Archive for October, 2005

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This Class C motor home features the Dodge Sprinter cab and chassis, two unique floorplans and contemporary exterior and interior design elements.

Built on the innovative 10,200-lb. gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) Dodge Sprinter cutaway cab chassis, Winnebago Industries is currently the only RV manufacturer to offer this chassis on this motor home application. The chassis features a premium 2.7L CDI five cylinder turbo diesel Mercedes Benz engine that delivers excellent power – 154 hp with 243 lb. ft. of torque, and excellent fuel economy. The View also features five-speed tip shift automatic transmission that’s designed to be one of the smoothest, most reliable transmissions on the market. A 3,500-lb. trailer hitch is standard.

The View offers two floorplans, the 23H and 23J. Both offer a front slideout room expanding the living space while parked, and a front bunk that features a hinged bunk mattress providing a 49-inch by 75-inch sleeping space.

>Monaco Coach Corp. lowered its third-quarter revenue forecast and announced plans to cut 17 percent of its nonproduction work force. The Coburg, OR-based maker of motor coaches said Monday it plans to reduce administrative and indirect labor employees by about 225. At least 100 of those jobs would be engineering, warranty service, parts, accounting and human resource positions in Coburg. Monaco employs about 5,400 companywide.

The move comes as the company said it now expects third-quarter revenue of about $297 million, down from its July estimate of $325 million to $335 million. Wall Street had been looking for revenue of about $323.7 million. The company now predicts a third-quarter loss, including discontinued operations, of about $6 million, or 20 cents a share. Full Story…

>“Without a doubt, we had a good year, a very good year,” Winnebago CEO Bruce Hertzke said last week after the company reported fourth-quarter and fiscal-year earnings. “It’s still the second-best year in our history, and I think that says something about the strength of Winnebago.”

The company reported revenues of $992 million, down from $1.1 billion a year ago but still the second-best revenue year in the history of the company. And the company’s 2005 income of $65.1 million, while dropping from $70.6 million, represents a 20 percent increase over a then-record income of $54.1 million in 2002.

Hertzke said higher gas prices have led to reduced consumer confidence, a key indicator for motor-home sales.

“It would be foolish to say gas prices don’t have an affect on us,” Hertzke said, “but the reason is not necessarily the cost of fuel but it’s how it affects consumer confidence. … The reality is motor homes are luxury items, and that means we’re a cyclical business.” Full Story…