Oregon Motorcoach Center Launches Conversion Division, Company Sale Finalizing

 Oregon Motorcoach Center Launches Conversion Division, Introduces Mercedes Sprinter Van Conversion Prototype

Eugene, OR, June 15, 2016--Oregon Motorcoach Center (OMC) recently completed the conversion of a commercial van for Mercedes-Benz of Eugene. prototype built to suit custom needs of mountain bike enthusiasts included bicycle racks, a 150-PSI air compressor and an electric cooler, a table and bed. The first van conversion of many for OMC, its conversions division serves many different clients areas of interest, be it snowboard enthusiasts, bicyclists, pro golfers, law enforcement, or a motorhome owner looking to downsize into luxury conversion van for their continued RV travels.

Matt Carr is finalizing the purchase of Oregon Motorcoach Center from Bob & Terry Lee which should be complete by July 1. The van conversion division is the newest service offered by this service center. Van conversions offer good fuel economy and retain their resale value while offering all kinds of conversion opportunities for personal needs. The vans can come from the factory with raised roofs tall enough for most people to stand inside. The Mercedes Sprinter vans have a well earned reputation for quality.

Be it your customized ‘gear hauler’ or your high end camping van, Matt Carr’s team at OMC can convert the Mercedes Sprinter van to order. For RVers the van conversions can include toilets, showers and kitchens. Carr noted the client’s initial investment in the van ranges from $33,000-$60,000 (depending on engine, van size and other options). Mercedes offers a 4x4 Sprinter which is attractive to outdoor enthusiasts (windsurfers, kite boarders, rock climbers, kayakers, cyclists, etc.). OMC van conversions may range from $15,000 upwards to $50,000 depending on what a client wishes to include.

When speaking about the timing of Oregon Motorcoach Center entering the Sprinter and other smaller van and other vehicle conversions market, Carr noted “It is the logical ‘next step’ as many recreation enthusiasts who once shopped for a motorhome with the all the comforts of home and are now interested in a mobile base camp.

“This will take you to all the roads you want to travel,” Carr said of the prototype Mercedes Sprinter van conversion during a recent Register-Guard newspaper interview.

Matt Carr is no stranger to the RV industry. He was a production manager at the former Country Coach Inc, where he worked for 23 years before leaving to launch Carr Industries (www-carr-industries.com). Bob Lee, who founded the original Country Camper/Country Coach motorcoach manufacturing plant in Junction City OR, launched Oregon Motorcoach Center in 2008 along with his daughter Brenda Lee and son-in-law Pat Mason. The company provides full service to motorhomes and other recreation vehicles, including house and chassis work, paint  & body work. It also offers a robust parts department with thousands of parts in inventory.

Oregon Motorcoach Center currently employs 14 employees. Matt Carr expects to add more employees as the van conversion division grows. You may contact OMC at (541) 762-1505, stop by for a tour at 29417 Airport Rd, in Eugene, or visit online at www.OregonMotorcoachCenter.com to learn more.

Oregon is Motorhome Rally Central!

Oregon is Rally Central! Come Discover Why!

Oregon, the RV Friendly State, has the best offering of rally locations in the country. Beautiful resorts and campgrounds are popular sites of RV Rallies…OR sometimes fairgrounds…sometimes casinos…you just never know where a rally might be held, but one thing’s certain, you will have FUN at a rally in Oregon! Whether it’s meeting with a couple hundred RVers at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center in the south Willamette Valley, or enjoying full hookups at the Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park on the coast, or attending a huge FMCA or Good Sam event in Redmond with 2,000 other RVers, the message is getting out: Oregon is Rally Central!

Do you love making new friends and renewing friendships made during your travels? Enjoy exploring the sights, sounds, and flavors of new destinations in the company of like minded recreation enthusiasts? Come to Oregon to explore the beauty of forests, rivers, ocean and sand, verdant valleys and high desert vistas! Wind down Oregon backroads on a winery tour, rediscover Oregon’s historic covered bridges, take an Oregon country tour, hike to waterfalls, play on the beach, visit lava beds, and discover this state’s natural wonders. There is no better place to meet new friends, enjoy the unspoiled natural wonders, and roadside attractions, wineries, eateries, and RV-related businesses found only in Oregon than at a rally!

Oregon is also an RV mecca of highly qualified service specialists, dealers, and RV related suppliers. It is the place to get your RV renovations, service and maintenance handled. It’s also the place to come when it’s time to shop for a new coach. Or get new tires, batteries or perhaps a whole new exterior paint job. What you may not realize is that you can arrange for most of these services when attending one of the many RV rallies and shows held annually across the state. I’ve polled thousands of motorcoachers through rally  surveys over a couple decades and here’s why they say they attend rallies:

•                 Meet new people, socialize, learn, play games, and have a great time

•                 Spend time with friends met parked next to me at rallies

•                 Attend informative seminars re my motorhome

•                To take classes on everything from fly-tying to beading and Swedish weaving

•                 Get RV repairs done at a special rally discount

•                 Shop for a new RV

•                 Partake of great evening entertainment and meals

•                 To shop the vendor exhibitors’ area

Most RVers note they especially enjoy learning more about their coach, its systems and components and its care and maintenance.

Whatever your reasons may be for attending a rally, you are bound to have a wonderful tine. Let me use as an example the Annual Oregon CCFI Friendship Rally always held near where all Country Coach motorhomes were originally built in Junction City. This year it is being held in North Bend, OR August 22-27^th at the Mill Casino RV Park. For me, that first day of arrival at rally site is the best! You spot rigs you recognize pulling in; you greet old friends; you help first-timers get parked and oriented. Many had gotten there ahead of the rally start date to have a few days to get settled before the rally started.  The excitement builds. It’s getting better and better! From that first welcome to the last goodbye at rally end, it is go, go, go! Technical RV seminars, lifestyle classes, roundtable discussions, livability sessions, exercise and optional offsite activities, sightseeing, exploring the area, and crafts and cooking classes are usually intermingled in a robust rally schedule. Some rallies offer a tour of homes where certain rally attendees open their homes on wheels so people can walk through to get ideas and to see how other people live on the road! Social hours, great meals and evening entertainments are also staples of a busy rally.

During your time in Oregon, build in extra days for touring many interesting industries and attractions just off rally site. You may find yourself so busy that you won’t turn on that TV for days – unplugging from the bad news and plugging into this special group of like-minded recreation enthusiasts. In the evening, sit coach-side enjoying a cool breeze and good friends. 

Like your RV adventures, you’ll want to travel through a rally at your own pace. Immerse yourself in as much of the busy rally schedule as you wish, knowing that you can come back next year to the annual Friendship Rally in Oregon and try some of the things you missed this year!  

 Sign up for the CCFI Annual Friendship Rally at www.CountryCoachFriendsIncorporated.com. Learn more about Oregon, the RV friendly state at www.Come2Oregon.com

 I am already nearing 25 years in the highline motorcoach industry. From 1992 to 2009 I was with Country Coach, where I was Senior Manager of Marketing and supervised the Rally Team, the Owners Club office, and production of the award winning “Country Coach Destinations” magazine when the company closed in 2009. These days I assist  Premier RV Services (Junction City, OR) while promoting CCFI--the friendliest club I've ever known-- in many different ways as my time allows.

Motorhome Tech Talk: Norcold Refrigerator, Low water flow, and vibrating passenger seat

TECH TALK: Three Motorhome Questions and Answers

from Kevin Kiscoan of Premier RV of Oregon

1-We are thinking of changing the Norcold to a household refer. Is this a service you offer? If so, what is a ballpark estimate for the material/labor for complete install? How long would it take? Our Coach is a 2008 Allure FE (Norcold 4 door refer is currently installed).

Answer: Yes, this is a service offered at Premier RV of Oregon. We recommend the Samsung RF18HFENBSR model refrigerator ($1799 plus labor hours which start at 10 and will actually depending on accessibility, etc.).  Please feel free to contact Gary Obermire to schedule your appointment.  Remember Country Coach Friends Inc Club members in good standing receive a 10% discount on Labor at Premier RV of Oregon. Thank you

2-I am experiencing low water flow in my kitchen faucet. What might the issue be?

Answer:  If the entire coach water system had low water flow, I would direct you to the water filter in the driver’s side service bay. If it is only the galley that the flow is low, then it may simply be the faucet aerator screen has collected enough debris that it has affected the flow.  Check the aerator screen first, then the water system water filter and let us know what you find.  Thanks again!

3-Our passenger seat is vibrating on its own. We didn't start it didn't know it could do that and now we can't shut it off. Ideas?

Answer: This isn’t too common and is probably one of two possibilities: the switch that turns the vibration mode on/off may not be responding and is stuck but more likely the seat circuit board is malfunctioning and has a relay or board switch stuck on.  I would try to disconnect the seat power to see if it can reset itself, otherwise, contact Kevin at Premier Parts directly and he can gain a cost and availability for parts.

Premier RV of Oregon   541-998-2640   www.PremierRVServices.com   premierrvparts@gmail.com

Guest Post: RV AIR CONDITIONING

TECH TALK: RV AIR CONDITIONING By: Fred Smith

This was recently seen at https://www.lazydays.com/page/tech-talk-rv-air-conditioning

Lazydays RV Supercenter in Seffner FL was a longtime dealer of the Country Coach brand. They also are a good East Coast option for service work yet today on your Country Coach motorhomes.

MAINTAINING YOUR RV AIR CONDITIONING UNIT

It’s summer, which means RVers everywhere are trying to tame the gods of heat and humidity with the divine invention of RV air conditioning. Here are a few tips to keep your RV air conditioning system in shape through the sweltering summer months.

How an Air Conditioner Works: The Simple Explanation - An air conditioner essentially sucks air through its intake and extracts heat from it by running the air through an evaporator. The cold air that remains is distributed through the vents and cools the interior of your coach. The most important aspect of a well-running AC system is airflow. Maintaining proper airflow in your RV’s air conditioning system is crucial to ensure that your unit runs as it should.

Filters-Keeping your interior filters clean is a great first step toward maintaining airflow. You can replace your filters when they get dirty, or you can clean your filters and save the expense of buying new ones. To clean your interior AC filter, remove the filter, wash it with water, shake out the debris and reinstall it. A clean filter allows air to flow.

Roof Units - Your outside unit can accumulate dust, dirt and leaves that can inhibit airflow. It’s always a good idea to keep the unit clean so air can flow through it properly.

To clean your roof unit, you must first remove its housing. Then take a hose and wash the condensing unit by running water over the coils. The coils will dry naturally when you restart your AC unit. There is no need to use a spray nozzle or attack the coils with any kind of pressurized water, since this can potentially collapse the fins and reduce airflow. If you happen to collapse your unit’s fins, you can buy a fin comb at most auto parts retailers and use the comb to brush the fins back to their proper place.

Know When to Call a Pro - You got into the RVing lifestyle to have fun, not to deal with the intricacies of malfunctioning air conditioning systems. (Leave that to the technicians.) While it’s great to have a do-it-yourself attitude with your RV, understand that the inner workings of your AC system are complicated and best repaired by a certified RV technician. Remember that airflow is the most important aspect of a well-running AC system. If your coach is still uncomfortably warm after you’ve performed the tasks we’ve discussed in this article, call a professional RV service center and have your system checked out by a qualified technician.    Have Fun and Stay Cool!

MORE TIPS

What is a Thermistor? - A thermistor is an electronic sensor that reads air temperature and sends a signal back to your AC unit, letting it know how hot or cold the interior of your coach is. Your RV likely has several of these devices placed around the coach. Be aware that thermistors are sometimes aesthetically located in odd places, like inside cabinets or near light fixtures, which can lead to inaccurate temperature readings. Running fans inside your coach is a good idea. Fans promote airflow and help thermistors achieve more accurate readings, since flowing air is easier to gauge than dormant air.

Did You Know? -On average, a central AC unit in an RV can produce air that is 20-25 degrees cooler than the temperature of the air before the unit is turned on. So if it is 90 degrees in the coach when you turn the AC unit on, your RV should be able to produce air that is 65-70 degrees in temperature. By comparison, the AC unit in your RV’s dashboard can produce air that is 15-20 degrees colder than the temperature of the air when the unit is turned on.

Condensing Cleaner Caution - You should NOT use condensing cleaner on your AC unit, as it can corrode the clear coat on your RV and ultimately damage your coach’s paint. When certified technicians professionally clean a condensing unit, they will use condensing cleaner. However, they will remove the entire unit from the roof when they do this so the condensing cleaner does not damage the RV’s clear coat or paint.