Rollx, a manufacturer of new and used wheelchair-equipped vans has begun introducing new van models 3-4 months ahead of competitors. This success has come as a result of incorporating accurate 3D scanning of many of the van’s features, allowing for rapid reverse engineering of interior and exterior ground effects. Now Rollx offers late-model vehicles to the wheelchair community more quickly than could have ever been done before.

(PRWEB) March 4, 2010 — Rollx (http://www.rollxvans.com/), the only manufacturer and direct seller of new and used mini and full-size wheelchair-equipped vans has a mission—deliver freedom to the wheelchair community. In addition to the freedom of movement, it guarantees the freedom to choose the most convenient service center, including an At Home Service program—any time and anywhere customers designate. No wonder 99 percent of Rollx’s customers say they would return again and recommend the company to others.

In return for this commitment and its high quality standards, Rollx expects the same from its service providers. That’s why Chief Engineer Lynn Ringdahl chose The QC Group (http://www.theqcgroup.com)to provide 3D scans of the latest van models and says that the company’s flawless scans were essential in introducing customized vans three to four months ahead of their competitors.

Painful lessons

The eventual choice did not come without a few bumps in the road. Lengthy reworks associated with manual measurements and patterns frustrated Ringdahl. He explains, “The problem with this approach is that we wouldn’t know a pattern wasn’t right until the mold was made. We went through this process three or four times, making refinements. It took several months until we got it right, which created a real hurdle in meeting customer and market demand. That’s just unacceptable to us.”

Ringdahl opted for 3D scanning services and chose the company that makes its molds, “assuming they would be best suited and motivated to provide us accurate scans,” he explains. “The results were disappointing. They just didn’t meet Rollx quality standards, and once again we faced molds that needed reworking.”

That’s when he asked the company that manufactured Rollx’s plastic parts for their recommendations. “It was clear from investigating the candidates that The QC Group had the expertise we needed.”

Fastest route to a factory finish

Rollx actually removes the factory-installed floor from a van and drops a new one in 11 inches lower to accommodate a wheelchair. In order to make the van look factory finished, the interior and exterior ground effects need to be reverse engineered, enabling the creation of new interior plastic shrouds that fill gaps created by the change in the floor location.

Ringdahl says, “A 3D scan should be the fastest route to detailed dimensional drawings. It takes skilled operators and engineers who know their stuff to clean up the data and build the CAD model in the computer—the kind of people at the QC Group.”

According to RIngdahl, The QC Group made the process fast and painless. “They had a quote for us within a couple days that included options for how detailed we wanted the scans to be. The job was done within about a week and a half, and the scans were flawless. The GM knew how concerned I was and let me work directly with the company’s engineers.”

Record time-to-market

“Best of all,” he adds, “We saved months of frustrating delays and reworks, but the most important result is that we were able to provide our customers the new models as fast as possible.”

Three months after Rollx released its new-model vans, Ringdahl had one of those moments in the sun. While attending a trade show, he felt tremendous satisfaction in seeing a couple of competitors exhibiting their prototypes. He says, “We simply could not have done this without The QC Group. Accurate 3D scanning services (http://www.theqcgroup.com/engineering/3d-laser-scanning/) made a huge difference.”

Note from The QC Group: We commend Rollx Vans founder, the late Wade Harris, for creating a charitable program within the company in 2004 that has been providing the free use of accessible vans to veterans returning from service in Afghanistan and Iraq who were injured and required lengthy hospitalization and rehabilitation. “Wounded Warriors” has helped 200 injured veterans return home to their families much sooner, with transportation to and from rehabilitation sites and medical clinics. In addition, Wade’s significant contributions are helping The MS Society The Muscular Dystrophy Association, Paralyzed Veterans Games, ALS, United Cerebral Palsy and other organizations that support the wheelchair community.

Pedata RV Center applauds the Go RVing Coalition’s 2010 advertising campaign.

Phoenix, AZ (Vocus) February 5, 2010 — Pedata RV Center applauds the Go RVing Coalition’s 2010 advertising campaign. The campaign officially launches in mid-February. It is designed to reach consumers with a wide variety of interest and media habits. The campaign focuses on the affordability of RVing with the tag line: Go affordably. Go RVing.

The Go RVing Coalition’s advertising lineup for 2010 includes exposure on/in the following media outlets:

1. SPEED network (Trackside program)

2. NBC (during Winter Olympics programming)

3. MSNBC

4. CNBC

5. USA

6. Universal Sports

7. Courtside signage during NCAA basketball games

8. ABC

9. ESPN

10. ESPN2

11. Fox Sports Net

12. 26 MLB stadiums

13. PBA partnership ads running on ESPN televised tournament events

14. History Channel (Modern Marvels and American Pickers)

15. History Magazine

16. Top Ten Destinations Guide

17. Travel Channel (National Parks Week)

18. Discovery

19. TBS

20. TNT

21. USA

22. Food Network

23. The Weather Channel

24. TLC

25. Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel

26. Better Homes & Gardens

27. Sherman’s Travel

28. Ladies Home Journal

29. Woman’s Day

30. Good Housekeeping

31. Internet advertising through banners on: Google, Yahoo, National Geographic, Weather Bug, Sherman’s Travel, Dogtime.com, and Weather.com

32. Facebook

33. Twitter

34. YouTube

The Go RVing Coalition effectively increases awareness of the industry through cost effective advertising and marketing. The group was formed in 1994 and consists of RV manufacturers, campgrounds, dealers, components suppliers, etc. Their mission is to provide relevant information to consumers about the benefits of RV travel.

Go RVing is investing $8.25 million dependent upon higher RV shipment forecasts by the University of Michigan. The 2010 budget is more than double the advertising budget for 2009. The budget increase made it possible for the campaign to span many market segments.

Gerard Pedata of Pedata RV Center suggested, “The Go RVing Coalition’s advertising plans for 2010 seem to be right on target. Recreational vehicle travel in motorhomes, toy haulers (http://www.pedatarvcenter.com/database/toy_haulers_inventory.asp), travel trailers (http://www.pedatarvcenter.com/database/travel_trailer_inventory.asp) and campers is more economical and a great way to travel these days. And adding in the market specific TV and print campaign will be a great way to introduce and bring more people to RVing”

For more information on Pedata RV Center, or current trends in the RV industry contact Gerard Pedata, sales(at)pedatarvcenter(dot)com or by phone at: 1-888-545-8314 or 520-807-0900. Or visit Pedata RV Center online at www.pedatarvcenter.com.

Beaudry RV Company explains the ties of RVing to American History.

Tucson, AZ (Vocus) February 4, 2010 — RVIA is heading to Capitol Hill to inform congress of the importance of the RV industry. They will be pushing for more than education; they’ll also be encouraging recognition of an industry that has been part of US history for a hundred years. Beaudry RV Company hopes that Congress will name June “RV Centennial Celebration Month” to help recognize RVing as more than an industry; RVing is a lifestyle that promotes freedom, exploration and family.

Such historical figures as Teddy Roosevelt and President Obama have utilized RVs (http://rvsales.beaudryrv.com/inventory.asp) for exploring the wilderness and campaigning. Celebrities use motorhomes (http://www.beaudryrv.com) as do families and individuals. Not only have RVs become recognized as the economic means for family travel, the industry has become an indicator of the overall health of the US economy.

In a year where sales are starting off strong, it would be a triumph for RVing to be recognized in such a prestigious manner. “The RV industry is continuing to show strong signs of turning around,” says Thom Sylvester of Beaudry RV Company. “This is going to be a good year.”

For more information on Beaudry RV Company or current trends in the industry contact Thom Sylvester at info(at)beaudryrv(dot)com or by phone at: 520-239-5054. Or visit Beaudry RV Company online at www.BeaudryRv.com.

Making a garage more than just a garage is an investment in the home.

(PRWEB) February 5, 2010 — For a few years now, homeowners have begun to realize the potential of a garage, but for the discerning owner with a collector vehicle, vintage or elite sports car, a custom designed and fitted garage has a huge upside – it’s an investment that pays back.

Putting a car in storage for the winter can be a costly venture, as it’s an expense that reoccurs annually. While winter storage protects a vehicle and preserves the investment, the cost is unredeemable. Retrofitting a home’s garage does quite the opposite – not only can it be designed to protect expensive vehicles; any increase to a home’s value is a tax-free benefit to the homeowner.

“Typically, the ongoing expense of winter storage of vehicles, far surpass the cost of retrofitting a home’s garage,” says Aaron Cash. “By making use of the walls and ceiling it is easy to increase the useable floor space and improve the curb appeal of the home and garage for much less.”

By keeping the car close and accessible, it’s convenient for use or to perform off-season improvements.

“There are so many benefits to garage storage and organization, however, for the homeowner that’s used to paying out of pocket for seasonal vehicle storage, there’s a huge upside when it’s stored at home,” says Aaron. “The costs associated with turning a home’s garage into the ideal storage facility merely become an investment into one’s primary residence – an investment that’s fully redeemable at a later time.”

In addition to supplying and installing wall organizers, overhead storage units and flooring products, Garage Living also offers car lifts that can be used to store a seasonal vehicle while still allowing other vehicles to be parked inside. This is the most popular and reliable lift in North America, and does not need to be anchored to the floor. With three drip trays, one jack tray, a caster kit and ability to safely store vehicles both on top and beneath the lift, it is clearly multi-functional.

Should you want to learn more, Garage Living will be an exhibitor at the Canadian National Auto Show, February 12 – 21 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre or go to www.garageliving.ca.

“Plan-less” documentary maker follows Hyundai on its victorious Darwin-Adelaide transcontinental Global Green Challenge

Australia (PRWEB) February 4, 2010 — Documentary maker Tony Wilson follows Hyundai on its victorious Darwin-Adelaide transcontinental Global Green Challenge. The Hyundai Santa Fe R (http://syndacast.com/go/SantaFeR) took on one of the toughest challenges towards the end of last year which ran across Australia from Darwin to Adelaide.

The Global Challenge, which took place 24-31 October 2009, is a competition to identify the world’s green energy vehicles. Competing vehicles – which include environmental-friendly cars from various manufacturers – are measured on fuel consumption and efficiency.

The documentary film behind Hyundai Team R’s entry to the 3,147 Km race across Australia by Tony Wilson, gives an insight into the stress, chaos, worry and fun which the team had on its way to winning the competition’s SUV category.

Behind the scenes of Hyundai Team R’s Global Green Challenge race were not always smooth. Tony Wilson describes the filming of this documentary making as being “wild and mercurial”. “The plan is to keep it plan-less,” he confidently claims shortly before admitting “I don’t know where we are!”

The chaotic behind-the-scenes footage shows how the fuel efficient Santa Fe R beat off intense competition to win the SUV category with an outstanding fuel consumption rate of 5.1L/100km, consuming just 60.46 litres of diesel fuel and a low 137.67 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Follow Tony Wilson behind the scene as Hyundai Santa Fe R makes its progress on the Darwin-Adelaide transcontinental Global Green Challenge at “www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncK0T6qxnk4&feature=youtube_gdata” (http://syndacast.com/go/SantaFeRVideo)

About Hyundai

Hyundai Motor Company Australia

Established in 1967, the Hyundai Automotive Group is the world’s fifth largest and fastest growing major automotive manufacturer. Hyundai Motor Company Australia Pty Ltd (HMCA) was established on October 1st, 2003 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company. The award-winning range of Hyundai vehicles continues to set segment and industry benchmarks in value, quality and safety, with innovations such as ESP Stability Program and Australia’s first five-year warranty with unlimited kilometres.

2008 marked Hyundai Motor Company Australia’s entrance into the Light Commercial Vehicle market in Australia. For more information visit: “www.hyundai.com.au” (http://syndacast.com/go/hyundai)

AMA American Superbike’s Top Finishing Privateer Receives Full Sponsorship from Online Motorcycle Gear Retailer

Holland, Michigan (PRWEB) February 3, 2010 — RidersDiscount.com has signed last year’s top finishing AMA American Superbike privateer Taylor Knapp to ride this year’s AMA American Superbike series under a full title sponsorship. Having scored several important finishes in AMA Pro Racing last year, Knapp is approaching a promising season with RidersDiscount.com. With Thom Godwin operating as Crew Chief, Knapp will be riding a Yoshimura prepared Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike with Ohlins suspension.

Named Roadracing World’s “Young Gun” in 2005, Knapp has been racing as a privateer since turning pro in 2004. During the 2009 AMA American Superbike series, Knapp scored his first top five finish and consistently placed in the top ten. Taylor also enjoyed success in the 2009 AMA Daytona Sportbike series, with four top five finishes and his first Superpole.

This will be RidersDiscount.com’s third year working with Taylor Knapp, with 2010 as the team’s first year becoming a full title sponsor. Last year Knapp rode a RidersDiscount.com supported GSX-R1000 in the American Superbike class, and RidersDiscount.com has supported Taylor since 2008. “This is a great opportunity for both of us,” says RidersDiscount.com co-owner Kent Gormat. “We’re looking forward to seeing how our heightened sponsorship, particularly the Yoshimura bike, gives Taylor the right platform to really showcase his talents.”

About RidersDiscount.com:

RidersDiscount.com is an online retailer of quality powersports gear, apparel and accessories. A company formed and owned by motorcycle racers, RidersDiscount.com ships equipment for every riding style to customers worldwide, backed by a knowledgeable sales team and excellent customer service.

Merger Leaves WiFiRV Innovating on Behalf of the RV Industry

Westport, CT (Vocus) February 3, 2010 — WiFiRV, an 8-year-old wireless Internet service provider (http://wifirv.com) (WISP), announces it’s the only RV-industry WiFi provider (http://wifirv.com) still on the market that pays RV resort, park, and campground owners for right of property access. This announcement comes as a reaction to a merger between two of the three nationwide WiFi providers announced in early December 2009.

“The merger between two of the three nationwide WiFi providers in the RV industry (http://wifirv.com) leaves less choice for property owners seeking wireless service,” said John M. Borg II, WiFiRV’s Founder and CEO. “Fortunately, WiFiRV has always been about offering RV resort, park, and campground owners an attractive alternative – one where we pay owners to provide WiFi service to their patrons, and the patrons themselves pay for the service, instead of the other way around.”

WiFiRV’s business model was established nearly a decade ago and is based on a standard cellular provider’s use. Borg, a fourth generation property owner and Wall Street financial and technology veteran, insists that RV parks, campgrounds, and resorts should be financially rewarded for their risks.

Borg said that recent industry research has shown that WiFi is failing to attract travelers despite the hype. Fewer travelers use the technology than expected. “Property owners need to scrutinize the long-term value of offering ‘free’ wireless service to patrons. The ongoing maintenance and support cost is high, and many seem to be giving the wireless Internet service away out of fear,” Borg said.

Jaron Starner of Cedar Lake Family Campground selected WiFiRV’s bid after looking at all the RV industry WiFi providers (http://wifirv.com) and agrees with Borg. “With WiFiRV, they own and operate the equipment and pay us for access to our property. Patrons still have the WiFi service they need, but we don’t have the headaches. It made much more sense for us,” he said.

In the face of the merger, Borg also emphasized a commitment to service and long-term profitability for property owners. “We’ve seen it before,” Borg said. “WiFi providers with a technology focus think for the short-term and ultimately go out of business during a downturn or through an industry shake-up, like a major merger. Fortunately, we’ve got a long track record of being in business. We’re not going anywhere.”

WiFiRV is accepting 2010 applications to join their nationwide community of RV-industry wireless WiFi Internet (http://wifirv.com) networks.

About WiFiRV:

WiFiRV is the only WiFi Internet service provider that has over 70% of its RV resort, park, and campground amenities generating income for property owners. Through low or no cost installs, expert engineering, nationwide scalability, 3-5 new properties a week, and nearly a decade of RV industry expertise, WiFiRV partners with RV park owners to turn the WiFiRV solution into an investment, not a liability.

Beaudry RV Company examines the economic turnaround based on strong first quarter sales.

Tucson, AZ (Vocus) February 1, 2010 — January hosts RV shows (http://www.beaudryrv.com/events.html) across the nation. From Denver to Chantilly to Indianapolis, attendance and sales are on the rise compared to 2009. Increased confidence has spread to all facets of the RV industry as indicated by GO RVing’s 2010 budget of $8.25 million.

Indianapolis, home of the RV, saw an increase in sales. “The first weekend, the first two days of the show, we sold more than our entire show last year,” said RV dealer Ken Eckstein at the Indianapolis RV Show. Indianapolis isn’t the only indicator of an economic turnaround. The Denver RV show saw a 28% increase in attendance while Chantilly’s potential consumers rose 65% from last year. Both shows reported strong sales.

GoRving, who cut budgets last year, is turning out $8.25 million towards some new and traditional media outlets. For the first year, GoRving will advertise on both The History Channel and The Travel Channel. Expect a strong presence during the Olympics, World Cup and NASCAR among others. With their new Ambassadors of Affordability, the slogan ‘Go Affordably, Go RVing’ will reach a larger audience ready to spend.

“The RV (http://www.beaudryrv.com) industry has been part of US history for one hundred years,” says Thom Sylvester of Beaudry RV Company, “and we’re confident we’ll be here, in one form or another, a hundred years from now.”

For more information on Beaudry RV Company or current trends in the industry contact Thom Sylvester at info@beaudryrv.com or by phone at: 520-239-5054. Or visit Beaudry RV Company online at www.BeaudryRv.com.

RVT.com says it is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the predicted growth of Web-based classified advertising in 2010 with online tools that attract buyers, including an extensive social marketing initiative that includes a strong Twitter and Facebook presence, a YouTube-powered video conversion tool, a blog for RV enthusiasts and two new websites – rvtowables.com and rvmotorized.com.

Sumas, WA (PRWEB) Feb. 2, 2010 — RVT.com, the leading RV Internet classified ad (http://www.rvt.com) site for new and used travel trailers, campers and motor homes, said today that its online marketplace has experienced significant growth as more RV shoppers turn to the Internet, and expects that growth to continue in 2010.

RVT.com, which changed its named from RVTrader.com in 2008 and has no affiliation with RVTrader magazine or website, is North America’s leading online marketplace for buying and selling RVs, with over 15,000 daily visitors and more than 40,000 private and dealer listings.

“More and more buyers and sellers are coming to us and are pleased to find out we are not associated in any way with the other RV Trader online company,” said Mike Delepine, director of sales, USA. “Our leading online classified service is one of the least expensive ways for RV dealers and private sellers to advertise their RVs — and, most importantly, it’s advertising that works.”

JDPowers recently reported that, “Internet shopping provides prospective buyers with the opportunity to search through enormous amounts of specific vehicle information without ever leaving home, allowing for a more efficient medium of matching buyers with unique used vehicles in the market.”

“We at RVT.com think print is on life support, and more people are going online to research their next RV or vehicle purchase,” said Delepine. To meet the demands of its growing audience, RVT.com added several new features last year, including:

•    Social Media Campaigns – a strong presence on Twitter and Facebook, generating over 20,000 visits per month, and a YouTube-powered video conversion tool that loads RVT.com listings onto the YouTube network.

•    Two New Websites – to help buyers find the RV product they want more easily, RVT.com launched two new affiliate sites: www.rvtowables.com and www.rvmotorized.com.

•    RVT.com Blog — provides exclusive RV tips (http://www.rvt.com) and articles as well as the latest RV news and information to a computer, mobile device or RSS reader.

•    RVT.com Dealer Web Services – featuring customized website development for RV dealers, which includes search engine optimization, synchronized inventory and lead generation.

For more information, visit www.RVT.com.

About RVT.com

RVT.com specializes in the sale of new and used travel trailers, campers and motor homes online. RVT.com and its affiliate websites – OldCarOnline.com for collector car classifieds, Boatline.com for new and used boat classifieds and AirplaneTradeOnline.com for new and used aircraft — attract more than 15,000 visitors every day to view over 40,000 listings from private sellers and dealers.

Now is restock time at Patriot’s Custom Wheels (RimFinancing.com). New wheel styles are arriving from all the major suppliers. People looking to bling-out their rides for Spring will find all the cutting-edge wheel styles that fit their vehicle. Thin or thick sidewalls, painted or chrome, steel or aluminum, there are endless numbers of combinations that will upgrade the appearance of any vehicle.

Roanoke, Va. (PRWEB) February 2, 2010 — Wheels and tires are probably the most important element when upgrading a vehicle. Short of buying a new car, wheels and tires can add a dramatic new look to any ride. In a world where style and image rule, individuals can set their ride apart from all the rest. When in the market for the hottest custom wheels and tires rimfinancing.com has many possibilities. Rims personalized with custom color bezels and inserts as well as contrasting color spokes will be popular again for 2010.

The spotlight for 2010 is on distinctive wheel designs from Elure, Incubus, Milanni, Vision and Status. People looking for the hottest wheels for the coolest rides choose the new lineup of rims (http://www.rimfinancing.com/rim-index.htm) and tires at Patriot’s Custom Wheels. Style and innovation set the tone for 2010 wheels. The popularity of painted wheels is undeniable but sales of chrome plated rims remain high. New low-rolling resistance tires improve fuel efficiency and are manufactured with more environmentally friendly materials. Custom caps can easily be interchanged for a dramatic new look.

Aside from style and fashion, rimfinancing.com makes the process of upgrading a vehicle fast and easy. The wheel and tire financing (http://rimfinancing.com/RIMS-AND-TIRES/wheel-and-tire-financing.html) paperwork process has been accelerated via electronic documents and signatures. New rims and tires are precision mounted and balanced and shipped in protective cartons. Wheels and tires arrive, ready to ride, in six to ten business days. Free deluxe locks and lugs are included with every rim and tire package shipped.

It’s tax season again and consumers will be using a portion of their tax refund to get their wheel and tire package and mobile electronics. Often consumers bundle rims, tires and mobile electronics for one easy monthly payment.

Who is rimfinancing.com (http://www.rimfinancing.com/)? Patriot’s Custom wheels, a proven leader in the automotive aftermarket industry, have been in the custom rim and tires business for almost a decade. The Owner and Chief Financial Officer of Patriot’s has been in the financing business for over 40 years. The combination of offering complete rim and tire packages shipped to the client’s door as well as providing easy financing afford convenience to the automotive after market consumer.