News & Notes: November 2022

Venture RV Marks 10-Year Anniversary

Venture Recreational Vehicles commemorated the company’s 10th anniversary in July. A division of KZ Recreational Vehicles, Venture RV began with the idea of creating user-inspired RVs “built for customers, by customers.” Company officials note that the focus has been on developing feature-rich, affordable, quality units.

The SportTrek line, the first product developed, was built for large families. Some of the early-to-market features included kitchen islands, integrated gear racks, hidden storage spaces, slide bunk rooms, double fireplaces, washer/dryer prep in most plans, and integrated window seats. Today, Venture RV has expanded to also include the Sonic, the Sonic Lite, the Sonic X, the Stratus, and the SportTrek Touring Edition lines.

For more information, visit www.venture-rv.com or call (888) 829-6320.

Thor Industries Invests In Dragonfly Energy

Thor Industries recently announced that it has invested in Dragonfly Energy, a producer of deep-cycle lithium-ion batteries for the RV industry. Dragonfly focuses on developing battery packs, energy systems, and cell manufacturing technologies. In addition to selling to RV manufacturers, the company’s deep-cycle lithium-ion batteries are sold directly to consumers under the Battle Born Batteries brand.

“Dragonfly has been a valued partner to one of our largest and most successful North American RV companies, Keystone RV, a Thor operating company. The proven success of the products in the field and synergistic value-add relationship made this investment an important one to us,” said Bob Martin, president and CEO of Thor Industries.

Thor’s equity investment was completed ahead of Dragonfly’s previously announced business combination transaction with Chardan NexTech Acquisition 2 Corp.

For more information about Thor and its products, visit www.thorindustries.com. To learn more about Dragonfly Energy, visit www.dragonflyenergy.com.

Airstream Introduces New Option Package For Mercedes-Benz RV Line

Airstream, maker of the iconic “silver bullet” travel trailers and manufacturer of touring coaches, announced the E1 Package for its line of Mercedes-Benz motorhomes. The E1 Package is said to provide owners enhanced power storage, with up to 10 times the battery power compared with standard configurations. It also includes a single-fuel-source hydronic heating and hot-water system, which eliminates the need for onboard propane or a gas generator.

At the heart of the E1 Package is a Volta power system, with a 12,000-watt-hour lithium battery pack. A 3,200-watt pure sine inverter, two 30-amp converters, a secondary 51-volt alternator, and additional inputs for solar harvesting work in conjunction to supply power — whether hooked up to campground electricity, boondocking on battery power, or driving to a destination.

The Timberline 2.0 diesel-fired heating and hot-water system warms the interior on chilly days while also providing on-demand hot water using the same diesel tank that supplies fuel to the motorhome’s engine.

For more information, visit www.airstream.com.

Truma Introduces Interconnect Package

The Truma Aventa rooftop air conditioner is part of the company’s Interconnect package of heating, cooling, and hot-water systems.

The Truma Interconnect package of heating, cooling, and hot-water systems debuted during America’s Largest RV Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in mid-September. In addition, manufacturers at the RV Dealer Open House that followed in Elkhart, Indiana, displayed vehicles that incorporated the systems.

According to Truma officials, the 2023 model year will see several manufacturers of motorhomes and towable RVs adopting two-piece or three-piece suites of Truma comfort systems. The two-piece Truma Interconnect package features the Truma Combi combination water heater and furnace paired with the Truma Aventa rooftop air conditioner. The three-piece package features the flagship Truma AquaGo instant water heater, Truma VarioHeat furnace, and Truma Aventa rooftop air conditioner.

Both configurations also include the Truma CP Plus control panel. RV owners will now be able to set the temperature for the RV and control select functions of their water heater from the same panel. The Truma CP Plus will automatically engage the furnace or air conditioner as needed to maintain the desired temperature, just like a home thermostat.

Winnebago Industries Names New President Of Newmar Corporation

Casey Tubman has been appointed president of Newmar Corporation.

Winnebago Industries recently announced that Casey Tubman has been appointed president of Newmar Corporation. Newmar, manufacturer of luxury motorhomes, was established in 1968 and became part of Winnebago Industries in 2019.

Tubman joins Winnebago Industries after more than 25 years in a variety of leadership and executive roles at Whirlpool Corporation, a multinational manufacturer of home appliances.

An engineer by training, Tubman earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and an executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

New Motorhomes From Chinook RV

Chinook RV’s Maverick motorhome, on the left, is built on the Ford Transit all-wheel-drive chassis. The Summit, right, is a Mercedes-Benz-based model.

Chinook RV announced plans to unveil its all-new Maverick and Summit B+ motorhomes to dealers at its facilities in Peru, Indiana, during the Elkhart RV Open House in September 2022.

The Maverick, built on the Ford Transit chassis with all-wheel drive, boasts a 3.5-liter Eco-Boost turbocharged engine and a 10-speed transmission. The Summit is built on the all-new Mercedes-Benz chassis, with all possible options from Mercedes.

The all-new Maverick features a 2-inch-by-4-inch welded tubular steel substructure mounted on rubber isolator pads, one-piece ¾-inch floor decking with sound dampening and insulating HushMat on the bottom, plus a fiberglass moisture barrier. The sidewall construction is welded together with rolled aluminum wall tubing and thick block-foam insulation. Instead of fiberglass, the sidewalls are formed using .055 aluminum skins bonded with Sika adhesive.

The 5-inch-thick roof is built with welded aluminum trusses set 16 inches on center plus rolled fiberglass insulation and 3/8-inch decking that is topped with a .055 aluminum outer skin.

Both the company’s Summit and Maverick models use the Truma Combi furnace and water heater combination, tested to ensure four-season capability.

For more information, visit Chinook RV at www.chinook.com.

Freightliner Adds Five-Year, 100,000-Mile Warranty

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) has announced an all-new five-year, 100,000-mile warranty for its 2023-model-year rear-engine chassis. The new standard warranty on Type A XC and SL chassis adds two years and 50,000 miles to the guarantee.

Freightliner officials noted that chassis and powertrain warranties are all now five years for easy recall. The Cummins warranty is five years/100,000 miles, and the Allison Transmission warranty is five years/200,000 miles.

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