BEST OF THE BEST RV INDUSTRY

BEST OF THE BEST RV INDUSTRY AWARDS

Winnebago Industries has taken out a number of awards at NSW Caravan and Camping Industry Association’s Awards of Excellence including the Best of the Best Trade Industry Award, at a presentation night hosted by the Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW (CCIA) Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner at Ettalong Beach Club in NSW.

Chief Operating Officer, Ben Binns accepted the award on behalf of Winnebago. “It is a fitting result for all our staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the year in somewhat trying circumstances” said Mr Binns.

Winnebago was also honoured, for the third year in a row, with the Award of Excellence for the Best Manufacturer-Motorhomes, Campervans and 5^th Wheelers, and a Winnebago employee, Joel Bowmer, was recognised as Trade Employee of the Year.

Joel commenced at Winnebago as a trainee and has been at Winnebago for just over 3 years as a member of the manufacturing team. Joel has always been willing to learn, a fantastic attitude to work and a helpful, smiling disposition.

Winnebago has consistently fostered young trainees in a program designed to offer skills and knowledge to those with a willingness and aptitude to succeed.

Trade Employee of the year Joel Bowmer accepting his award from Warren Parrot

The Awards of Excellence is the industry’s highlight event which recognises business excellence in the caravan and camping sector and is the highest accolade that a caravan, RV or camping business can achieve.

In an economic climate rife with pessimism, the RV Industry is a shining light of optimism as people look to escape the stress of everyday life by opting for short holidays or extended road trips.

The ongoing effect on local economies, particularly those rural centres often suffering in other ways is enormous as the cash injection provided by Motorhomers including spending on food, fuel, Caravan Park accommodation and sightseeing.

The motorhome, caravan and camping and manufactured housing sector continues to grow. Trends show that caravan and camping visitor numbers continue to grow and that these travellers are continuing to increase their average length of stay and their average spend in caravan parks Australia wide, increasing 30.7% over the last year and a whopping 67% over the last 5 years in NSW alone.

Why Winnebago

Reasons Why You Should Buy a Winnebago Motorhome:

• Our company is 100% Australian owned and operated, building motorhomes since 1965.
  
• Winnebago RV Help: a National roadside programme for all New Winnebago’s purchased.
  
• Winnebago motorhomes have some of the highest resale values of any motorhomes.
  
• Our Motorhome floors have a welded metal frame with block foam insulation and a metal under body that keeps out the grime and the heat from the exhaust and black asphalt.
  
• We have welded aluminium framed side walls and roofs, block foam insulation bonded in a sandwich panel for the strongest ever side frame and roof. Class A and B and some class C models have a radius roof.
  
• Our motorhomes are manufactured using the most advanced technology, materials and construction processes.
  
• The laminating process is the only one of it’s kind in Australia using PUR hot melt adhesive.
  
• All cupboard frames are solid timber which are screwed together, not stapled.
  
• Windows are made from either safety glass, or a dual pane polycarbonate hopper, with a Safety exit in all models.
  
• The entry doors on all motorhome models are insulated heavy duty doors with dead bolts for your security.
  
• Our cab over beds are a tilt up design with a one piece mattress giving you more comfort.
  
• Depending on the model but most windows are of louvre design giving you security when open and maximum ventilation for your comfort.
  
• Some of our motorhomes now come with a high stop light for your added safety on the road.
  
• All of our motorhomes are tested in our “Monsoon” test bay. This is just one of the ways we ensure quality control prior to your Winnebago leaving the factory.
  
• We have the largest, purpose built motorhome production facility in Australia with large service bays and an extensive spare parts division.
  
• More Dealers throughout Australia and New Zealand than any other manufacturer to tend to your needs with a range of tailored finance packages available.
  
• All motorhomes are fitted with appliances that have service agents throughout Australia and New Zealand.
  
• There is ample storage in all our motorhomes. The Longreach and Class A range have extra deep bins with pass-through storage sections.
  
• Industry leading assurance, all our motorhomes come with a 2 year - 1 Million Km warranty with a 5 year structural guarantee*

TECH TORQUE - Power Inverters

A power inverter converts DC power or direct current to standard AC power or alternating current, which allows you to run electrical equipment off your batteries for mobile applications, emergencies or simple convenience. They are simple to use and are a quiet alternative to starting a generator to run electrical equipment. There are many styles of Power inverters, they can plug directly into a cigarette lighter or a 12v socket. They might also come with jumperlike cables for connecting directly to a battery. Larger inverters can be hard wired into the bank of house batteries for the motorhome. Larger inverters can also be combination battery chargers as well. Your laptop, phone charger, television, video game player or portable DVD players are all examples of devices which an inverter will operate to get you through a long drive, assuming you’re not the one driving! Power inverters are great for camp sites without electricity. The toaster, blender, and bread maker can all still be used. You can plug in the digital movie camera to capture those great moments around the camp fire that you might have missed after the camera’s battery ran low!

Power inverters come in many models that vary in watts. The amount of wattage you will require on an inverter depends on the total draw of the devices you’d like to use. If you have a two-outlet inverter and will be plugging in 2 devices at once, add up the total wattage of both devices then add at least 50% more to account for peaks or spikes in the power draw. For example if your DVD theatre draws 100 watts and your laptop another 100 watts, a minimum 300-watt inverter is recommended. When using your power inverter continuously inside a vehicle that is not running, the engine should be started at least once an hour for 10-15 minutes to keep the batteries from discharging. Power inverters operate on the assumption that the battery is in good condition and fully charged. A weak battery will be drained easily if demands are too high. Using portable inverters from a cigarette lighter could leave you stranded so be sure to check the battery’scondition before using a power inverter in a stationary vehicle. If the power inverter is being used while the vehicle is running as in the case of a road trip, there should be no problem with the extra draw providing the battery is in good condition.

Power inverters produce one of three different types of wave output:

• Square Wave

• Modified Square Wave (Modified Sine Wave)

• Pure Sine Wave (True Sine Wave)

The three different wave signals represent three different qualities of power output and consequently, three different price categories.

Square wave

inverters result in uneven power delivery that is not efficient for running most devices. Square wave inverters were the first types of inverters made and are obsolete.

Modified square wave

(modified sine wave) inverters deliver power that is consistent and efficient enough to run most devices fine however the squarish waveshape can also confuse the timing circuits in some appliances that use the Mains Frequency to control a clock. This type of inverter is probably the most popular.

Pure sine wave

inverters are more expensive, but they also deliver the most consistent wave output. Some sensitive equipment requires a sine wave, like certain medical equipment and variable speed or rechargeable tools. The following points are a guide – there is a lot of variation in startup surge load and continuous load for similar appliances between makes/models.

Size of Inverter Required Type of Appliance, most appliances have their power rating stated underneath its base.

• 150 watts – Charger for cameras, laptops, and small power tools; DVD player; coffee grinder; kitchen mixer; printer; very small television (non LCD TVs have degaussing coils which can draw 500 watts on startup)

• 250 watts – Small TV, slow cooker, desktop computer, electric blanket

• 500 watts – Small fridge, freezer, small angle grinder, drill, large TV, washing machine (without heat)

• 1000 watts – Breadmaker, microwave (600 watts – keep in mind that the input power for a microwave oven is around twice its specified cooking power level, due to inefficiencies in converting to the very high frequencies needed for cooking – 2 thousand million hertz!)

• 1500 watts – Toaster, small airconditioner, chainsaw, vacuum cleaner, iron

• 2000 watts – Microwave (1200 watts), hair dryer, fan heater, iron

• 3000 watts – Large airconditioner

If you aren’t sure if the device you want to use requires a pure sine wave or not, call the manufacturer to ask. Or if you don’t mind the price difference any device will run on a pure sine wave, whether it requires it or not. The only drawback would be in spending more than you need to for your power inverter. Always use a power inverter that is rated high enough for the device(s) you are running and avoid adapters that would allow more outlets than the unit is designed to accommodate.

WINNEBAGO - Industry Award Winners in 2011

Winnebago Industries is proud to announce that it has received three awards at the annual CCIA 2011 conference held on the glistening waters of the Central Coast NSW, at the Ettalong Beach Club. The theme this year was 'our industry is 'simply the best'' which aims to encourage businesses to not rest on their laurels and to constantly strive for success by continuously re-evaluating business plans to ensure long term success.

At the Awards of Excellence 'Hollywood' Gala Dinner, Winnebago Industries took out the prestigious 'Best of the Best NSW Trade Business 2011'

Joel Bowmer's hard work was recognised by the Industry, and he was awarded the EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR award; an enormous feat as he was chosen from all RV Manufacturer staff, Dealer staff, suppliers to the industry staff and other associated trade organisations staff.

Winnebago proudly accepted the prestigious award of Best Manufacturer Motorhomes, Campervans & Fifth Wheelers. It is award which pays tribute to the effort and professionalism Winnebago employs to ensure that they produce the best vehicles Australia wide.

Winnebago's Upmarket Esperance

ESPERANCE PREMIUM A 2634 SL

Winnebago's highly successfuly and ever popular Esperance model range of 13 differing floorplans has now been expanded by one more, a unique and stylish motorhome - the all new Esperance Premium.

The Esperance Premium offers the space and comfort of an A class motorhome yet in a convenient size. At only 8 metres long, the Esperance Premium provides the practicality of a mid-sized motorhome but with an extremely spacious feel to it.

The Esperance Premium is an A Class motorhome meaning that both the cab and the motorhome body are especially manufactured rather than just incorporating the standard chassis cab. A class motorhomes offer the advantage of a wider more spacious, easily accessible cabin as the cabin width is the same size as the rest of the motorhome unlike the traditional motorhomes built on a cab chassis where the cab is somewhat narrower.

Sit back and relax in the ultra-leather driver and passenger armchairs which swivel to form part of the living area. The huge one piece windscreen provides exceptional views of the passing scenery. All your instruments are conveniently located thanks to the large wrap around dash, controls such as the very handy cruise control function, just set your speed and enjoy the journey.

The kitchen is a gourmet’s delight with full oven, grill and cooktop, exhaust fan and sink with hot and cold water. The refrigerator offers a larger freezer and automatically controls the use of power, switching itself to 240 volt, battery or gas as required thus your food and drinks will remain cold.

The rear bedroom area has a large walk around bed that comfortably sleeps two, if you would like to bring along a couple more guests, just pull down the bed above the driver and passenger seat or convert the roomy dinette.

The bathroom is located at the rear with separate shower and toilet facilities and as the toilet is not part of the shower recess, it remains dry. The porcelain bowl toilet flushes to a large sealed wheel-along cassette.

Apart from the luxurious necessities, Esperance Premium offers a host of standard items such as remote controlled roof air conditioning for heating and cooling, a separate ducted diesel furnace system as well, a large LCD television with inbuilt DVD player inbuilt, a 7” colour screen GPS system incorporating a reversing camera and DVD player.

Esperance Premium further expands the already impressive Winnebago model range, joining the well-known and popular models, both campervan and motorhome – Escape, Diversion, Birdsville and Birdsville Elite, Esperance, Menindee, Longreach and Classic and the other two new models, Eyre and Ceduna.

Winnebago Scoops Industry Award

WINNEBAGO SCOOPS INDUSTRY AWARDS

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE, SILVER GUMNUT, INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Winnebago Industries has taken out a number of awards at NSW Caravan and Camping Industry Association’s Awards of Excellence presentation night at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel, Sydney on Wednesday July 28.

The much coveted award for BEST MANUFACTURER, MOTORHOMES, CAMPERVANS and FIFTH WHEELERS was accepted by Ben Binns, Winnebago’s Chief Operating Officer. “It is a great honour to receive such an award and credit was due to the team effort of the more than 200 employees employed by Winnebago” Mr Binns said.

Family owned and 100% Australian, Winnebago Industries is Australia’s No. 1 motorhome and campervan manufacturer. Established in 1965, Winnebago locally designs and builds a wide range of motorhomes and campervans at its state of the art factory in Emu Plains, Sydney.

Long serving Winnebago Employee, Symmon Bruce was recognised by the Industry and accepted the EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR award chosen from all RV Manufacturer and Dealer staff, suppliers to the industry and other associated trade organisations. Symmon thoroughly deserved the accolades bestowed on her for her loyalty, hard work and her determination to make a difference. Employees like Symmon, who has worked her way up from being a motorhome cleaner to the position of Inventory Manager at the Winnebago factory prove that opportunities exist for those who have a desire to succeed.

Earlier in the evening, Winnebago had been awarded the BEST SERVICE and/or PRODUCT PROVIDER in NSW reflecting a proficiency and dedication in supplying parts, accessories and after sales service to our Motorhome customers.

Winnebago became the first trade organisation ever to receive the prestigious the SILVER GUMNUT award for environmental excellence. Each candidate for the award is assessed by independent judges based on a written submission and a comprehensive onsite inspection. Samantha Binns, Director of Marketing and the manager tasked with ensuring that environmental issues remain top of mind at Winnebago said “motorhoming and the environment tend to be in harmony and we are striving to extend that philosophy right throughout the manufacturing process” “Our next goal is to be the first manufacturer/retailer to receive the GOLD GUMNUT AWARD for environmental excellence, a challenge that we are determined to meet” said Ms Binns.

Winnebago Enters the Campervan Market

Winnebago Escape and Diversion

Winnebago is intent on making inroads into the Australian Campervan market with the introduction of two unique and versatile campervans – Escape and Diversion.

Campervans are defined as a recreational vehicle built within the confines of a van body, in other words, an existing driveable vehicle is fitted out with furniture, bedding, cooking appliances and other features necessary to accommodate people whilst out on the road.

Most campervans on the market today are designed to cater for two people but Winnebago’s new Campervans take comfort and versatility to a new plateau and both models will cater for four people in style.

The Escape, a 6.4 metre campervan on a Fiat Ducato 3 litre turbo diesel and the Diversion built on a 7.5 metre Mercedes Benz Sprinter van both offer a number of unique features, most noticeably, an electric roll down bed which drops from the ceiling and can sleep two adults comfortably in addition to other beds for two other people, found within each campervan.

Most campervans are not self contained in terms of bathroom and toilet facilities, and those that are often have a very cramped shower recess. Winnebago has designed into Escape and Diversion, a very spacious expanded bathroom system offering privacy, room to move and incorporate a flushing toilet and vanity.

Versatility is the keyword for the WINNEBAGO ESCAPE and Winnebago, cleverly, has created a second living area which can easily convert to a huge “garage” area in the rear of the campervan – by storing the electric double bed against the ceiling and folding up the two single beds against the wall (or easily removing them), the space created can hold a motor bike or two, a quad bike, bicycles, surfboards fishing rods, all those things that enhance your time away with your partner, friends or family.

During the week, the Escape can double as the family car or as a “tradies truck” (optional equipment can be installed for shelving and the tool box) and then on the weekend, head off to those remote places for fun and excitement in your fully self contained campervan.

WINNEBAGO DIVERSION offers complete and utter luxury for driver and passengers alike. Spacious, refined, and highly equipped, you can relax in the soft front seats which swivel around else relax on the rear ultra leather sofa lounge which electrically adjusts to a sumptuous day lounge or comfortable double bed. Diversion can sleep four adults as it is equipped with an electric roll down bed which drops from the ceiling at the touch of a button.

Enjoy a fantastic meal from the large well equipped kitchen and like Escape, the bathroom is oversized in comparison to other campervans as to better accommodate your bathroom needs offering hot and cold showers, a flushing toilet, vanity and ample fresh water supply.

Winnebago supports its product with the best RV warranty on the market, a two year or one million kilometre warranty and a 5 year structural warranty as well as two years free emergency roadside assist for additional peace of mind.

Winnebago Escape and Diversion, two brand new Campervan models manufactured by Australia’s premier motorhome brand are bound to attract market attention simply for what both these campervans have to offer – style, versatility and a long list of standard specification which will surely impress the most discerning customer.