs, you will find them by clicking on “Photos and Multimedia” in the left navigation bar of its home page.
Life On Wheels Founder Passes
Gaylord Maxwell’s expertise was known throughout the RV industry.
Gaylord Maxwell, founder of the Life On Wheels instructional program for RVers, died on September 20, 2008, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, following a brief illness. He was 83.
Mr. Maxwell, who served in the Navy during World War II, spent 17 years teaching high school history and government classes before receiving his master’s degree in American Studies at Cal State University, where he became an adjunct professor. During this time he also became involved in the RV industry, opening a camping store called M&M Camping. Later he branched out into RV sales, with dealerships in Pomona, San Bernardino, and Harbor City, California. He and his wife, Margie, joined FMCA in 1988.
He also wrote about RV topics and became a regular contributor to several publications. In 1993 he began to teach a class in extended-time RVing for the University of Idaho’s summer enrichment program, and in 1996 he launched Life On Wheels, an intensive four-day series of classes involving more than 150 different subjects for RVers. Eventually the program grew to include satellite sessions in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kentucky, and Iowa.
Mr. Maxwell is survived by his wife, Margie; children Mary Jane, Sherry, and Lee; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family requests that donations be made in Gaylord Maxwell’s name to the donor’s favorite charity.
Silver Crown Coach Adds New Type C
Silver Crown Coach, based in White Pigeon, Michigan, has added the new Elite Type C motorhome to its existing product mix.
The Elite comes standard on a Freightliner M-2 chassis with a 330-horsepower Cummins ISC engine mated to an Allison six-speed Series 4000 automatic transmission. A 450-horsepower Mercedes-Benz engine with an Eaton Fuller Ultra 10-speed transmission also is available as an upgrade. Other chassis features include air-ride suspension, a rear locking differential, a Jacobs Engine Brake, an 8.0-kilowatt diesel generator, an electric shore power reel, and a towing hitch rated at 40,000 pounds. Inside, users will find a GPS navigation system, a 40-inch LCD flat-screen TV, porcelain tile flooring, Ultraleather furniture, and more.
The Elite is available in four standard floor plans. However, Silver Crown can custom-build floor plans to meet most needs.
For more information about Silver Crown products, visit http://www.silvercrowncoach.com/ or call (866) 497-0339.
Caravan Salon Dí¼sseldorf 2008
A total of 585 exhibitors from 22 countries showcased their products and technologies at Caravan Salon Dí¼sseldorf 2008, an international trade fair for recreation vehicles and camping equipment, August 29 through September 7, 2008, in Dí¼sseldorf, Germany. The event attracted 158,000 visitors from 38 nations.
Although the attendance figure was slightly off the projected target of 160,000 visitors, organizers were pleased with the turnout. Exhibitors reportedly were happy to see visitors from an increasing number of countries outside of Europe attending the show, indicating that interest in RVing throughout the rest of the world is growing.
Another encouraging sign was that 64 percent of respondents to a visitors survey said that they intend to purchase a new vehicle within the next two years. The survey also revealed that interest in RV vacations continues to rise, but more people are traveling in their own home countries.
The next Caravan Salon will be held August 28 through September 6, 2009, again in Dí¼sseldorf. For more information about visiting or exhibiting at the show, contact Messe Dí¼sseldorf North America at (312) 781-5180 or visit www.mdna.com.
Fleetwood Motorhome Featured In “Rach To The Rescue”
Fleetwood RV Group announced that its 2009 Icon 24D Type C diesel motorhome will serve as home away from home for talent and crew during “Rach to the Rescue,” a new segment on the nationally syndicated “Rachael Ray” television show.
“Rach to the Rescue,” which debuted nationally on Tuesday, September 9, 2008, is hosted by Alex Boylan, the season two winner of CBS’s “Amazing Race,” who travels with seven celebrity chefs to various cities across the country to rescue viewers in need of culinary expertise.
The Icon is built on the Dodge Sprinter chassis. Highlights include a six-cylinder, 3.0-liter turbo-diesel Mercedes-Benz engine; pass-through storage; up to 138-inch-long slideouts for increased living space; a highly styled front cap; and standard DuPont full-body paint. The interior of the 24D model includes a rear bedroom with a queen-size bed; contoured, European-style cabinetry; Corian countertops; a Jensen 19-inch LCD HDTV; and contemporary interior décor features throughout.
For more information about the 2009 Icon and all of Fleetwood’s recreation vehicles, visit http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/.