CrossRoads RV, Topeka, Ind., has become the fourth Thor Industries Inc. company to join an exclusive promotion that provides special pricing for recreational park trailers to be used as rental lodges by members of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC).
CrossRoads President Mark Lucas and Shane Ott, Thor Industries’ director of campground relations, announced CrossRoads’ entry into the ARVC-Thor promotion last week during the during the California National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ (CalARVC) annual convention and trade show in Reno, Nev.
Three other Thor companies participating in the ARVC-Thor promotion include Airstream Inc., Breckenridge and Keystone RV Co.
All four companies 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.
“CrossRoads is taking a very assertive approach in reaching out to private park operators,” said Ott, who developed Thor’s rental accommodations initiative after previously serving as president and COO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA).
Lucas, for his part, said input from private park operators has enabled CrossRoads to design its rental units to withstand daily wear and tear from campground guests. As a result, its rental units feature:
- 5/8-inch pine plank tongue and groove interior paneling instead of 1/4-inch paneling or gypsum board.
- No carpeting. Instead, the floors are covered with Beau Floor linoleum, which is easy to clean and more resistant to furniture scratching and cracking due to cold weather than other floor coverings.
- No curtains because the materials used in draperies can tear and hold odors. Instead, CrossRoads uses miniblinds, which can be easily cleaned and replaced as needed.
- Residential style refrigerators. Guests prefer them over compact RV refrigerators because they hold more and work better. They can also be easily replaced as needed.
- Custom designed deck plans. CrossRoads has provided Lowe’s with architectural drawings for patio decks that it designed specifically for its rental units. So whenever park operators want to install a patio, they can simply contact Lowe’s, which will provide them with the deck plans as well as the lumber and other supplies they need.
During the Cal-ARVC tradeshow, Lucas and Ott also introduced park operators to Fran Wickenhauser of Midwest Leasing, whose company has been given an exclusive contract to provide financing to park operators who purchase rental accommodation units through the ARVC-Thor promotion.
Other lodging units featured in the ARVC-Thor 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.
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% 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
