Prime Time "In the News"

Prime Time Growing Retail Market Share

April 18, 2013

Forest River, Inc’s Prime Time brand was the number two best-selling combined travel trailer and fifth wheel in the United States for the month of February, 2013, with an increase in unit sales of 55% compared to February, 2012.

“Prime Time is very thankful and appreciative of the tremendous support given to us by our dealers,” commented Jeff Rank, president of Prime Time Manufacturing.  “We made some bold commitments early on about who we wanted to be as a company and dealers embraced our innovative business model. Over the last three years, the strong partnerships we’ve forged are obviously now paying huge dividends for us and our dealers.”

According to Statistical Surveys, in the fifth wheel segment Prime Time was the number four retailing brand for February with a market share of 5.9%. Travel trailer registrations show that Prime Time was the third best-selling brand for the month with a market share of 4.1%.

“I’m very happy for our company and our employees,” added Rank. “It’s always fun to win and jumping up to the number two retail position in February is very rewarding for our team here at Prime Time.”

Prime Time Receives DSI Quality Awards

Janurary 2, 2013

Prime Time Manufacturing (left to right) Ken Walters, Lisa Lewallen, Jeff Abney, Jeff Rank, Bill Nicely, Steve Vinson and Shane Imus

The Recreation Vehicle Dealers’ Association (RVDA) presented Prime Time Manufacturing, North America’s fastest growing RV company, with the prestigious Quality Circle Award for the third straight year in a ceremony kicking off the 2012 RVIA trade show in Louisville, Kentucky.
Four Prime Time brands – Crusader, LaCrosse, Sanibel, and Tracer - were recognized for scoring 80 percent or above in overall dealer satisfaction as measured by RVDA’s Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey. 

“Earning the Quality Circle Award is a tremendous honor for our team here at Prime Time Manufacturing,” said president Jeff Rank. “We have over 350 employees that are 100% focused on providing industry-leading product, sales support, and customer service to our dealers and retail consumers.  Their hard work and commitment is evident each and every day as we deliver a fantastic ownership experience to thousands of Prime Time customers.  We sincerely thank our valued dealer-partners for honoring us with this prestigious award.”

The DSI survey, which determines the Quality Circle Award winners, rates manufacturers’ performance in eight core areas: vehicle reliability/quality, parts support, dealership warranty support, vehicle design, sales support, sales territory, competitive price/value, and overall dealer communications.

Prime Time Introduces Champagne Edition Avenger

May 25, 2012

Prime Time Manufacturing president Jeff Rank (L) recently delivered the company’s first Avenger Champagne Edition travel trailer to Alpin Haus RV and Marine president Andy Heck.

Prime Time Manufacturing, a division of Forest River, Inc, has expanded its Avenger product line-up with the introduction of the Champagne Edition Avenger travel trailer. Full production began in May and features a champagne-colored high gloss fiberglass exterior. Prime Time officials recently delivered the first model to Alpin Haus RV and Marine in Amsterdam, NY.

Andy Heck, President of Alpin Haus, and several members of the dealership's management staff were presented with the 2013 Avenger 23 FBS by Prime Time president Jeff Rank. According to Rank, "Alpin Haus RV and Marine has a long history of award-winning sales and service. They only became a dealer last fall but are quickly becoming one of our largest volume dealers and they've enthusiastically embraced Avenger and the new Champagne Edition. It's an honor to deliver this very special Avenger to Andy and his team."

Alpin Haus has two retail locations selling recreational vehicles in the Albany, NY market. Founded in 1964, Alpin Haus is an outdoor recreation specialist selling boats, snowmobiles, skis, pools and spas. Heck sees great potential with the new product, "Avenger has made a big splash with our sales people and our retail customers. It has great interior eye appeal and lots of easy-to-sell features. Now with the Champagne Edition, we can offer our customers a luxurious exterior look at an entry level price point that gives us a clear advantage in our local market."

For more information regarding the Avenger Champagne Edition travel trailer please call (574) 862-3001.

Prime Time Receives Another Quality Award

February 8, 2012

Shane Abney, Tracer/LaCrosse Production Manager, displays the Outstanding Achievement Award with the Plant 48 Group Leaders

Prime Time Manufacturing, a division of Forest River, Inc, was recently honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award during a catered lunch ceremony at the company’s Wakarusa, IN facility.

Jeff Christner, Forest River Director of Codes & Standards, presented the award to the 150 employees of the company’s Tracer and LaCrosse travel trailer division in recognition of their excellent results during routine RVIA audits for 2011.  Christner applauded the company’s workers for their commitment to quality and noted that the facility recorded only one written deviation for the entire year from RVIA.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) employs a staff of full time professional standards inspectors who conduct unannounced inspection visits to each manufacturer. The inspector performs an on-line inspection from chassis to final finish, checking representative sample RV units for compliance with over 500 safety-related requirements.  Bruce Hopkins, Vice President of Standards and Education for RVIA, spoke during the presentation, “Prime Time and Forest River continue to establish themselves as leaders in the industry with their commitment to quality, codes, and standards.  RVIA congratulates Plant 48 for its outstanding performance.”

“Prime Time Manufacturing is honored to have earned this Outstanding Achievement Award,” said Prime Time president Jeff Rank. “Only having a single deviation for the entire year is a credit to the hard work of our employees and the invaluable daily feedback and assistance received from the Forest River Corporate Codes and Quality groups.  It certainly is a team effort.”

Prime Time Receives 2nd DSI Quality Award

October 19, 2011

Accepting the 2011 DSI Quality Circle Award for Prime Time Manufacturing are (from right): Jeff Abney, Manufacturing Manager, Brandon York, Customer Service Manager, Chris Hermon, Vice President of Sales, Jeff Rank, President, Don Rank, Quality Control Manager, and Bill Nicely, Purchasing Manager

Prime Time Manufacturing, North America's fastest growing RV company, recently received the prestigious Quality Circle Award from the Recreation Vehicle Dealers' Association (RVDA) for the second straight year.

Three Prime Time brands – LaCrosse, Tracer, and Crusader – were honored during the "Celebrate Excellence:  All-Industry Gala" at the RVDA National Convention on October 5, 2011.  Each of the brands was recognized for scoring 80 percent or above in overall dealer satisfaction as measured in the Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey conducted by RVDA.  The DSI survey, which determines the Quality Circle Award winners, rates manufacturers’ performance in eight core areas: vehicle reliability/quality, parts support, dealership warranty support, vehicle design, sales support, sales territory, competitive price/value, and overall dealer communications.

"Prime Time Manufacturing is again honored to have earned the Quality Circle Award with each of our eligible brands," said Prime Time president Jeff Rank. "Winning is a tremendous credit to the hard work and commitment of nearly 300 employees who have come together with a joint mission to build high quality products, while providing industry-leading services to our dealers."

 'The DSI survey is an important tool for the measurement of the quality of our products, our manufacturing processes, and our sales and service policies,” said Rank. “We want to thank our valued dealer partners for honoring us with this prestigious award.  Prime Time has geared up with an outstanding line-up of innovative and high quality towables for 2012 and we look forward to serving our dealers and retail customers with more award-winning products and services.”

Prime Time Rapidly Growing Market Share

March 23, 2012

Prime Time Manufacturing, a division of Forest River, Inc, has moved up to the number six retail position for all fifth wheel brands according to the January release of registration data from Statistical Surveys, Grand Rapids, MI.

“We introduced our first fifth wheel, the Crusader, eighteen months ago,” according to Prime Time vice president of sales Chris Hermon. “To already achieve a level of sales success comparable to the best-selling brands in our industry is a tribute to the hard work of our incredible employees here at Prime Time and the outstanding efforts of our dealer partners across North America.”

Prime Time Introduces Avenger Travel Trailer

September 15, 2011

Prime Time Manufacturing has expanded its product offering with the introduction of the all new Avenger travel trailer.  Dealers and retail customers will have their first look at Avenger during the Pennsylvania RV and Camping Show September 12 – 18.  Two models will also be on display for industry insiders during the Forest River Product Expo taking place in Elkhart, IN September 20 – 22.

Avenger is the fifth brand to be introduced by Prime Time Manufacturing, a rapidly growing division of Forest River, Inc.  Jeff Rank, president for the Wakarusa, IN based manufacturer explained the company’s strategy with the introduction, “When we started the company two years ago, the goal was to be a full-line towable manufacturer.  In our mind, that meant having five products that served five distinct markets.  Avenger completes that goal and now our customers have a choice of Prime Time products ranging from entry-level travel trailer to luxury fifth wheel.”

Standard interior features for Avenger include glazed cherry hardwood cabinet doors, Armstrong “Tough Guard” linoleum with a five year wear warranty, extra large slide rooms, 87” U-Dinettes, and dual pots and pans drawers with full extension drawer guides.  Exterior features include 2X2 construction, enclosed underbelly, gas/electric DSI water heater, outside shower, and Super Lube axles.

“When we were designing Avenger, we examined every feature and every component to maximize value to the end user,” said Product Manager, Joe Luther.  “We also wanted to build Avenger with a much higher standard of quality so we implemented processes and construction upgrades far superior to typical stick and tin products that will provide our customers a fantastic ownership experience.”

MSRP for the new Avenger starts at $15,995.

For information regarding the Avenger, please call (574) 862-3001.

Leisure Time RV Receives First Sanibel Fifth Wheel

August 24, 2011

Dealership personnel from Leisure Time RV recently accepted delivery of the very first production model of Prime Time Manufacturing's new Sanibel luxury fifth wheel.

Production of the all-new Sanibel fifth wheel has begun at Prime Time Manufacturing.  The new fiver targets the luxury fifth wheel buyer and is intended to compliment the company’s mid-priced Crusader fifth wheel.  Prime Time management recently delivered the first production model to Leisure Time RV in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Upon receiving the new unit, Debora Bingham and Ron Walker, dealer principals at Leisure Time RV, commented that the Sanibel will be another success for the rapidly growing manufacturer, “Sanibel looks absolutely fantastic and is loaded with lots of easy-to-sell features that high end customers are going to love.  Prime Time represents a big part of our business and we think Sanibel will be another great addition to our dealership”.

Sanibel Product Manager, Jeff Wagner, described the special relationship with Leisure Time RV, “Ron and Debora were one of the very first dealers to sign up with Prime Time when the company was started in 2009.  They have done a fantastic job representing all of our products in the Oklahoma City market and we are thankful for their continued commitment and support.  It’s an honor to deliver the first Sanibel to Leisure Time RV.”

Base MSRP of the new Sanibel fifth wheel is $65,000.

Prime Time Receives DSI Quality Awards

July 28, 2011

Accepting the 2010 DSI Quality Circle Award for Prime Time Manufacturing are (from right): Don Rank, Quality Control Manager, Chris Hermon, Vice President of Sales, Jeff Rank, President, Brandon York, Customer Service Manager, Jeff Abney, Manufacturing Manager

Prime Time Manufacturing, North America’s fastest growing RV company, was awarded the prestigious Quality Circle Award from the Recreation Vehicle Dealers’ Association (RVDA) in a ceremony kicking off the 2010 RVIA Louisville trade show.

“Prime Time Manufacturing is honored to have earned the Quality Circle Award in our very first year of business,” said Prime Time president Jeff Rank. “This award is a tremendous credit to the hard work and commitment of all our employees who have come together with a joint mission to build high quality products, while providing industry-leading services to our dealers.”

Prime Time was recognized for scoring 80 percent or above in overall dealer satisfaction as measured in the Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey conducted by RVDA. The DSI survey, which determines the Quality Circle Award winners, rates manufacturers’ performance in eight core areas: vehicle reliability/quality, parts support, dealership warranty support, vehicle design, sales support, sales territory, competitive price/value, and overall dealer communications.

“The DSI survey is an important tool for the measurement of the quality of our products, our manufacturing processes, and our sales and service policies,” said Rank. “We want to thank our valued dealer partners for honoring us with this prestigious award. Prime Time has geared up with an outstanding line-up of innovative and high quality towables for 2011 and we look forward to serving our dealers and retail customers with more award-winning products and services.”

Prime Time Delivers 1000th Crusader Fifth Wheel To Top Dealer

June 14, 2011

Mark Clay (L), General Manager, is shown with Jim Hicks, President of Southern RV Supercenter, taking delivery of the 1000th Crusader produced by Prime Time Manufacturing.

Prime Time Manufacturing recently built the 1000th Crusader Fifth Wheel at its production facility in Wakarusa, Indiana.  The milestone unit was sold and delivered to Southern RV Supercenter, a multi-store dealership headquartered in Bossier City, Louisiana, who is the largest volume Crusader dealer in North America.

Prime Time President Jeff Rank made the arrangements for the sale of the special 298 BHD Crusader.  “Southern RV was one of the very first Prime Time dealers when we started the company in 2009.  We are thankful for their continued commitment and support of Prime Time Manufacturing.  It’s an honor to deliver Crusader number 1000 to Jim and his team in recognition of their outstanding sales success”.

In accepting the 1000th Crusader, Jim Hicks, President of Southern RV Supercenter, complimented the two-year old towable manufacturer, “Like all of the Prime Time products, Crusader has several fantastic floorplans with lots of easy-to-sell features.  Our retail customers think the Crusader looks great and our sales department loves to sell them.  Crusader has quickly become a big part of our business”.  Southern RV Supercenter has additional locations in Tyler, TX and Lafayette, LA.

Prime Time Selected for RV 2011 by HGTV

December 16, 2010

Prime Time Manufacturing is pleased to announce that the recently introduced Crusader fifth wheel has been selected as one of the featured products for this year’s edition of the popular cable television program RV 2011.  This annual one-hour TV special will air on January 1, 2011 at 4 p.m. EST on the HGTV network.


Filmed on location at America’s largest RV show in Hershey, Pa, RV 2011 host Chi-Lan Lieu will tour the coolest new high-tech and eco-friendly recreational vehicles and take three families on the shopping trip of a lifetime, searching America’s largest RV show for the recreational vehicle of their dreams.

HGTV – America’s leader in home and lifestyle programming – is distributed to more than 99 million U.S. households and is one of cable’s top-rated networks. HGTV’s website, HGTV.com, is the nation’s leading online home-and-garden destination, which attracts an average of 4 million unique visitors per month.

Tracer Ultra Lite Reaches New Audience

October 4, 2010

Prime Time Manufacturing has expanded its product offering with the introduction of the all new Tracer Micro series travel trailer targeted toward mini van and small crossover tow vehicles.  Industry insiders got their first look at the new Tracer Micro during the just completed Forest River dealer open house in Elkhart, IN.

“The thinking behind the new Micro is simple”, according to Jeff Rank, president for the Wakarusa, IN based manufacturer.  “Prime Time wanted a travel trailer that can easily be towed by a mini van with 3,500 lbs of towing capacity.  Unfortunately, most of the units in this weight range really compromise livability and function.  With Micro we’ve combined great looks, the right features, and many of today’s lightweight composite materials to create a perfect balance between weight, price, features, and eye appeal”.

Three floorplans, all with slide-outs, are being offered in the Tracer Micro series with shipping weights starting at 2,550 lbs fully loaded.  Standard interior equipment includes Cherry cabinets and Cherry hardwood cabinet doors, automotive styled leather wrapped dinettes, microwave, air conditioner, and CD player.  On the outside, a full sized awning, stabilizer jacks, spare tire, stereo speakers, television hook-up, and aluminum wheels are also included as standard equipment.

MSRP for the new Tracer Micro series starts at $14,900.

For information regarding the Tracer Micro, call (574) 862-3001.

Prime Time Launches Retail Incentive Program

September 7, 2010

Rapidly expanding Prime Time Manufacturing has announced a consumer incentive program for  the upcoming fall season.  The program, called Prime Time's "Reason To Buy" Touring Edition, is available on all 2011 model LaCrosse and Tracer Executive Series travel trailers produced between September 1, 2010, and November 30, 2010.

Prime Time vice-president of sales, Chris Hermon, says the program is a proactive approach to addressing the traditional slow-down in retail sales that occurs after the Labor Day weekend.  "The Reason To Buy Touring Edition offers consumers up to $3900 of free upgrades not normally available on LaCrosse and Tracer.  It's simple; we want to give customers a reason to buy now and this impressive list of luxury features will offer a limited time opportunity to save thousands of dollars".

The program announcement represents a significant turning point for the young manufacturer.  "For the last 14 months, we've focused our resources on launching the company with a foundation of industry-leading quality and customer service.  It was critical to make sure that our products and processes were dialed in to meet consumer expectations.  We believe mission accomplished as both Tracer and LaCrosse are gaining widespread recognition as innovative, well-built products.  Now, we’re excited to leverage Forest River's unmatched financial strength to provide even more value to our customers and further separate ourselves from the competition", added Hermon.

Prime Time Delivers First Crusader Fiver

August 2, 2010

Pictured from L-R: Chris Hermon, Loren Baidas, Jeff Rank, Wade Stufft; Director (VP) of Operations for General RV, and Dennis Anderson; Director (VP) of Marketing/Advertising for General RV.

Prime Time Manufacturing has expanded its product offering with the introduction of the company’s first fifth wheel, the mid-priced Crusader.   Full production of the new Crusader started in June and Prime Time officials recently delivered the first production model to General RV, in Wixom, MI.

Loren Baidas, President of General RV, and several members of the dealership’s management and sales team were presented with the 2011 Crusader 270RET fifth wheel by Prime Time president Jeff Rank and Chris Hermon, Prime Time’s VP of sales.  According to Rank, “General RV is not only one of Prime Time’s largest dealers, but also a huge dealer for all of Forest River.  When we started the company, General was one of the first dealers to come aboard and we are thankful for their continued commitment and support of Prime Time Manufacturing.  It’s an honor to deliver this very special Crusader fifth wheel to Loren and his team”.

General RV, with 9 locations, is the nation’s largest family owned dealership.  In acceptance, Baidas was quick to compliment the young company, “The new Crusader has a great look and lots of easy to sell features.  It will definitely be a nice addition to our dealerships.  Prime Time is quickly becoming a bigger part of our business plan and we are excited to be a factor in their rapid growth”.

After the presentation, Hermon was able to show several unique features of the new Crusader including the innovative Super Turn front cap, Slam Latch pass thru baggage doors, Quiet Cool ducted return air conditioning, and solid cherry hardwood cabinet doors and drawers.  During the walk-thru with the dealership, Hermon emphasized, “We’ve loaded Crusader with features not normally found on a mid-profile fifth wheel and priced it very aggressively to deliver more value.”  Additional Crusader upgrades on the 270RET include solid surface countertops, an RCA Soundwave entertainment system, bumper mounted swing arm grill, hitch cover, and a 42” LCD with electric lift.

Base MSRP of the new Crusader fifth wheel is $29,500.

Prime Time Delivers 1000th Unit, Announces Additional Hiring

May 12, 2010

Pictured from left to right are Jim Leep, Ed Unger, Scott Miller, and Eddie Unger from Tom Raper RV and Jason Gill, Jeff Rank, and Chris Hermon from Prime Time Manufacturing.

Recently formed Prime Time Manufacturing has delivered the 1000th travel trailer from its production facility in Wakarusa, Indiana.

The towable builder, a division of Forest River, Inc, recognized the achievement with a brief ceremony and luncheon attended by over 130 production workers, vendors, and Wakarusa town officials.  Many of the production employees have been with the company since its inception in September of 2009.

The Tracer/LaCrosse Operations Team from Prime Time Manufacturing (L to R): Jarrod Agnew, Lisa Lewallen, Chad Lambright, James Furnivall, Brandon York, Don Rank, and Jeff Abney.

Special guests included the management staff of Tom Raper RV with headquarters in Richmond, Indiana, who were presented the keys to the milestone unit – a Tracer 3000 BHD.  Dave Bane, president of Tom Raper RV, applauded all of the Prime Time personnel for quickly bringing to market products that have made a significant impact on the bottom line of his dealerships.  “Both the Tracer and LaCrosse have proven to be very innovative, well built, and quite popular with our retail customers. 

We love Prime Time’s aggressive approach to product development and are proud to take delivery of their 1000th production unit,” commented Bane.  Tom Raper RV is Prime Time’s largest volume dealer with three locations in Indiana and Ohio.

During the ceremony, Prime Time president Jeff Rank announced plans to introduce the company’s first line of fifth wheels called Crusader.  “We will begin production by the end of May and expect to be hiring a significant amount of additional employees within the next few weeks.  The management team at Prime Time understands the fifth wheel market and we look forward to making Crusader an industry leader.”

For more information regarding Prime Time Manufacturing and the LaCrosse, Tracer, and Crusader brands, please call (574) 862-3001.

Prime Time Manufacturing Rapidly Expanding

December 14, 2009 by Bob Ashley

Following its success at the recent Louisville Show, Forest River Inc.’s Prime Time Manufacturing division is preparing to introduce its third product: a mid-profile Crusader fifth-wheel. A 70,000-square-foot plant in Prime Time’s Wakarusa, Ind., factory complex will be outfitted for fifth-wheel production during a Dec. 24 to Jan. 3 holiday shutdown. ”We are very excited about the upcoming season,” said Prime Time President Jeff Rank. ”Dealers at the show were very, very upbeat — more so than I’ve seen in the last year or so.” The Crusader will feature floorplans in the 25- to 29-foot range weighing between 6,000 and 7,000 pounds that can be towed by half-ton pickup trucks. The company currently has about 100 dealers and employs 75 people with plans to manufacture seven units a day after the first of the year, according to Rank. He added that Prime Time’s work force is expected to double in the next four or five months. At the show, rapidly expanding Prime Time — founded in July — introduced its second product, the ultra-lightweight Tracer Micro and Executive travel trailer series. The company’s inaugural line was the LaCrosse travel trailer.

Prime Time Manufacturing Debuts Tracer Ultra Lite Travel Trailer

November 24, 2009 by RV Business 

Prime Time Manufacturing has expanded its product offering with the introduction of Tracer, a new line of ultralight travel trailers targeting the growing segment of crossover tow vehicles. Industry insiders will get their first look at Tracer during the 47th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky. Tracer will be offered in nine models with weights starting at 2,785 pounds for the smaller Micro Series. Consumers who have additional towing capacity will enjoy the benefits of the full-depth slide rooms available on the Tracer Executive with weights starting at just over 5,000 pounds. All Tracers are standard with cherry cabinets and cherry hardwood cabinet doors, upgraded fabrics, oil rubbed bronze hardware and designer curio glass accents. On some larger models, the cherry interior is accented with cream cabinets for a residential two-tone effect. The Tracer Executive is standard with exterior upgrades such as EZ Tow wide-track suspension, motorhome style slam baggage doors, a convenient universal docking center, electric stabilizer jacks, and an electric awning. Interior features include a HD LCD television, DVD Player, raised-panel kitchen overhead doors and a unique radius-wrapped slide room fascia. Tracer MSRP starts at $15,900. Elkhart, Ind.-based Prime Time Manufacturing is a division of Forest River Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company.

Prime Time Manufacturing Introduces New LaCrosse

September 24, 2009 by RV Business 

Recently formed Prime Time Manufacturing introduced LaCrosse, its first entry into the towable RV market, during the 2nd Annual Forest River Pick Your Partner sales event this week in Elkhart, Ind. Designed to offer an affordable alternative to the more commonly used “stick and tin” construction, the aluminum-framed LaCrosse offers a laminated fiberglass exterior in eight models ranging in length from 26 feet to 36 feet. According to Chris Hermon, vice president, LaCrosse has many upgraded exterior standards normally found on more expensive RVs including remote keyless entry, bus style slambaggage doors, electric awnings, electric stabilizer jacks, and “EZ Tow” wide stance suspension. On the inside, LaCrosse features an extra large slide room called MAX SLIDE which utilizes a large 87” U-shaped dinette.

Other interior appointments include an air mattress hide-a-bed, adjustable shelf pantry, LCD television, DVD player, full extension drawer guides, raised panel kitchen overhead cabinets and residentially inspired furnishings and fabrics. Prime time has started full production of LaCrosse at its facility in Wakarusa, Ind. Prime Time Manufacturing is a division of Forest River Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company.