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Northwood Builds on Quality
When Ron Nash and his wife, Sherry, started building travel trailers nearly a dozen years ago, they intended to create a small RV business that would give them plenty of time for travel.
“We planned on building 300 to 400 units and spending four or five months a year RVing,” says Nash.
But it didn’t work out that way. From a small beginning in La Grande, Oregon, the Nashes’ Northwood Manufacturing has grown into a major builder of travel trailers, fifth wheels, sport utility trailers and truck campers, with national distribution from plants on both coasts.
His background as a general manager and production manager for RV manufacturers put Nash in position to found his own company in 1993. This was a time when many manufacturers were striving to cut RV prices and costs by resorting to cheaper and sometimes flimsier materials. Nash went in the opposite direction, figuring there would be a market for sturdy, durable and well-insulated RVs, particularly in Canada. And he
was right, finding initial success selling travel trailers north of the border.
But what surprised him, he said, was that many customers in the U.S. also wanted the same kind of product, and so the business began to grow far beyond expectations.
Two Plants
Today, Northwood builds Arctic Fox campers, Desert Fox sport utility trailers and Nash and Arctic Fox towables and fifth wheels. The company has 180,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities just outside La Grande in northeastern Oregon and about 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Winchester, Virginia.
All of Northwood’s products share some important attributes. Insulation is still as important as it was in the beginning, offering four-season comfort as a standard feature in all travel trailers, 5th wheels and campers (except the Nash 17C model). It is also offered as an option in the Desert Fox. Durability is also crucial, and that often means things like heavier tires and stronger axles so that the vehicles are all rugged enough for off-road travel. And the company chooses its construction materials on the basis of quality more than price.
“We have a reputation of taking care of our customers,” Nash said. “If we find a problem, we don’t wait until the model changeover. We continually upgrade.”
New Improvements
For its 2006 models, Northwood is continuing to introduce new features. The Arctic Fox Silver Edition has a new aluminum super structure on its structural steel chassis. Fiberglass insulated units include R-18 insulation in the ceiling and R-7 insulation in the walls and floors. Rigid foam insulated units have comparable insulation ratings. Straight axles provide extra ground clearance for off-road use. The large holding tanks (up to 108 gallons for fresh water, 46 gallons for black water and 70 gallons for gray water) are inside fully insulated tank compartments in all four-seasons models.
Arctic Fox travel trailers and fifth wheels are offered in a variety of floor plans, many with one or two slideouts, and there is even a 36-foot triple slide.
Nash trailers and fifth wheels also come in a variety of floor plans. The Nash line is built with a quality wood frame and a structural steel chassis. New with the 2006 models are white extrusion window surrounds, interiors in a choice of three new color palettes, and a continuous heavy- gauge vinyl or rubber roof. And as with the Arctic Fox, all models use plywood and solid wood rather than strand or flake board and the floors are built with exterior grade tongue and groove plywood similar to residential construction.
The Desert Fox is Northwood’s sport utility line of trailers and fifth wheels, combining large cargo areas with attractive living spaces. The models, all built with fold-down rear cargo doors, range in length from 17 feet to 38 feet. The interior designs offer lots of flexibility to serve a variety of needs with furnishings that are both functional and comfortable. The exterior graphics have been given new flair with a bold new design.
Full-Wall Slideouts
Arctic Fox campers made their reputation as leaders in the development of slideouts, and now all of the company’s campers are full-wall slideout models. The spaciousness of the interiors is enhanced by a transverse floor design and deeper slides that make the main floor nearly a foot wider than with conventional slideouts. Rack and pinion mechanisms give the slideouts extra durability and reliability.
The 2006 campers have a new convenience center in the galley, an enlarged overhead TV cabinet, white extrusion window surrounds and marine exterior speakers. The new 811 model has a larger shower, more floor space, more storage and a larger dinette than other models in its class.
All of the campers are built with aluminum superstructure and other features that have made them the top-selling slideouts on the market. Nash said the campers have been selling especially well ever since the company introduced its slideout design; the Desert Fox has quickly tapped into the growing toy hauler market, and the Arctic Fox and Nash trailers and fifth wheels continue to be the choice of buyers who demand durability.
In fact, Nash said he and his wife are so busy with the company now that their original plan to spend a lot of time RVing has been sidetracked.
“We don’t take vacations anymore,” he said, “but we supply vacation vehicles to a lot of people.”
For information about Northwood Manufacturing products, phone (541)
962-6274 or see www.northwoodmfg.com.