ARVC AND THOR INDUSTRIES, INC. LAUNCH A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP PROVIDING PRIVATE PARK OPERATORS WITH EXCLUSIVE PRICES ON PARK MODELS AND TRAVEL TRAILERS. UNITS HAVE BEEN SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR USE AS RENTAL ACCOMMODATIONS.
These units will be on display Nov. 11-12 at the InSites Convention & Expo.LARKSPUR, Colorado & JACKSON CENTER, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2009 – The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) and Thor Industries, Inc. have launched a strategic partnership to provide rental-lodging products at special prices in an exclusive promotion for ARVC members.
“Three of Thor’s companies, including Airstream, Breckenridge, and Keystone, now offer unique lines of park model cabin and travel trailer units that have been specially designed to meet the durability needs of private park operators who are anxious to expand their offering of rental accommodations,” said Shane Ott, Thor’s director of campground relations. Ott, who was previously president and COO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA), joined Thor last summer and developed the company’s rental accommodations initiative with ARVC.
Units from all three manufacturers will be on display Nov. 11-12 at ARVC’s annual InSites Convention & Expo in Orlando, Fla. Wells Fargo has also agreed to be a financing partner for qualified park owners.
“We welcome this partnership and feel that the favorable pricing and unique designs of these units will be very enticing for campgrounds, RV parks and resorts as they continue to diversify their business base with rental accommodations,” said Linda Profaizer, ARVC’s president and CEO.
About one third of the nation’s commercially owned campgrounds, RV parks and RV resorts offer rental units to accommodate families and other travelers who don’t have an RV, but want to enjoy the Great Outdoors – and the numbers are growing.
“Private parks have long seen the merits of investing in park model cabins for use as rental accommodations, and now they have a chance to invest in both park models and travel trailers for on-site rental use at special prices that are exclusive to ARVC members,” Profaizer said. “Many travel trailer owners already leave their units at campgrounds and RV parks and use them as getaway cottages,” she added.
Ott said this partnership, the first of its kind involving ARVC and RV manufacturers, has enabled Thor to develop unique units using the input and experience of campground owners across North America. The ruggedized features along with a variety of floorplans and cozy design elements offer campground owners durable units built to withstand the rigors of high occupancy usage.
The lodging units featured in the promotion include four Breckenridge park models ranging from 22- to 36-feet; two Keystone travel trailers, including one 29- and one 37-foot model; and one 25-foot Airstream travel trailer.
Ott added that while the initial promotion involves Airstream, Breckenridge, and Keystone, additional Thor companies could become involved in the promotion in the future, depending on the level of private park interest.
The world’s largest RV manufacturer, Thor has a long history of financial stability and annual growth. The Jackson Center, Ohio company and its subsidiaries currently produce 30 percent of the RVs and park models produced in the United States, which Ott said should assure ARVC members of a mutually beneficial and stable business relationship.
ARVC, for its part, is the largest association of private parks in the world, representing more than 3,600 commercially owned campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across the country. The association is based in Larkspur, Colo.
For more information on the Thor-ARVC accommodations partnership, please contact Shane Ott at (406) 670-7181 or sott@thorindustries.com or Linda Profaizer at (303) 681-0401 or lprofaizer@arvc.org.