Archive for February, 2005

>For Gordon Baum, freedom is a weekend with his wife, Ronna, his two cats, Grisham and Jessie, and his 32-foot, 340-horsepower, Class A recreational vehicle.

Baum and roughly 20 others are members of the two-year-old Osprey R.V. Travelers, a new Florida chapter in the nationwide Eagle Fleet RV Travel Club Inc.

The first weekend of every month between November and April, the Baums load up their Newmar Scottsdale RV for a Florida outing to such places as Seffner, Port Charlotte, Lake Placid and Bushnell.

When Baum’s childhood friends hear that he has become an avid RVer, many are shocked, he said

They know a man with a very conservative past and more than three decades teaching school in an often stressful environment.

Now, Baum spends motor home weekends doing nothing more than playing cards or throwing metal washers at a board with holes in it. Full Story…

>Beaudry Motor Co. in Tucson sells car dealerships to concentrate on RV business.

Beaudry is a third generation family owned business founded in 1940 by S.M. “Mac” Beaudry. Before the sale, the company had 11 car franchises.

“We’re going to be focusing our capital on the RV industry, increasing the size of our facilities,” said Mike Murphy, Beaudry general counsel.

The company’s Web site boasts it is the largest RV dealer in the Southwest. It has locations in Tucson, San Diego and on Main Street in Mesa.

The company also runs Beaudry RV Resort in Tucson, some 400 full hook-up pads, including 20 with whirlpool baths, and other camping amenities. Full Story…

>Officials of Fleetwood Enterprises, which employs some 2,000 people at several locations in Decatur,IN have announced that approximately 125 people have been laid off at the motor home production plant on US 224 east that has had 1,000 or more workers.

The job cutbacks are the result of lower demand for motor homes and too much vehicle inventory, a spokeswoman for the company, Kathy Munson, stated. Full Story…