The hottest selling towable from one of the hottest RV companies in today’s marketplace has added more customer-pleasing features. And there’s more to come.
The Cruiser travel trailer and fifth wheel from CrossRoads RV has been the mainstay of CrossRoads’ aggressive growth since 2003. Cruiser sales are largely responsible for the overall rise in CrossRoads’ fifth-wheel sales from No. 23 to No. 4 in the RV market over the last three years (rankings based on retail sales reported by Statistical Surveys, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich).
“We made 1,347 fifth wheels and travel trailers in all of ’03. We made more than triple that many in the first six months of this year,” said CrossRoads President Mark Lucas. “Our sales have doubled in each of the last two years and should double again this year. The Cruiser line has been a major contributor to that growth.”
What’s so appealing to customers? “For one thing, it let’s you haul a lot in a light package,” said Lucas. All Cruisers weigh under 8,000 pounds (including two triple slides), which allows them to be towed by a variety of vehicles. Yet they are designed for optimal space utilization. In addition to generous living space created by different slideout configurations, the Cruiser line also maximizes storage space, from lift-up beds, to spacious closets, to large drawers under dinette seats.
Recent innovations have allowed the Cruiser to provide roomy accommodations day and night for families and long-distance travelers. The CF32BL fifth-wheel model introduced last year has become a best-seller with its open rear living space and double bunks on the side. 2007 models include such popular options as the stylish hide-a-bed sofa and lounge chair with ottoman. The new Cruiser models also make cooking easier with self-igniting three-burner ranges as standard. In all, the Cruiser offers 11 fifth-wheel floorplans and five travel trailer floorplans for ’07.
But all of its innovative features wouldn’t count as much without a bedrock of quality construction, said Lucas. “What makes CrossRoads special is that we’ve been able to provide a lot of value in a relatively lightweight towable without sacrificing quality construction. The Cruiser is a very solid towable. It has hung walls on 16-inch-on-center aluminum studs, a one-piece, rolled edge rubber roof and fiberglass exterior, among other assets.”
“Everyone talks about quality, but people know true quality when they see it. And the numbers tell us a lot of people see it in the Cruiser,” said Lucas. “I know our dealers appreciate the fit and finish of the Cruiser when it arrives. They need little or no prep time before it’s on the show lot.”
CrossRoads backs up its quality construction with one of the best warranties in the industry: a comprehensive warranty of two years for materials and workmanship defects and a five-year structural guarantee.
So far this year, with a flat RV market showing only 0.4 percent growth, the Cruiser has led CrossRoads to a 46 percent increase in retail units and a 40 percent increase in market share, according to Statistical Surveys.
“Of course, dealers really appreciate something that does well in a flat market, and the Cruiser has certainly done that,” says Lucas. “As our longest-standing CrossRoads brand, the Cruiser proves that our success factors work. These include backing our dealers with exclusive territories, expediting weekly warranty payments and providing responsive service support.”
“Our success also means making RVs that people want to buy because they have what they want, be it more storage, better sleeping accommodations, or just a better place to put their bicycles. Our products sell because they target segments of the market not addressed by other manufacturers.” The Cruiser is one of seven product lines of travel trailers, fifth wheels and sport utility trailers that CrossRoads currently manufactures, up from two product lines in ’03.
Lucas said CrossRoads will introduce “some new and exciting innovations” to the Cruiser line at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., at the end of November. “The Cruiser has been a big hit for us,” said Lucas. “And we’re going to keep making it one. Come and see.”
Cruiser travel trailers and fifth wheels have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price range of $30,668 to $40,110.
For more information about CrossRoads RV, call 888-226-7496 or visit www.crossroadsrv.com.
