EverGreen Ever-Lite Rated a "Best Buy" In Consumers Digest's June 2012 RV Industry Review

Middlebury, Ind. - EverGreen Recreational Vehicles, LLC. announced that their Ever-Lite travel trailers were rated a "Best Buy" by Consumers Digest. The recommendation appears in the publication's June 2012 issue and online at www.consumersdigest.com. The publication is highly respected as a valuable resource for information on buying a variety of products. 2012 marks 50 years of helping consumers "identify exceptional values in a complex and confusing marketplace."

"It is an incredible honor for us to be recognized as a 'Best Buy' by a publication as widely read and respected as Consumers Digest," said EverGreen CEO Michael Schoeffler. "This recognition by a major consumer publication further validates our mission of making the most lightweight, durable, and green travel trailers and fifth wheels on the market."

According to Consumers Digest, a Best Buy is a product that delivers exceptional value for a given amount of money and merits special attention from consumers based, in general, on its combination of eight criteria: performance, ease of use, features, quality of construction, warranty, efficiency, styling, and maintenance and service requirements. Best Buys in travel trailers, specifically, were selected based on quality of construction, features, use of space, durability and ease of towing.

EverGreen's unique use of durable, longer lasting, lightweight composite combined with vacuum lamination processes are featured prominently in the four-page review of the "Best Buys" for 2012 RVs in the June issue. Referring to the positive aspects of the RV industry coming out of tough economic times, Consumers Digest cited EverGreen's innovative use of composite materials as key: "One of the newest manufacturers (EverGreen) introduced lightweight fifth wheels and travel trailers that have shells and other components that are made out of composite materials." Consumers Digest also did its research on EverGreen's Ever-Lite products through interviews with experts and dealers in the field. "Independent composite material experts and RV service center experts whom we interviewed say EverGreen's claims hold, er...repel water," states Consumers Digest.

Dealers agreed with the service experts on the value of purchasing an RV built with composites. "Unchecked water damage can destroy a new trailer in a matter of months," said Jim Jussila of I-5 Uhlmann RV in Chehalis, Wash., who sells EverGreen and was also interviewed for the Consumers Digest article. "An all-composite trailer has the potential to outlast a conventional trailer by decades."

For more information: www.GoEverGreenRV.com, www.GoElementRV.com, www.GoiGoRV.com, GoAscendRV.com EverGreen Recreational Vehicles, LLC 10758 County Road 2, Middlebury, IN 46540 Phone: 574-825-4298 Fax: 574-825-4299

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May Dealer Spotlight - PPL Motorhomes!

HAPPY 40^th ANNIVERSARY, PPL MOTORHOMES!

HOUSTON, Tex. -- PPL Motor Homes is currently celebrating their 40 year anniversary, according to a recent press release!  Just this year, PPL Motorhomes has helped customers and sold RVs in 36 states, as well as fulfilled orders in Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Italy, and Belize.

PPL Motorhomes General Manager, Diana LeBlanc states, "I've watched PPL Motorhomes grow from an office with only 2 employees and a typewriter to the largest RV consignment center in the USA!  With over 30 years experience, I continue to eagerly share my passion of the RV lifestyle by providing a selection of over 450 consigned RVs at our Houston location."

LeBlanc credits PPL Motorhome's success to her dedicated and knowledgeable staff members who understand the needs of RV owners. "Our staff works hard to provide the correct services and products instead of simply taking orders," states LeBlanc. “We truly focus on a cohesive team environment which helps best serve our customers and provides the greatest experience we can offer.”

PPL Motor Homes over 85 employees at two locations, many with over 25 years of RV experience. In addition, PPL Motorhomes has developed a blog, RVNana.com and has recently opened a new RV Consignment center in New Braunfels, Texas, with over 100 RVs on consignment currently.  This new center makes it even more convenient for South Central Texas customers to stop by.

"We want to thank our customers for our success because without them we wouldn't be here today," said LeBlanc. We are so grateful to work with amazing customers, and we can't wait to see what the next 40 years holds for PPL Motohomes."

Congratulations to 40 years!  To visit their selection of RVs for sale, click here!

National Park Week!

It's that time of the year again - when the sun is shining, the weather is warming up, and it's time to start exploring the great outdoors.

Looking for something fun to do?  Get up & Go to your local national park!  From April 21-29, all national parks are offering FREE admission!

Whether you enjoy hiking, swimming, RVing, camping or numerous other outdoor activities, National Park Week is the perfect time to grab your friends and try something new!

Did you know there are nearly 400 national parks in the United States? Click here to find a park near you.

Grab your friends, family, and don't forget your RV, and have some fun during national park week!

Dealer Spotlight - Rich & Sons

Have you ever had a dream? Did you try your hardest to make it come true?

Tony and Nick Staab, brothers and owners of Rich & Sons RV Headquarters, have done just that. While having an indoor showroom at their dealership was always a dream, only recently were they able to turn that dream into reality. On March 22, a ribbon-cutting marked the grand opening of Rich & Sons' new indoor showroom, complete with numerous daily seminars to demonstrate proper maintenance of RVs, accessorizing, and how to make the most of camping experiences.

Tony and Nick have been planning for years. They made a pact with their grandfather, Rich Hiser, who started the business, that they would one day offer customers the best showroom around. The new indoor showroom, located at 5112 S. Antelope Drive in Nebraska, is approximately 11,500 square feet and can hold an average of 18 units. The showroom allows units to be set up and showcased as they would look at an actual campground. Additionally, the new area allows units to be housed in a covered area in case of unexpected weather. Special heating and air conditioning units, along with indoor lighting, skylights, and other amenities, make this showroom a real dream come true.

Rich & Sons has been in operation for nearly 40 years, offering customers a huge selection of RVs along with excellent parts and customer service departments. According to Tony and Nick, "When you think of an RV dealership that has it all, we want you to think Rich & Sons."

Thanks to Rich & Sons for all of your hard work, and congratulations on the grand opening of your new showroom! To view RVs for sale, click here.

You Can't Buy Happiness, But...

Did You Know??

Did you know that RV Trader has a mobile site, as well as an iPhone app?

RV Trader.com's mobile site, m.rvtrader.com, is available for RV buyers to search, shop, and purchase!  An iPhone app is also available, which can be downloaded from the lifestyle section of the iTunes Store. 

Find your next RV now! Click here to view a demo.

RV Trader Launches Tablet Site

Norfolk, VA – April 3, 2012 – RV Trader, a division of Dominion Enterprises, has become the first RV classifieds site in the industry to create a tablet-optimized website. This unparalleled user interface taps into the very best that tablets have to offer. 

With no application needed, users will experience full-screen photo viewing, searching, and refining, as well as pinch-to-zoom options – all within the browser. Although optimized for the iPad, this site can be viewed on other tablets as well. RV shoppers can easily find local RVs for sale through the site, as well as RV dealerships, prices, unit details and more - all with the swipe of a finger.

The launch of this tablet site comes at the perfect time. RV Trader.com is in the midst of record mobile growth. From December 2011 to January 2012, mobile pageviews increased 75% on RV Trader.com, and mobile visits increased 77%, pushing mobile to over 1 million pageviews.  Approximately 10% of traffic to the RV Trader website is mobile, and of that 10%, 62% of traffic is coming from a tablet device, specifically the iPad. 

According to Tim Custer, general manager of RV Trader, “We know this number will only continue to grow as more and more people access the internet from mobile and tablet devices than ever before.  It is critical we continue to learn how customers are accessing classified information on the internet and offer them solutions to improve their experiences on our sites. The future of browsing is on the tablet, especially for RV’ers on the go.”

RV Trader.com also offers shoppers a mobile site option, m.rvtrader.com, and an iPhone app which can be downloaded from the lifestyle section of the iTunes Store.

To start browsing on your tablet or iPad, visit t.rvtrader.com today!

Thor Motor Coach is 2011’s #1 Selling Motorhome Brand

Thor Motor Coach has been recognized as 2011’s top retailing brand of motorhomes in North America according to Statistical Surveys, Inc..

The company’s Class C motorhomes captured the #1 market position in 2011 and accounted for nearly 24% of all Class C sales. These results showed Thor Motor Coach’s Class C brands grew fastest amongst the top manufacturers with a 17.5% increase.  In addition, Thor Motor Coach’s Class A motorhome brands lead the market in 2011, capturing 23.7% of all gas powered Class A sales.

Success at the retail level is only possible with a talented dealer network.  The partnerships formed between Thor Motor Coach and its dealers solidify the foundation to develop innovative products with superior value.

“Reines RV and Thor Motor Coach have been partners for over 12 years. Finding the right motorhome manufacturer was an important factor for our long term success as an RV dealership. Thor Motor Coach’s products have always been known as “the best value” with a solid reputation for standing behind their motorhomes”, said Lindsey Reines, owner Reines RV in Manassa, Virginia.

Consumer focused programs such as “Gold Star Inspections” and “Concierge Connection” emphasize a commitment to quality driven products.  These industry unique programs create unyielding partnerships with dealers and retail customers.

“You cannot be the top single brand retailer of motorhomes without partnering with great dealers. These alliances are essential, allowing us to provide our customers a superior ownership experience”, emphasized Jeff Kime, President of Thor Motor Coach.

For more information on Thor Motor Coach motorhomes, call (800) 860-5658, visit http://ThorMotorCoach.com, or write to: Thor Motor Coach, Inc., PO Box 1486, Elkhart, Indiana 46515.

About Thor Motor Coach

Thor Motor Coach, Inc is an operating unit of Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE:THO), producing various motorized recreation vehicles that are sold throughout the United States and Canada. Thor Motor Coach RV brands include Class A Diesel; Astoria, Palazzo, Serrano, and Tuscany, Class A Gas; ACE, Daybreak, Challenger, Hurricane, Outlaw Toy Hauler, and Windsport, Class B+; Siesta, Siesta Sprinter, Citation, and Citation Sprinter, Class C Gas and Diesel; Four Winds and Chateau.

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