RVBusiness, September/October 2019

MIDWEST AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNS Open House Highlights Midwest Automotive Designs will debut the Transit based Summit at Open House Midwest Automotive Designs a division of REV Recreation Group has been building Class B coaches since 2003 noted Jake Stephenson director of sales at the Elkhart Ind based motorized manufacturer As such the company has seen the industrys cyclical sales nature but the Class B business he said has been good as more individuals gravitate toward what is now called the van life a lifestyle where people travel for the most part in Class B vans Our typical buyer is 45 and up and most have done fairly well in business explained Stephenson The appeal for these types of vans is that it allows people to remain mobile When you get to a campsite you are still able to go explore and see things in the area Anticipating an Open House display that will feature between 8 10 units Stephenson said the main focal point for the company will be on its new prototype the Bison built on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis Its an all in one unit a real ruggedlooking piece he explained Its a unit that you can go completely off the grid with and it allows users to camp in both hot and cold climates It also comes on a four wheel drive chassis Solar power comes standard with every unit that Midwest Automotive produces according to Stephenson and the Bison which will carry an MSRP of 220000 to 225000 will have an option to add lithium batteries The unit also has a 30000 pound winch on the front of a really aggressive bumper Stephenson explained Its got an upgraded suspension package that makes it a true off road four by four It also has a roof rack big holding tanks that are inside the vehicle and heated and just a ton of standard features that come on all our vans like a continuous hot water system luxury seating and different types of wood interiors that are custom made for each 146 RVBusiness S E P T E M B E R O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 unit It will be completely different than anything else currently on the Class B market Stephenson said that the company decided to develop the Bison because the demand for rugged vans that also touch the luxury mark is increasing The few companies that are out there building units like this are all doing it factory direct he explained Midwest Automotive wants to see if there are any opportunities through dealers for that type of product or if it is just too limited in scope Thats why the company is taking the Bison to the show to see what kind of response dealers have Midwest Automotive will also be displaying a new Ford product the 21 foot Summit built on Fords Transit chassis Stephenson said the unit would be similar to Midwests 24 foot Passage which is built on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis and has features like a power awning with LED lighting 25 kilowatt generator and 32 gallon fresh water holding tank The MSRP for the Summit is going to sit at 145495 This gives our dealers essentially four different platforms at four different price points to sell at he explained You have your Dodge as an entry level piece Ford and lower level Mercedes Benz as your mid level pieces and then the high end Mercedes Benz is your high level selling piece Other products the company produces include the 24 foot Daycruiser 24 foot Weekender 21 foot Promaster Legend 24 foot Daycruiser 144 and 24 foot Passage 144 Stephenson mentioned that the company has a decent backlog but that Midwest Automotive can still produce a custom built piece in around 12 weeks We always give dealers that have retail sold pieces preference over stock built pieces he said Midwest Automotive Designs to Unveil Rugged Bison Class B Prototype and a Ford Transit Based Summit Open House Display Location REV Recreation Group Executive Parkway Hours Mon Thurs 9am 3pm Information 574 522 4878 Among other units Midwest will have on display the 24 foot Passage 144