Here are your RV news highlights for the week of June 8 to 14, 2019.
The overall U.S. motorized RV market posted a 15.9% year-over-year decline for the first four months of 2019 with both Class A and Class C markets experiencing double-digit retail sales declines. According to Statistical Surveys Inc. (SSI), Thor Industries, Inc. was the motorized sales leader during the period with a 40.5% market share, ahead of Forest River Inc. (22.3%) and Winnebago Industries Inc. (12.7%).
A proposal to renovate the historic Gulf Hills Hotel in Ocean Springs, Miss., and surrounding property came with a catch: a luxury RV park on site. After residents voiced their concerns about the proposal on Thursday night, the developer said he didn’t plan to go through with the deal. Among other things, residents argued that allowing RVs into the area would decrease their home values drastically.
Lazydays Holdings has signed a letter of intent to acquire Alliance Coach Inc. of Wildwood, Florida. “We are extremely pleased to announce the planned acquisition of Alliance Coach as we continue to execute our geographic expansion strategy,” said William P. Murnane, Chairman and CEO of Lazydays. The acquisition of Alliance Coach is expected to be finalized in 60 days, after which it will be rebranded as Lazydays RV of Central Florida.
At least half a million dollars worth of arcade games and new restaurant equipment went up in flames at Bayley’s Camping Resort in Scarborough, Maine, Tuesday, but firefighters helped avert a larger disaster. The State Fire Marshal’s Office, which investigated the fire in cooperation with local fire officials, said a cause could not be determined because of the extent of the damage, although investigators said the fire likely started in the center of the building near refrigeration compressors.
Mountain View, Calif., city leaders voted Wednesday to open two parking lots to a total of 60 RV street dwellers, allowing their owners to park there and sleep in their vehicles overnight. The Mountain View police counted 171 RVs, 36 vans or SUVs and five box trucks and buses that appeared to be inhabited while parked on city streets. In December, there were 11% more RVs, 60% more passenger vehicles and 44% more box trucks and buses. The Mountain View Walmart store accommodates car campers, which is technically against city rules but isn’t enforced.
A Mount Pleasant, Florida, KOA will have to euthanize an alligator after receiving reports of campers feeding it in the campground’s 30-acre lake, causing the gator to associate humans with food. The report, in addition to a higher-than-usual number of reported alligator sightings close to the lake’s shoreline, prompted the campground to take action, said Bill Stierle, a campground customer service representative. The alligator was reported to be about four to six feet long.
Even though Colorado Springs recently banned overnight parking on city streets, some RVers are still doing so in residential neighborhoods. The RV owners, who live in the RVs, get a three-day warning period before getting a ticket. After that it’s $25 for the first one, $100 for the second and $125 for the third. A fourth could mean losing their RV altogether.
According to a recently released report, Mayenne Cedex, France-based RV manufacturer Rapido has officially purchased Erwin Hymer Group North America’s Roadtrek. In addition to its inventory, the Rapido purchase also includes the Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, facility. Additionally, on June 6, Erwin Hymer Group entered into a bill of sale with La Mesa RV Center for the remainder of its RV inventory – raw chassis, finished product – for an undisclosed purchase price. According to the document, Rapido will “honor warranty claims of up to $1,500 per unit” for a two-year period following initial purchase. Read entire article in RV Pro.
Lippert Components, the Elkhart-based manufacturer of vehicle frames and accessories for the RV industry, announced Wednesday it has a deal to purchase Lewmar Marine, a British supplier of boating equipment, for about $42 million in cash. The deal must be approved by Lewmar’s shareholders and Scottish courts, and includes provisions for about $3.1 million in additional considerations.
Peer-to-peer rental company Outdoorsy co-founder Jen Young stated on Bloomberg TV earlier this week that the RV demand is strong as Millennials and Generation Xers continue to buy and rent. Young pointed to the strong demand on the lower price points in particular and singled out France, Germany, the U.K. and Italy as global markets showing strength.
La Paz County, Ariz., Sheriff’s Department says explosive devices were found at a Colorado River campground area near Parker, Arizona, last weekend. Campers at Castle Rock Campground reported hearing an explosion one night but didn’t know where it came from. County officials say it appeared that an unknown person “was taping (the equivalent of) 1/4 sticks of dynamite to rocks and throwing them in the river.” Sheriff’s deputies searched the area and found two undetonated devices which were removed without incident.
A 13-year-old boy was killed and his twin brother severely injured Tuesday in a motorhome crash in Yellowstone National Park. The rental RV was involved in a single-vehicle accident on the South Entrance Road in the vicinity of Lewis Falls. The boy who died at the scene was identified as Nathaniel Robert Ullom of Elizabeth, Colorado. His twin brother, Phillip Ullom III, was flown to an Idaho hospital with serious injuries. No details of the incident have yet been released.
Did you miss last week’s news? Read it here.
Colorado Springs will be on my list for a one (or two or three) night stand.