Country Coach Model Lines From Entry into the CC Family... on Up

Many ask what is the "pecking order" from entry level into the CC family to the highest priced coach built by this company for the beautiful Country Coach monikered motorhomes one sees on the roads today? The company went into bankruptcy status and was sold at auction in February 2010. In spite of that fact, the Country Coach Lines are still among the finest motorcoaches on the road today.

I've listed from my recollection the Country Coach Model Family from entry level to CC Prevost Conversion:

Tribute
Inspire
Allure
Intrigue
Magna
Affinity
Concept (its marketing slogan was every-bit-a-bus)
Lexa
Rhapsody
Prevost Conversion

The Veranda (a unique fold out patio/veranda feature) wasn't a motorcoach model of its own self but was available on CC lines toward the end of the company's existence as a manufacturer of the Country Coach brand motorcoaches....The former CC, LLC manufacturer also built the Class C Max for a short time; and its then sister-company National RV was the site of the manufacture of the short lived Class A Mystique which I believe fell below the Allure in the family line. Prior to any of these lines of course Country Campers and Country Coaches predated these lines listed above.


At the CC, LLC bankruptcy auction Ron Lee bought the proprietary information, copyrights, blueprints/schematics, fiberglass molds, etc. He opened Country Coach Corporation, a facility which provides a full service center, pre-owned coach sales division, and logo apparel store at the former headquarters of Country Coach, LLC in Junction City, OR.  Country Coach Corporation anticipates the introduction of a new "Country Coach" motorcoach, and the team at CCC is working hard toward that "start up of motorcoach manufacturing" goal. You may keep apprised of the Country Coach Corporation at www.countrycoach.com

Country Coach Corporation offers limited time Parts and Labor Discount

Just visited Country Coach online. Since 'all things Country Coach' has been my career long passion, I like to keep track of my Country Coach friends. This company is currently running a winter service special, check it out below:

 
Here's what is currently posted at their website:

"What a great 2013! Wow, Country Coach Corporation Service has sure grown in the last three years. We have added several highly experienced technicians to our staff and have a great crew that can handle any repairs on your coach. It was great seeing our return friends show up in their Country Coach and meeting hundreds of new friends as well. We kept the schedule full and we were still available for any "walk in" appointments to help many of you that were in need of service during your travels through Oregon. We saw all kinds of repairs come into our shop, from normal preventative maintenance requirements to full coach paint requests to remodels including new tile floors, carpeting, cabinets, solid surface and upgraded audio/video components."

LIMITED TIME OFFER:

Motorcoach Musty Odors and Mildew or Mold

Addressing Motorcoach Musty Odors and Mildew or Mold

by Debbie Hollembaek Owner of DLH Design

 

Musty Odor:

     We’ve all smelled it in our own RV’s after storing them over a period of time or in a used RV, “that musty odor”. What is that….well, it’s many things combined and I will be discussing the overall interior air quality. Musty odors come from several things such as storing your RV, or clothes left in the RV, or cooking, drain pipes, sewer tanks, engine fumes, pets, mildew….

     Getting the picture? Some of us experience the problem worse than others if you live in a damp muggy climate.

     The first preventative measure is to make sure you remove all items from your coach that can collect odor before you store it. This means pet toys, clothes, dish towels etc. Store all porous materials separately and wash them before you bring them back to your coach. For those porous items you cannot remove such as your sofa and window treatments, clean them with upholstery cleaner before you put your RV in storage. Before and after you take a trip clean all non-porous materials such as refrigerators, sinks, tile, glass, etc with a good all purpose cleanser. I have included a couple of my favorite recipes below.

All Purpose Cleaner

In a clean, empty gallon milk jug put:

2 Tablespoons ammonia

1 teaspoon dish detergent

1 pint (2 cups) rubbing alcohol

A few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Fill the rest of the gallon jug with hot water. Pour into spray container to use.

     Homemade “soft scrub” Type Cleaner: There are no measurements necessary for this one. Simply put a small amount of baking soda in a bowl and add liquid dish detergent until you have smooth paste or frosting like substance. This works very well on sinks and counters and won’t scratch the surface.

     Make sure you install vent covers over roof vents that enable you to leave the roof vents open slightly so the stale air can escape during storage. Also use your fan while cooking, food odors smell good right before you eat but can linger to create a “smell”. And during storage open your cabinets and drawers for extra ventilation.

    Removing deeply ingrained odors may require using an Ozone generator or cleaning products made to attack stubborn odors. An ozone generator generates the gas ozone which is safe and extremely useful for purifying the air and removing odors. You can buy a machine for $200 to $400 or rent them for a week for about the same price. Make sure you do not confuse ozone with an ion generator. Ion generators only use a negative charge to control floating duct particles.

     Less expensive ways to evict stubborn odors is to use an odor eliminating product such as FreshWave neutralizing crystals, Smelleze deodorant pouches, or odor eating sponges. All of these products are available on the internet.

 

Mildew or Mold:

     Mildew or mold appears as black or bluish spots around wet areas like your shower, toilet and tile grout to name a few places it loves to start growing. If you see or suspect mold, treat it immediately using the following method(s). Absorbent or porous materials, such as fuzzy ceiling liner, and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become moldy.

     Do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces. Paint applied over moldy surfaces is likely to peel and the mold will grow back. If you have to remove a porous material that is bigger than 3x3 feet I recommend calling a professional. If you are removing a smaller area first make sure you are suited up for the job. An N-95 respirator found at local hardware stores will keep you from breathing in mold spores. Wear long rubber gloves and goggles for extra protection. First wet the area so when you begin to remove it mold spores won’t fly into the air. Create negative pressure in the room by placing a fan in front of an open window to ventilate any mold that may get air born. And one last thing, make sure your furnace and air conditioner are off.

     To clean moldy non-porous materials I prefer bleach or borax mixes. However you can investigate using vinegar, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and tea tree oil on the web. For killing mold with bleach use a ratio of one cup of bleach per gallon of water. No rinse is required except for food prep areas. There are many advantages to using borax to kill mold. For starters, borax is a natural cleaning product and although it is toxic if you swallow it, borax does not emit chemicals. To kill mold using borax, create a borax-water solution using a ratio of 1 cup of borax per gallon of water.

DLH DESIGN

Debbie Hollembaek

541-579-0910

http://www.dlhdesigner.com

Debbie is a longtime friend of the motorcoach owners club, and a special business sponsor of Country Coach Friends Incorporated.

Twas the Night Before Christmas at Premier RV Services

Twas the night before Christmas and here at Premier

The guys that I work with were “wrapping the year.”

Busy year, yes, but exciting times too,

And I heard them reflecting on each one of you.

The wonderful motorcoachers who entered their doors

To have Service work done Or to make a pre-loved coach Yours!

Gary and Louie, the rest of us, too

Were celebrating friendship, and of course, they meant You.

What a joy to work where it’s an adventure each day

With old CC friends stopping in as they travel our way.

Soon we're on to a new year filled with CC Friends fun,

Have a Very Merry Christmas—In the snow or in sun…

We hope you’ll come see us at Premier next year,

If it’s Monday through Friday You’ll find me here!

Christmas Blessing to all my Motorcoaching Friends!  SHERRY

 

Winter Motorhome Storage Preparation: Condition Floors, Counters, Wood, and Seating

Guest Post: Debbie Hollembaek, DLH Design

Many of you are storing your RV for the winter.  Conditioning is the key to pre-storage maintenance focusing on the materials that were used most frequently throughout your summer and fall travels.  Here I concentrate on tips for the floors, counters, wood and seating areas.

You may have acquired a carpet stain or two and most likely have a few discolorations in your tile grout lines.

Tackle those nasty carpet “spots” with Folex spot cleaner after a through vacuuming, Folex can be found at most big box stores. If you want to clean the entire surface area of your carpet use Capture or Host dry cleaning treatment. Both of these products can be purchased on-line or bought at a carpet retailer or major home improvement store.

Tile is best cleaned with a vinegar and water solution.  For stubborn stains on the surface of your tile my favorite cleaner is the Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean.  There are several grout cleaners available but I prefer a baking soda and water paste because grout color varies and baking soda will not affect grout color.

Your counter tops may or may not need attention.  Look for dull spots or scratches, depending on the degree of wear you can choose to have your counters professionally re-surfaced or do it yourself.  A professional solid surface fabricator can have all your tops looking new again in about 3 hours.  If you have some minor damage you can follow the care instructions on one of the following web-sites. www.corian.com or www.wilsonart.com.

Use a mild surface cleaner of vinegar and water to clean your wood surfaces.  To condition your wood before storage use an oil compound that does NOT have any wax ingredient.  If you have any scratches on your wood surface I recommend using the meat of a walnut or you can also use pecans and Brazil nuts.  Just follow the instructions below.

1.       If the walnut is still in the shell, you will need to crack the shell and remove the walnut meat. Remove any other skin casings as well.

2.       Rub the scratch in the wood from one end to the other with the walnut, moving down the length of the scratch in a circular motion.

3.       Rub the walnut straight back and forth over the scratch a few times.

4.       Leave the scratch for a few minutes, allowing the natural walnut oils time to seep into the wood and seal the scratch.

5.       Use a soft cloth (cotton) to polish the area where the wood was scratched.

6.       Examine your work. The wood should be completely sealed, and no scratch should be visible. However, if there are still slight signs of the wood scratch, repeat the process until you can no longer see any scratch in the wood.

Don’t forget to add a couple buckets of water inside your coach if you are storing it in a dry place.  They will keep your wood hydrated during storage.

A good vacuuming is all your upholstered furniture should need.  If you have incurred a spot or two use Folex or any dry cleaning solvent cleaner.  If you have leather (not vinyl faux leather) use a store bought leather conditioner and follow the manufactures instructions.

Natural Cleansers
The following are some of my favorite natural cleansers that you can mix up in a jiffy!

 Homemade Floor Cleaner

1 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Mix in your cleaning bucket and use this to clean vinyl and tile floors.
NOTE: To clean grout use a baking soda & water paste. Put paste on grout with toothbrush
or sponge and scrub grout, then rinse

Wood Cleaner
½ cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Mix in your cleaning bucket and use.
Use “Meat of Walnut” to repair scratches in wood. Rub it in the scratch(s).

Furniture Polish:
Mix 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice.  Apply to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe dry.

All Purpose Cleaner
In a clean, empty gallon milk jug put:
2 Tablespoons ammonia
1 teaspoon dish detergent
1 pint (2 cups) rubbing alcohol

A few drops of your favorite essential oil for a nice fresh scent, I use Orange

Fill the rest of the gallon jug with hot water. Pour into spray container to use.

Homemade “soft scrub” Type Cleaner
There are no measurements necessary for this one. Simply put a small amount of baking soda in a bowl and add liquid dish detergent until you have smooth paste or frosting like substance. This works very well on sinks and counters and won’t scratch the surface.

Homemade Window Cleaner

3T Ammonia

1T vinegar

Put in spray bottle and fill the rest of the way up with water. 

A word of caution:  Never mix bleach with any type of acid such as ammonia or vinegar.  It causes toxic fumes.

Homemade Veggie Wash
Combine 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to 2 Tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of water.

Debbie Hollembaek, DLH Design. E-mail: dlhdesign@comcast.net  Telephone: 541-579-0910

Premier RV Services for Motorhome Service, Preowned Motorhome Sales, and Indoor Storage

*02/2015 Update: Gary Obermire and Louis Courtemanche have purchased the property on which Premier RV of Oregon is located. Service Techs now number 5 (with more needed!). Preowned coach sales top the sales in the US for this market niche! 
Need RV Parts? Premier RV of Oregon has parts too! Call Martine: 541-998-2640. Mention you saw this post.

PREMIER RV SERVICES

Spotlight on Outstanding Businesses Serving the Highline Motorcoach Owners Service, Storage, and Pre-Owned Sales & Consignment Needs!

By Premier RV Services, www.PremierRVServices.com

Premier RV Services was created with You, Longtime Motorcoaching Friends, in mind.

At Premier RV Services we are mindful of Country Coach motorcoach owners’ ongoing need for qualified services such as renovations and coach repairs; a safe, secure place to store your motorcoach in between those RVing adventures; and a reputable partner to entrust your Country Coach (or other Highline brand) to if and when you decide to sell your motorcoach. Trades are always considered. We specialize in Country Coach, but well-maintained, gently used “other brand” highline diesel motorcoaches are welcome. Don’t wish to consign? Call us about a possible purchase of your coach, too.

We Know Your Coach Inside and Out.  Louie Courtemanche and Gary Obermire, company founders, were employed with Country Coach for 15 and 22 years, respectively. During that time as management team leaders, Louie and Gary helped drive the design and manufacturing processes of the beautiful coaches you choose to own. Over those same years, Gary and Louie built many strong relationships among the Country Coach family of motorcoach owners.  With those Country Coach friends in mind, they decided to open Premier RV.  Premier RV offers the lowest shop rates in town and some of the best technicians who worked at Country Coach for many years. Specializing in Country Coach, all brands are welcomed. No job is too big or too small. Service Technicians at Premier RV are some of the best techs around, by industry standards, and most importantly, by Country Coach  motorcoach owners’ standards.

Preowned Highline Motorcoach Sales Division
Premier RV is proud to have Susan Graham and Joel Smith serving our consignment coach sales customers.  Susan started in the motorhome business in 1994 with Guaranty Luxury Showcase. Susan has extensive sales experience with high-end coaches and years of being one of the top sellers on the Country Coach Sales Team. The deep loyalty of Susan’s customers speaks well of her care and attention to a coach buyer’s needs. Joel is new to the Motorcoach industry sales world and he is loving meeting all the customers coming through Premier RV Services Sales Division. 

Stop in and take a tour at 325 East First Avenue in Junction City. At Premier, we consider our customers to be friends first, customers second.

Outstanding Service

Specializing in Country Coach motorcoaches, Premier RV capably services all brands of motorhomes. Staffed by former County Coach All-Stars offering a combined 100 years of RV experience, Premier RV offers complete motorcoach service including, chassis, house, exterior paint and body work, renovations (tile, carpet, cabinetry, etc), electronic upgrades such as TV, HD Satellite, GPS, and more. If you didn’t find it listed here, call us and inquire. If it’s RV service you need, we can take care of it for you.

Premier Service Standards are the highest in the Industry! Company founders Gary Obermire and Louie Courtemanche have invested decades building and servicing the World’s Finest Motorcoaches.This company’s collective knowledge is unparalleled when it comes to the construction and operations of every system in the most complex and luxurious coaches ever built. As a result, we are highly qualified to quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively evaluate and affect the most difficult or the most routine Service requirements on any RV! Our specialty is Country Coach!

Premier Service Technicians are some of the best techs around, capably addressing any coach service issue. Dave Rutherford, a former Country Coach, LLC technician and former owner/operator of Rutherford RV Services is a customer favorite with a well earned reputation for his quality work. Brian Johnson, a seasoned Country Coach specialist brings a wide breadth of highline service experience to the Premier RV Services team. Tim Lemon, another Country Coach owners favorite, is the newest addition to the team. Well versed on all aspects of repair, service and coach renovations, come by and let Premier RV Services take care of your coach service needs in a timely manner utilizing a skillset unmatched in the industry. Dave Blair is another former CC Service team specialist now applying his significant highline experience in the service division.

The expertise of Steve Gottschling and Julio Patino is also available at Premier RV Services. If you need paint work done, there is none better in the business than this dynamic duo.

Premier RV Storage & Service appreciates the availablity of Interior Designer Debbie Hollembaek, former Vice President of Design at Country Coach for our customers assistance in renovations, refurbishing, and expertise in many areas of your interior redesign. Debbie has over 20 years experience in design, 9 of them in the RV industry. She will resolve any of your RV renovation issues and create a home that reflects your individuality. 

Premier also has a large indoor heated secured storage facility for motorhomes, boats and other recreational vehicles.

The Company’s Philosophy is to Provide Superior Services Which Earns Your Repeat Business. The best advertisement we could ever hope for is through the testimonials of satisfied customers. Let us exceed your expectations when it comes to Service, Sales or Storage. And if we do, we’d ask you to mention Premier RV as you encounter other RVers in need of quality care and attention to their motorcoach. Call 541-998-2640. Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm PST and other times by appointment.

 PREMIER RV SERVICES is a premier club sponsor of Country Coach Friends Incorporated, a fast growing International FMCA Chapter of Country Coach owners and other brand motorcoach owners. Premier purchases a free first year membership in the CCFI club when you purchase a motorcoach from them. They offer a 10% discount on service to all CCFI members.

Oregon Motorcoach Center: A Highend Service Center for Highline Motorcoach Care

SPOTLIGHT ON OUTSTANDING MOTORCOACH SERVICE PROVIDERS: 

OREGON MOTORCOACH CENTER

By Patrick Mason, www.OregonMotorcoachCenter.com

In the early 70’s, a few enthusiasts began manufacturing RV’s in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley. One of those big-thinkers was Bob Lee, who would become a patriarch to the entire RV industry as these small family businesses grew, and the region blossomed into the birthplace of the highline motorcoach industry.  As the industry grew, so did the demand for excellence, expertise, responsiveness – quality service that seemed to be increasingly harder to find.  

Oregon Motorcoach Center (OMC) is an innovative business, but also a return to our roots. Our vision is to set the standard for service and restoration by rekindling the spirit of our industry’s beginnings: the highest quality service and product, done in a timely manner, delivered in a friendly family atmosphere with a personal touch. However, with all the knowledge, we utilize state-of-the-art technology, luxury materials, and practical and premium features available today. We bring together the expertise, passion, and resources of not only Bob Lee, but of a team – a family – to serve you.

Founded by Bob Lee and Patrick Mason in March 2008, Oregon Motorcoach Center’s mission is to bring back the family atmosphere upon which the RV industry was built. We pride ourselves on offering the best service to our customers. This is apparent when you enter our facility. You’re welcomed with a warm smile and a hot cup of coffee as you relax in our beautifully appointment customer lounge. Our shop also receives the same attention. We not only offer a clean shop, but also an efficient shop. Jim Cooley, Service Manager, and his staff cater to our clients and take pride in giving you the highest quality service available.  

OMC’s staff is a hand-selected group of technicians that specialize in all areas of expertise, from audio/video, mechanical, flooring, cabinetry/solid surface, paint, and slide-room repairs. We offer complete inspections and maintenance so you know you are prepared for what the open road offers you.

Need parts? We have thousands of proprietary and “hard-to-find” Country Coach and Monaco parts in stock. For your convenience and “piece-of-mind” while on the road, we offer free over-the-phone technical service. With well over 400+ years of combined experience in the motorcoach and RV industry, we’re confident that we can solve your problems, either on the road or at our facility.

Come experience what many already have. Oregon Motorcoach Center is the premier service facility on the West Coast.

Oregon Motorcoach Center was among the first businesses to signup as a Country Coach Friends Incorporated club business partner/sponsor. The company advertises in the club's monthly epublication and supports rallies with its service, seminar, and financial support.

As always, all current CCFI members receive 10% off parts at OMC.