Author: Amber Alber

2016 Pre-Rally Golf

2016 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Las Vegas

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Club Member Len Trujillo is coordinating a Pre-Rally Golf Outing.  See the details below.

When: October 5th @ 9:00 am (first tee time, then every 8 minutes)

Where: The Legacy Golf Club, 130 Par Excellence Drive, Henderson, NV 89074 (about a 20 minute drive)

Cost: $79 (includes cart and range balls)

Format: TBD

Meet: Plan to meet in front of the Oasis office at 8:00 am so we can car pool.

Return: We plan to be done golfing and back to Oasis in time to clean up and make the Pre-Rally Chili Dog Meet and Greet at Casablanca Commons at Oasis.

Questions: Call Len Trujillo – 505-660-3523 or email – lensuz@msn.com

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2016 Pre-Rally Tours

2016 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Las Vegas

Pre-Rally Tours

Las Vegas is an entertainment mecca. There are literally thousands of things to see and do in and around Las Vegas.

We understand that rally attendees come to the Pre-Rally for different reasons. Some come early so they are already settled into their site and the area before the rally starts Thursday morning. Some come early so they can hang out with their club member friends. Some come early to take in areas sights, shows, meals out etc. and to do so before the rally begins so they don’t miss anything the rally has going on. Whatever your reason is for joining us for the Pre-Rally, we say “it’s all good!”.

Of those who will take in some of what Las Vegas and the area has to offer, some will opt to “do their own thing”.  And there will be some who have never been to the area or have not been back in decades and may want to be catered to a bit, or at least have someone else do the arranging.

For the Pre-Rally attendee who would like to buy into an optional tour for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of the Pre-Rally, read-on…

Tours

Pre-Rally Tour 1

Monday, October 3rd, 2016
Vegas “Points of Interest” (POI) Tour – $27 per person – Limited to 53 people
Follow this link for more details
Follow this link to see who’s registered for this tour

Hop aboard a tour bus from Oasis for an afternoon and early evening of fun visiting several Vegas “Points of Interest”. Stops will include:

  • Shelby American Heritage Center: Home of 30 Shelby Cobras and manufacturing of high-performance cars
  • Count’s Kustoms: Cool hot-rods, exotic cars and choppers (location of History Channel’s “Counting Cars” show)
  • Gold & Silver Pawn Shop: Kind of like an outlet store that sells history (location of one of History Channel’s “Pawn Stars” pawn shops).  And if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll see one of the show’s stars at the shop
  • Pinball Hall of Fame: Equal part Pinball Arcade and Museum, the Pinball Hall of Fame is a fun place to visit.  Bring some pocket-cash and plan to re-live your youth – playing some familiar games!
Pre-Rally Tour 2

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016
“Downtown”  Tour – $33 per person – Limited to 53 people
Follow this link for more details
Follow this link to see who’s registered for this tour
Afternoon / Late Evening Tour

Hop aboard a tour bus from Oasis for an afternoon and late evening of fun in the Downtown area of Vegas. Stops will include:

  • Rick’s Restorations: Rick Dale and his crew of ‘loose screws’ take rusty, beat-up items and restore them to their original glory (location of one of History Channel’s “American Restoration” shops)
  • The Mob Museum: Take a world-class, interactive journey through true stories from the birth of the Mob, to today’s headlines
  • Fremont Street: There’s much to see and do on Fremont Street: Dining, Saloons, Gaming, Zip Lines, Live Music, Viva Vision Light Show and more
  • The Lights of the Strip: Your tour bus will take Las Vegas Boulevard for the return trip to Oasis, giving you a fantastic view of the lights of the Las Vegas Strip
Pre-Rally Tour 3

Wednesday, October 5th, 2016
“Hoover Dam” Tour – $24 per person – Limited to 53 people
Follow this link for more details
Follow this link to see who’s registered for this tour
Morning / Early Afternoon Tour

Hop aboard a tour bus from Oasis for a morning and early afternoon of history on a massive scale. Stops will include:

  • Hoover Dam and Visitors Center: We’ll be taking a guided Power Plant tour (including seeing the turbine room), then have an opportunity to visit self-guided exhibits and the observation deck
  • Boulder City: Your tour bus will make a 90 minute lunch stop in Boulder City on the way back to Oasis. Your tour guide will provide several restaurant ideas for lunch (each pays his own) or you may bring your own lunch to enjoy in Boulder City

Tour Notes

INCLUSIONS
Each of the above tours will be inclusive of bus transportation, a step-on tour guide and in some cases, tour entrance fees.

REGISTRATION AND TICKETS
Each tour will be priced Per Person. Advance registration and payment using the rally registration system will be required. The Pre-Rally Tours registration process can be found in a guide at this link.  Go to this link and click on Edit your Registration to begin your Pre-Rally Tours registration.  Tickets will be produced, included in your rally packets and required to get on the tour bus.

TOUR CANCELLATION / REFUND STATEMENT
As we will be paying in advance for tour buses, tour guides and in some cases, admission for ticketed events, NO REFUNDS will be issued for these tours. If your plans change such that you cannot attended a Pre-Rally tour that you’ve registered and paid for, we encourage you to gift this to another rally attendee.  Give them your tour tickets and let Club Manager, Julie Hancock (email link) know the names of the people who will be taking your place.

“On Your Own” – Activity Planning Resources

In addition to all 4 Pre-Rally days, we will have some “open periods” during the rally to afford rally attendees more opportunities to “do their own thing” without having to miss any Rally items.

Some sights and activities in and around Las Vegas require advance planning and tickets, while others require no planning and are free.  Below are a couple of resources to consider when planning your non-rally activities.

Ticketed Activities

There are many ways to obtain tickets to Las Vegas area events, shows and attractions. You can go to the event box offices, you can try the front desk at Oasis and you can buy online.  And one of my favorites, first thing each morning, you can drive over to one of the many Tix4Tonight ticket outlets to purchase deeply discounted tickets to events for “that night”.

Some links to be added here

Free Activities

Some links to be added here

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2016 Rig Washing Service

2016 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Las Vegas

Red Rock RV Wash Logo

Rig Washing Service
We are pleased to announce that Red Rock RV Wash will be offering RV and Tow Vehicle Cleaning Services for our event. Red Rock has their own Reverse Osmosis and Deionizing water plants on premise to provide mineral free wash and rinse water. We’ve arranged for Red Rock to be available for our Pre-Rally and Rally times.

Services and Rates
Click here to download the Services and Rates schedule (PDF).

Booking an Appointment
Call Red Rock (702-233-2833) to schedule an appointment.

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Thor Announces Acquisition of Jayco for $576 Million

Thor Announces Acquisition of Jayco for $576 Million

 07/01/2016

– Jayco generated $1.5 billion in revenue during calendar year 2015

– Transaction to be accretive to earnings within the first fiscal year
– Purchase includes Jayco, Starcraft RV, Highland Ridge and Entegra Coach Subsidiaries

ELKHART, Ind., July 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO) today announced the acquisition of Jayco, Corp. (Jayco) for approximately $576 million in cash.  This transaction represents a unique and significant opportunity to enhance the growth of Thor and advance the Company’s strategic focus on growing its recreational vehicle (RV) business.  In particular, Jayco brings complementary products in travel trailers, folding camping trailers, higher-end diesel Class A motorhomes and larger Class C motorhomes.  Jayco will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Thor, and the existing senior management team will continue to lead the business.

Continue reading “Thor Announces Acquisition of Jayco for $576 Million”

Report: NHTSA Releases Latest RV Related Recalls List

NHTSA Releases Latest RV-Related Recalls List

June 27, 2016 by

Editor’s Note: The following is a list of recent RV-related recalls compiled by the U.S National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA).

* Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC is recalling 172 2016-2017 trailers manufactured Sept. 28, 2015, to April 30, 2016. The safety chains located on the A- frame are rated for 11,700 pounds instead of chains that are rated equal or greater than the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

* Forest River Inc.  is recalling 13 2016-2017 Forester and Sunseeker recreational vehicles manufactured from Feb. 29, 2016, through April 20, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with a shower door that may not meet the flammability standards. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 302, “Flammability of Interior Materials.”

* Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC is recalling 618 2017 trailers manufactured Feb. 29, 2016, to May 5, 2016. The certification labels have incorrect tire pressure information, failing to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, “Certification.”

* Forest River Inc. is recalling 68 2016 Stealth Evo recreational vehicle trailers, models CSJT280RKS and CSJT290QBS, manufactured Jan. 7, 2016, to March 18, 2016. The affected vehicles may have had tires of the wrong load range installed which may result in premature tire failure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, “Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.”

* Jayco Inc. is recalling 26 2017 Jay Flight trailers manufactured May 6, 2016, to May 9, 2016. The weight ratings on the tire labels are incorrect. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, “Tire Selection and Rims.”

* Keystone RV Co. is recalling 402 2016-2017 Keystone Summerland recreational trailers, models 1700FQ, 1750RD and 1800BH, manufactured April 8, 2016, to April 20, 2016. The trailers may have been manufactured with ST215/75R14 Load Range C tires rated for 1, 870 pounds, when they should have been manufactured with ST215/75R14 Load Range D tires rated for 2,200 pounds.

* Thor Motor Coach is recalling 463 2014-2016 Tuscany motor homes manufactured Feb. 28, 2013, to Aug. 31, 2015 and built on chassis supplied by Daimler Trucks North America. On certain motorhome chassis built with a heavier, adjustable foot pedal, the brake activation signal to certain towed devices may not deactivate when the motorhome service brakes are released.

2016 Rally Entertainment Guide

2016 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Las Vegas

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Entertainment Guide

Las Vegas is an entertainment mecca that presents rally attendees unlimited opportunity to “do their own thing”.  As such, we’re leaving several large blocks of time open for attendees to take in the entertainment “you want” while still affording you an opportunity to take in much of what is going with the rally.

There are many ways to obtain tickets to Las Vegas area events, shows and attractions. You can go to the event box offices, you can try the front desk at Oasis, you can buy online and one of my favorites, first thing each morning, you can drive over to one of the many Tix4Tonight ticket outlets to purchase deeply discounted tickets to events for “that night”.
tix4tonight

In addition to giving you time to “do your own thing”, both during the pre-rally and the rally, we’re planning 3 “rally-included” entertainment items.

Thursday, Oct 6, 6:30 pm (doors open at 6 pm)
Woodie and the Longboards concert at the Ravello Lounge at The M Resort-Spa-Casino
woodie-and-the-long-boards-full-logoOur rally dinner is at 5pm at The M Resort-Spa-Casino in their Studio B Buffet. After dinner, attendees will transition to the Ravello Lounge, adjacent to the Studio B. The doors and bar opens at 6 pm and the show starts at 6:30. Woodie and the Longboards will be performing a split set with the first half covering the Beach Boys and the second half covering the Eagles. This should be a great time. Bring your dancing shoes and maybe wear a Hawaiian shirt!

Friday, Oct 7, 4 pm to …
Patio Party at Oasis
While many rally attendees will be out on the town tonight, those that elect to stay back will have another entertainment option at Oasis. The Club is coordinating a Patio Party adjacent to our rally hall (Ballroom). We’ll have a cash bar by Liquid Courage. The Club will provide tickets to those in attendance to cover your first drink (beer, wine, liquor, soda and water). The Club is sponsoring music by Club member Len Trujillo. The Club encourages those planning to attend the Patio Party to bring a snack/appetizer to share. Food can be placed on the tables inside the Rally Hall. Power will be available for warmers if needed. The Club will provide plates, napkins and silverware.

Saturday, Oct 8, around 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
DJ and Dancing at Oasis
After our evening’s catered dinner and door prize drawings, we’ll have a DJ playing music you can move to – so bring your “dancing shoes”!

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RV Business News: Heartland Adding Second Production Line in Idaho

Heartland Adding Second Production Line in Idaho

June 10, 2016

HEARTLAND-chrome-w-sunrise-2015-300x108

Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC announced the planned Dec. 1 opening of a second assembly line at its Nampa, Idaho, manufacturing facility, positioning the company to better service current dealers while strategically growing its presence on the West Coast.

The 248,000-square-foot facility, situated on 25 acres in Nampa, officially launched production in April building Heartland’s aggressively priced Wilderness laminated travel trailer line. With the additional expansion this December, the company will add two travel trailer brands targeting key segments of the West Coast market, including Heartland’s lightweight laminated Sundance and Shadow Cruiser by sister company Cruiser RV.

“The opening of the second production line keeps us firmly on schedule for the timetable we envisioned when Heartland announced construction plans in Nampa last September,” said Coley Brady, vice president of sales for the Elkhart, Ind.-based Thor Industries Inc. subsidiary, in a press release. “It also confirms that we truly listened to our dealer partners and are bringing in product that is in step with the West Coast consumer. The result has been that demand for our brands has exceeded our original expectations, and this second production line will allow us to continue to meet our dealers’ needs.”

The move also extends the reach for Howe, Ind.-based Cruiser RV, acquired by Thor in January of 2015 with Hermon overseeing operations.

“I am very excited as we are able to bring Cruiser’s Shadow Cruiser line closer to our West Coast dealers,” said Kyle Miller, senior general manager for Cruiser RV, noting, “It’s a big move for Cruiser RV since we became part of Thor. It’s been impressive to watch them take us from a smaller player in the market to a company that dealers are really excited about.”

Chris Hermon, president of Heartland, Cruiser RV, DRV and Bison, added, “I believe what makes Thor great is their ability to let us all be independent companies while still maintaining a structure and support that really sets the tone for the future of our industry. The business we all love continues to evolve quickly and those companies that change some of the ways of the past will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

“The West Coast is a very important market to Heartland and I believe our moves in Idaho show that commitment to our West Coast dealer partners.”

RV Business News – Growing Heartland Restructuring Operations

Growing Heartland Restructuring Operations

May 17, 2016 by RV Business

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Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC has instituted a series of organizational changes to better manage the company’s growing portfolio of companies while also setting the groundwork for further expansion.

“For the past four-plus years, some of my major goals to better anchor and support the companies that we manage under the Thor Industries Inc. umbrella are in place and it’s time to restructure our team to take full advantage of the opportunities in front of us,” said Chris Hermon, president of Elkhart, Ind.-based Heartland which now has oversight of Cruiser RV, DRV, Breckenridge and Bison operations. “We have successfully leveraged our key management to achieve that goal, but we have reached a point where we need to fine-tune and restructure our operations, particularly with the growth of our company this year and with some of the additional opportunities on the West Coast.”

According to release, changes will include:

• Joel Eberlein will serve as senior general manager responsible for overseeing the Big Country, Elk Ridge, Landmark, Road Warrior and Edge brands. Andy Westorp will continue as general manager for Landmark while assuming day-to-day responsibility of managing Road Warrior and Edge. Brent Hamood has been named product manager for Big Country and Elk Ridge.

• AJ Jones has been named senior general manager responsible for overseeing the Cyclone, Torque, Gateway and Sundance brands. He will also be responsible for the Sundance lines at Heartland’s Nampa, Idaho, facility. General Manager Paul Craven will continue to handle day-to-day operations of Sundance and Gateway. Chris Hahaj will become product manager for Cyclone and Torque.

• Kyle Miller has been named senior general manger responsible for overseeing all Cruiser RV and DRV products.

• Jay Mohamed will be general manager of Shadow Cruiser, Fun Finder and Stryker. He will also have responsibilities at the Nampa facility.

• Jeff Fought will be general manager over DRV including the Mobile Suites, Elite Suites and Full House brands.

• John Jones will be product manager over the MPG, Radiance and Boss lines of Cruiser RV.

“Heartland has seen tremendous growth, and we continue to strive for not only progressive, cutting-edge product design and development, but also for a 24-7 commitment to customer service,” Hermon said. “We have built a reputation for delivering product that stays in step with an increasingly discerning consumer base while also providing value and profitability for our dealer partners. This restructuring ensures that we will continue to deliver that same caliber of service in the future.”

Coley Brady, vice president of sales, noted, “Heartland has always relied on a strong stable of managers, and this realignment reinforces our faith in their abilities. Our sales and product teams have formed an incredible bond and we are excited about what they can achieve in the future both in Elkhart County and in the western states through our Idaho facility.”

Report: NHTSA Latest RV Related Recalls List

Report:  NHTSA Latest RV Related Recalls List

April 25, 2016 by

nhtsa_logoEditor’s Note: The following is a list of recent RV-related recalls compiled by the U.S National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA).

 

 

• Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC is recalling 33 2016-2017 Torque travel trailers, models T31 and T32, manufactured Dec. 15, 2015, to March 16, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with safety chains on the A-frame that are rated for 11,700 pounds instead of being rated equal to, or greater than, the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the travel trailer. For more information click here.

RV Business News – Production Rolling at Heartland’s Idaho Facility

Production Rolling at Heartland’s Idaho Facility

April 27, 2016

(L-R) Blue Dog Director Parts & Service Tony Schilling; Director of Sales Jason Poole; Heartland General Manager Mike Creech; Blue Dog co-owners John Asplund Asplund and Rebecca Asplund; Coley Brady, Heartland vice president of sales; Steve Khoma, regional sales representative; Blue Dog Operations Manager Marc Hauser (Operations Manager)

(L-R) Blue Dog Director Parts & Service Tony Schilling; Director of Sales Jason Poole; Heartland General Manager Mike Creech; Blue Dog co-owners John Asplund and Rebecca Asplund; Coley Brady, Heartland vice president of sales; Steve Khoma, regional sales representative; Blue Dog Operations Manager Marc Hauser

Production is in full swing at Heartland Recreation Vehicles LLC’s new plant in Nampa, Idaho, as the company marked a milestone last week with its first unit shipped to Blue Dog RV in nearby Post Falls.

“It was a testament to our Nampa team that we were able to roll out production right on schedule,” reported Coley Brady, vice president of sales for the Elkhart, Ind.-based Thor Industries Inc. subsidiary, in a press release. “We will continue to up production to fulfill our backlog of West Coast orders that currently runs into late August. It’s a significant step and confirms that the Idaho location truly represents a difference maker for Heartland.”

The 248,000-square-foot facility, situated on 25 acres in Nampa, provides Heartland with a gateway into the lucrative West Coast marketplace, eliminating costly freight charges and opening new relationship-building opportunities with key dealers in the region.

”Our overall partnership with Heartland has been strengthened with the addition of the new Idaho manufacturing facility,” noted John Asplund, co-owner of Blue Dog RV, which operates 10 locations in the Northwest states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Nevada.

Heartland announced plans for construction of the new facility last September, preluding the Elkhart County RV Open House which annually draws thousands of dealers to the industry’s manufacturing hub in northwest Indiana.

“It was opportune timing for Heartland as dealers head to Open House preparing for the coming year in terms of product selection and which manufacturers they want to do business,” said Chris Hermon, president of the Elkhart, Ind.-based Thor Industries Inc. subsidiary. “We were able to pick up several new dealers, and continue to add to that network, while also better servicing our existing dealers in the region.”

Initially, the Nampa facility will focus on the lightweight laminated Wilderness line, a “feature-rich trailer with an exceptional price point for the West Coast,” according to Brady, with plans to add a second production line for Cruiser RV and Sundance laminated travel trailer lines in early 2017.

“The Wilderness product line is well-suited for the customers in our markets and we anticipate it will be a high-volume brand for our dealerships,” said Asplund.

The Nampa site represents the latest in a series of expansion moves for Heartland, including the acquisition of Cruiser RV LLC and its sister company DRV LLC along with a major expansion focusing on service, parts and administrative operations at its expansive campus in Elkhart.

“The Nampa expansion is an extension of Heartland’s commitment to providing industry-leading response to the needs of our dealer partners, and our owners,” said Hermon. “It significantly expands our supply chain to the West Coast. The travel trailer business is booming and we want to be on the leading edge of that tremendous growth.”