1/18/2006 - Workhorse press release - BARTOW, Fla. — The first motor homes built on the new Workhorse UFO™ chassis arrived on dealer lots earlier this month and the first retail sale was quick to follow.

Gus and Garnett Johnson of Sebring, Fla., purchased a 35-foot Georgetown 359TS model with the rear 8.1L GM Vortec™ gas engine from sales representative Gail Grinstead at Dusty’s Camper World in Bartow, Fla. The Forest River model was the first to be delivered to a customer since the company announced it would use the new rear-engine chassis from Workhorse Custom Chassis as a Georgetown platform.

Forest River is currently in full production with the chassis, and RVers can expect more Georgetown units built on it to start showing up at Forest River dealerships across the country in the coming weeks, said Art Colvin, general manager of Forest River. “Our dealers are very interested in this product, and right now we’re the only one who has it on the lots,” said Colvin.

Monaco Corporation and Winnebago Industries have announced they will also be building units on the Workhorse UFO™. Monaco expects to start production within the next month, and Winnebago will start production in the spring. Other manufacturers are similarly expected to announce plans for the new platform, which offers a choice of rear engines and enables manufacturers to build a greater variety of floorplans on a completely flat floor.

Right now Gus Johnson is a happy camper. He traded in his Class B Plus motor home for a Class A not without some trepidation as well as anticipation. “We liked the color of it, the three slides. It had much more room and it looked like a quality unit,” said Johnson.

However, he went on, “I was a little worried about driving it since I hadn’t driven anything that large before. I drove it home about 60 miles from the dealership and I was very surprised. It drove great. It handled well and was really quiet. I liked the engine being in the rear. In fact, I was very surprised when I first started it — you can’t hear the engine run. I was holding the key down, but it was running. When I looked at the rpm gauge I could see it had started.”

“The other thing I liked is that when you’re in traffic it accelerates very quickly,” said Johnson, When starting out or maneuvering in traffic at lower speeds, “it seems to get going. You don’t have to wait on the other cars or watch them go around you like I was used to.”

The Johnsons had looked at several Class A coaches. One thing that attracted them to the Georgetown unit was something it didn’t have — the engine “doghouse” hump between the driver seats. “That’s really nice,” said Johnson. “All the other ones had a doghouse. Not having it makes a great feature because it gives you more room and it gives you the appearance that you have more room.”

The Johnsons found that another unique attraction of this Georgetown model was the desk and reclining chair that sit against the back wall. “My wife really liked that, she thought it was great,” said Johnson. This area, as well as the lack of the front engine doghouse, was enabled by the flat floor capability provided by the Workhorse UFO™ chassis, which doesn’t allow the front or rear engine to protrude above the floor. Other rear-engine motor homes cover the protrusion with a bed and cabinetry, which limits floorplan options.

Dusty’s has two more Georgetown models on the Workhorse UFO™ available as of presstime. “I think a lot of buyers are going to find these attractive for all the reasons Gus describes,” says sales rep Grinstead. “The way it drives is going make people more comfortable about stepping up into a Class A. The flat floor provides more space and options that people like. And it’s quiet. People can easily carry on a conversation.”

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