Lifestyle Generation
Has Several Chassis Choices

The lifestyle generation will provide us with a steady stream of new prospects in the years to come. This generation is a better educated, and better-informed consumer and will demand more from the companies they choose to do business with.

They will conduct more research on the products they buy than any generation before them.

They will utilize sources of information that were not available just ten years ago.

They will insist on concern, responsiveness, and support for the products they buy and the lifestyle they choose to live.

The RV industry will have the opportunity to significantly increase their share of the leisure-spending dollar if they can meet the stringent requirements that will be established by the informed consumer.

RV chassis manufacturers certainly have responded with a wide selection of products that will allow RV manufacturers to build the products this generation will demand.

Why will the chassis become a major decision point that will be analyzed by the new RV buyer? Because it must support a different lifestyle. It must support a lifestyle that not only wants the freedom provided by the RV, but will insist on the ability to take all of their toys with them when they enjoy the RV experience.

It's not just an RV anymore. It's a lifestyle vehicle for a lifestyle generation, and that equates to tremendous potential to bring the RV into mainstream society and put one in everybody's driveway.

The RV industry has the opportunity to make the RV the third vehicle in a three-vehicle household. This generation of mobile, Internet savvy, always-in-touch people will demand that their lifestyle travel with them when they go on vacation or spend a weekend away with the family and/or friends.

What are some of the toys that they will want to take along? According to statistics published in the Spartan Motors press release provided for their exciting new Me2 mid-engine chassis, they represent 2.5 million bicycles, 545,932 ATVs, 498,399 motorcycles, 233,900 boats, 175,000 golf carts, 147,867 snowmobiles and 106,000 personal watercraft. U.S. consumers purchased more than 4.2 million toys to supplement their recreational activities last year.

That's a lot of toys.

Just think of the opportunity if we can convince just 10% of them to purchase an RV to carry their toys in -- that's another 420,000 recreational vehicles.

Total shipments in 1990 were approximately 173,000 RVs. Over 300,000 RVs will ship this year. If we can get just 5% of that projected market, we could see sales of RVs exceed 500,000 units in the next ten years.

Spartan has addressed this market with a unique platform known as the Me2, a mid-engine chassis specifically designed for the RV industry. This exciting development will allow OEMs greater design flexibility to build RVs that offer improved ride and handling, greater storage space and more room for slide-outs.

The chassis will allow motorhome manufacturers to offer a built-in garage where consumers can carry their toys inside the rig.

The Me2 is three times stronger than a conventional chassis. It can handle up to six slide-outs, increasing the average living space in a coach by as much as 40 percent.

It will allow for more innovative designs that might include a sunken master bedroom with whirlpool tub or spa, a computer room or traveling home/office suite.

The Me2 has a specially designed platform at the rear of the coach that raises and lowers hydraulically. This area, which has the carrying capacity to hold up to 3,000 pounds, increases storage capacity up to 30% by offering 190 cubic feet of storage. Families will be able to stow their leisure vehicles inside the coach, which frees them up to tow a car or boat behind their motorhome, according to Spartan Motors.

The big news at Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation was their expanded warranty to an unprecedented three years, 50,000 miles, and transferable upon sale of the rig.

The new warranty plan will be for model year 2001 motorhome chassis, offering customers the most comprehensive coverage available in the industry.

In addition to the expanded warranty program, effective November 1, 2000 Freightliner has eliminated the deductible for all motorhome chassis models with warranties still in effect. By eliminating the deductible, Freightliner is simplifying the warranty process for customers and dealers.

The company also announced that their XC chassis in now available with the new Cummins ISL 370 horsepower engine as well as the Cummins ISC and Caterpillar 3126B engines. All engines are available with a side radiator.

The Freightliner XCS chassis, introduced at last year's show as an affordable diesel chassis, will now be offered with Freightliner AirLiner rear suspension (replacing leaf springs) and a new front suspension. The chassis can be ordered with the Allison 2000MH transmission, exclusively available from Freightliner with the Cummins ISB 275 horsepower engine.

The hottest news in gas chassis continues to be the recently introduced W22 motorhome chassis from Workhorse Custom Chassis. Three industry-leading manufacturers showcased new motorhomes at Louisville on this powerful platform that brings diesel features to a gasoline motorhome chassis.

The W22, the first gasoline motorhome chassis engineered from the ground up, is powered by the Vortec 8100 8.1-liter engine and is coupled with an Allison 1000 Series 5-speed transmission and Stabil-Ride suspension. The 22,000-pound GVWR allows manufacturers to accommodate the multiple slide-outs that the lifestyle generation is demanding.

Manufacturers showing motorhomes built on the W22 included Newmar that showed two Mountain Aire units, Holiday Rambler with an Endeavor, and Fleetwood with a new Pace Arrow Vision 36B model.

The Fleetwood Nex-Gen Concept Coach was also shown on the Workhorse W22 platform in private showings to dealers and the trade press.

The lifestyle generation of RV buyers will have several choices for superior chassis performance to highlight their RV experiences going down the road.

RVN