Outside news info and sources relating to Heartland
Heartland’s Elkridge Fiver Intros ‘EuroLoft’ Bed Lift
September 20, 2016 by RVBusiness
Heartland RV’s upscale Elkridge fifth-wheel is debuting the smooth-gliding, suspended EuroLoft bed lift system during this week’s Elkhart RV Open House.
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Dyson Cordless Vacuum Featured on Road Warrior
Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC will be offering the new Dyson V6 Origin premium cordless vacuum as a standard feature in its lineup of Road Warrior toy haulers.
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Heartland Expands, Repositions Landmark Brand
Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC has expanded its Landmark 365 luxury fifth-wheel line with the launch of the four-slide Oshkosh floorplan while effectively repositioning the brand with lower, more aggressive price points coupled with 45 product upgrades for the 2017 model year.
“Landmark is Heartland’s original brand and flagship line,” said Coley Brady, vice president of sales and marketing for the Elkhart, Ind.-based Thor Industries Inc. subsidiary. “We believed in the growth potential for luxury fifth-wheels 12 years ago when we launched Heartland and we are strengthening that position with an improved product at a price point that adds value and a competitive edge for our dealer partners.”
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OEMs Adopt Furrion’s Chef Collection Appliances
Lippert Components Inc. (LCI), exclusive distribution partner of Furrion, announced that several major luxury fifth-wheel RV manufacturers, including Keystone RV Co., Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC, Jayco Inc. and Crossroads RV, have incorporated Furrion’s latest RV Chef Collection kitchen appliances in their 2017 model year.
According to a press release, the latest products developed for Furrion’s RV Chef Collection include a stainless steel built-in oven, stainless steel gas cooktop, and single burner induction cooktops. Lippert Components will display these product innovations at the 2016 Elkhart County RV Open House.
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Thor Team Rings N.Y. Stock Exchange Closing Bell
August 30, 2016 by RVBusiness
Thor Industries Inc. engaged in a time-honored Wall Street tradition Monday (Aug. 29) by ringing the “Closing Bell” at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan’s financial district.
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NHTSA Releases Latest RV-Related Recalls List
June 27, 2016 by RVBusiness
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.
Heartland Adding Second Production Line in Idaho
June 10, 2016
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.”
Growing Heartland Restructuring Operations
May 17, 2016 by RV Business
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
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 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.
Production Rolling at Heartland’s Idaho Facility
(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.”
