Monaco and other RV stocks

AP
Sector Glance: Recreational Vehicles

Tuesday August 28, 4:15 pm ET

RV Makers Fall After Sales Declines Moderate: Coachmen Down on Suspended Dividend

NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of recreational vehicle makers fell Tuesday after wholesale sales results for July showed a decline from a year ago, but better results than in recent months.
According to Avondale Partners analyst Kathryn I. Thompson, total RV shipments were off 8.5 percent for the month, the smallest decline since September.

Shipments represent wholesale sales to dealers.

Motorhome shipments fell 10 percent from July 2006, reversing a gain in June. July was the twelfth consecutive month for declines in towables, but Thomson noted shipments were down 8.3 percent, the first month since September that the decline was below double digits.

"We continue to believe that dealer inventory levels are reaching reasonable levels, and the continued decline in wholesale shipments on a year-over-year basis reduces the inventory further," she wrote in a note to clients, adding that retail sales have outpaced shipments for the past 10 months.

"However, this month leaves us with mixed feelings about the industry," Thompson said. "While we are encouraged by the softening decline in towable shipments, a decline in motorhome shipments is somewhat disappointing (but not surprising given the current consumer environment)."

Separately, Coachmen Industries late Monday suspended its dividend program, news which hit the Elkhart, Ind., company's stock particularly hard in Tuesday.

Here's how recreational vehicle makers fared on Tuesday:

Winnebago Industries Inc., down 86 cents, or 3.2 percent, to close at $26.36.

Thor Industries Inc., down $1.25, or 2.9 percent, to $41.45.

Drew Industries Inc., down $2.19, or 5.4 percent, to $38.06.

Fleetwood Enterprises Inc., down 26 cents to $8.84.

Monaco Coach Group, down 48 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $13.15.

Coachmen Industries, down 62 cents, or 8.3 percent, to $6.86.

Fleetwood Meeting in Las Vegas

Fleetwood Recognizes Outstanding Customer Satisfaction Achievers at National Dealer Meeting in Las Vegas
Wednesday September 12, 5:00 am ET
RV Producer Pays Homage to Its Founding Father, John Crean

RIVERSIDE, Calif., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fleetwood Enterprises' RV Group, a leading producer of recreational vehicles, held its 16th annual Circle of Excellence ceremony during its 2007 National Dealer Meeting at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nev. Since 1991, Fleetwood awards the Circle of Excellence to dealers who received positive Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores from at least 93.5% of their customers surveyed.
"Our Circle of Excellence awards celebrate Fleetwood dealers who provide the ultimate in customer service and demonstrate daily the high value they place on their customer relationships and customer satisfaction," said Paul Eskritt, President of Fleetwood's RV Group. "In fact, this year we had the privilege of honoring one dealer who has received perfect CSI scores every year since the inception of the Circle of Excellence award program."

Stewart's RV from Saint Clairsville, OH -- who has achieved CSI perfection for 16 years -- was specially recognized by Eskritt and Elden Smith, President and CEO of Fleetwood Enterprises, at the end of the main awards presentation.

Immediately following the award presentation, Smith paid tribute to Fleetwood's founder and creator of the industry-changing Bounder Class A gas motor home, John Crean, who passed away on January 11, 2007.

"John Crean earned our enthusiasm, our loyalty, our minds and our hearts," said Smith. "We at Fleetwood will never forget him, or the things he stood for, and we will be forever grateful."

After Smith's tribute, the 900-member audience watched a video that recounted Crean's life at Fleetwood and the impression he made on those who knew him, as well as those who only knew of him.

About Fleetwood Enterprises

Fleetwood RV is the recreational vehicle operations group within Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: FLE - News), a leading producer of recreational vehicles and manufactured housing through its subsidiaries. Fleetwood's recreational vehicle line includes motor homes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and folding trailers. Fleetwood RV products are distributed through a nationwide network of approximately 1,000 dealers. For more information on Fleetwood Enterprises, visit our website at http://www.fleetwood.com.

Media Contacts:
Heather Everett
(951) 377-3852
heather.everett@fleetwood.com

Source: Fleetwood Enterprises

Future Plans for the Database

Readers of this blog site and users of the database will help in determining the future additions to the database. It can expand into other areas of interest which RVers could be useful to those on the road, planning a trip, or having problems with their vehicle. The areas into which we could expand would be compiled by user input, as well as our input.

We need ideas and suggestions from users.

The Database at iJaunts

Presently the iJaunts RV Assistant database contains over 250 locations where RVers can dump their tanks. Even though the information has been gathered from various sources, it is felt the it is mostly reliable. It is our hope as we move forward with this information project that many RVers will visit these locations and provide feedback to us in the form of corrections to our previously published data or additional comments and observations from their first-hand experience using it.

New features now available in the database site are a straight-mile listing of the closest locations to the one being viewed on screen, a listing of all of the other locations within the same state, and access to 3 maps for the USA showing the locations along with their names and addresses.

For those interested, there is also a page showing State Birds and State Flowers for the individual states. This information does not assist the RVer in planning, but provides some extra details.