RVBusiness, July/August 2020

OEM SHOWCASE B Y G A R Y G E R A R D Long known for top rated four season truck campers like the Limited Edition Yukon pictured British Columbia based Northern Lite is branching out with a towable TruckCamper Maker Northern Lite Makes Splash in the Towable Market with One Piece Fiberglass Boreal N orthern Lite Mfg has staked its reputation on building the lightest most durable most aerodynamic highest quality four season truck campers on the market Thats no easy feat when youre located in Kelowna British Columbia and selling heavily into the Canadian market which lends a heightened meaning to the term four season But the company has managed to do it anyway carving out its space in the RV industry as one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of molded fiberglass truck campers in North America Not content to rest on its 30 years of success in the truck camper market Northern Lite is on the cusp of introducing its first towable an innovative 23 foot one piece fiberglass travel trailer called the Boreal a nod to the Aurora Borealis a natural phenomenon frequently seen in the frozen north more commonly known as the Northern Lights Northern Lite was founded in 1989 by a group of experienced RV builders who were working for fiberglass truck camper manufacturer Big Foot Industries These entrepreneurs saw a niche market and started building campers to fit small import trucks The company grew and eventually produced a complete line of full sized truck campers Enter Mac Donkin and Lloyd Gartrell two entrepreneurs who had sold their successful business and retired They each purchased a Northern Lite camper for a late 1980s trip with their wives across Canada and the U S and after that a tour of Alaska After seven months on the road and deeply impressed by their truck campers Donkin and Gartrell decided they would invest in the fledgling Northern Lite upon returning home In 1993 after four years of being investors they bought the company As owners they emphasized the importance of building a quality product and grew the company to a leading status in the truck camper space In 2017 after substantial growth in the previous two years Northern Lites family holding company was sold to Alberta based KV Private Equity At the time Mac Donkins son Keith was at the helm and although the firm changed hands KV kept Keith Donkin on as president and Mac Donkin as director Keith Donkin told RVBusiness that continuity of generational family leadership has been important throughout the companys history Weve got a very good reputation in the industry and we take a lot of pride in our quality and our dealer relationships he said I think Ive carried that on from my dad That was very important to my dad and Ive tried to carry on the same tradition When it comes to quality construction as well as fit and finish Donkin said Northern Lite strives to be the best in the industry Everything we do is high end he said We offer one of the longest warranties in the business a structural warranty for six years Were not the cheapest out there but we provide great value for the price and you Set to debut in August the Boreal travel trailer features a seamless one piece fiberglass exterior hull 62 RVBusiness J U L Y A U G U S T 2 0 2 0