RV Industry Gets a Boost from Lockdown Blues

That this has been a year like no other goes without saying. Much has been written about the the financial hardships generated by the lockdowns and the psychological impacts. The hunkering down that took place in 2020 made me wonder how the RV business went this year. As I checked a few sites I saw that things took a turn for the worse in March, in part because there were so many unknowns regarding the "novel coronavirus" as they were calling it. Sales were down 20% that month according to one story I read and 80% in April.

Then, things shifted. People did not want to be locked down, and saw the RV lifestyle as a means of escape. According to stats from the RV Industry Association, sales of began to take off in June, which had the most RV sales in over two years, and by fall motorhome and RV sales were so robust that by October Barrron's was writing about the best RV stocks to buy during this travel revival.

Recreatiional Vehicles (RVs) come in all shapes and sizes. Those that are motorized are categorized by class -- Class A, B or C, and a Super C that uses the same diesel power plant that you find in 18-wheelers. There are also those that people tow, including pop-up trailers and fifth wheels. My first trip into Mexico was in a pickup fitted with an over-the-cab camper that sat in the pickup bed.

According to the RVIA the RV industry makes a big footprint in our economy. More than 25 million Americans go RVing each year and we spend more than 60 billion dollars on maintenance and services. With sales of RVs and all that is involved in providing campgrounds and accessories, it's a 114 billion dollar industry. And 98% of all RVs are made in the USA. It's nearly a unique industry in that way. 

Here's an excerpt from their October 2020 Market Report:

The RV Industry Association's October 2020 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments finished the month with 47,326 units, an increase of 21.4% from the 38,972 units shipped in October 2019. This represents the second highest October on record.

Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, totaled 42,854 units for the month, an increase of 22.9% compared to last October’s total of 34,866 units. Motorhomes finished the month with 4,472 units, up 8.9% compared to the October 2019 total of 4,106 units.

I've always know that diesel engines were a big part of the power in motorhomes and RVs but I was surprised to learn that only 50% of motorhomes are diesel. For sure diesels will give you more power if you're climbing through the Rockies, but there are evidently pros and cons to everything in life. Here is a great debate about Gas vs. Diesel when it comes to RVs.

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Vintage camper trailer. Wanna get away?

If you're tired of being cooped up and feel a need to get away, motorhomes and RVs have given lot of people wings to fly with the breeze when the urge possesses. If this is all new to you, here is a blog post at KOA that serves as a Beginner's Guide to Buying an RV or Motorhomes.

Sources
Travel & Leisure
Barron's
KOA.com
Town & Country

The Legendary First-Generation Cummins 6BT Diesel Engine

You can tell who the diesel guys are by the way the write about diesel engines and diesel power. From the getgo, there's a sense in which we're always having to be a little defensive, write in a more calculated manner. 

So it is that Henry Cesari's article Monday at Hot Cars begins with this observation: "Diesel engines are divisive: there are many unfair myths surrounding diesel engines." It's almost as if he's saying, "Let's get this out of the way. If you don't like it when I write about diesels, go read something else." We like it and yes, we know diesels have pros and cons, but they're not going to be extinct any time soon. Their role is currently too important.

This article is about when Dodge trucks were mated with Cummins engines to produce the popular, much-heralded 1989 Dodge Ram. It's titled, Looking Back At The First Generation Cummins-Powered Dodge Ram Truck.

It's a great story. From initial vision to completion it took more than five years. When I think about how impatient everyone is today it's obvious that it takes real resolve to complete truly great projects. In most cases--the exception being the Harrier jet--the bigger the plane, the longer the runway required to get it off the ground. Kudos to Dodge and Cummins for their determination and commitment.

Dodge was famous for its trucks long before the Cummins-powered Dodge Ram. The Power Wagon and the Li'l Red Express, for example, were exceedingly popular. Today, 75% of Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 buyers opt for the Cummins engine option, which is able to tow nearly 15 tons with ease.

Cesari not only did his homework, he produces a stimulating read, writing "when thirty years ago, Dodge shoe-horned a Cummins-built diesel engine--intended for heavy equipment use--into their Ram pickups, the two companies incited a diesel revolution. Today, we're looking back at the Cummins-powered 1989-93 Dodge Rams." 

It's surprising how much was involved with making it work. In addition to an impressive engine makeover they followed up with 11 million miles of testing to ensure they'd actually produced a a power plant that was strong but that would also last.

According to Cesari, the Cummins team overbuilt every aspect of the new 6BT engine. The engineers incorporated "seven main bearings on the crankshaft, and six head bolts for every single cylinder. The company built both the block and head out of cast iron. They spared no expense in forging, hardening, and testing components such as the crankshaft, the connecting rods, and the pistons. When Cummins purchased components from outside vendors, they opted for the highest possible quality: the injector pump and the injectors are all durable Bosche units." 

The Cummins-powered 1989-93 Dodge Rams were pretty special. They set the bar high for everything that would follow. The Dodge team knew there could be no shortcuts. Their reputation was on the line.

Read the full article HERE at HotCars..com

For another fun Cummins/Dodge related read this one by Michael Van Runkle also, about a slammed 2019 SEMA special that features a 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine, stacks, and drop dead good looks.

Diesel Power Helps Deliver Vaccines for the Holidays and Beyond

Refrigerated trucks will be essential to Operation Warp Speed

Most people don't give much thought to what's involved in delivering food to our neighborhood grocery shelves. It's some kind of magical process that we take for granted, though farmers and cattle ranchers have never taken it for granted. Every cog in the distribution chain wheel knows they are just a cog but also integral to a bigger whole: feeding our nation's families.

The same applies to energy transfer. How energy gets created and how it gets distributed are things most of us don't give much thought to. Fortunately there are people who do all that thinking for us, so that we can recharge the batteries on our laptops, iPhones and other devices every day.

This week I saw a story in the Diesel Technology Forum about the role diesel will play in getting Covid under control and our nation working again. The article begins with a paragraph about the strain this pandemic had put on the trucking industry this summer simply to keep the food supply going. The second paragraph notes that getting Operation Warp Speed up to speed, rolling out 300 million vaccines to our entire population, is going to be a challenge but that our nation's diesel-powered haulers are already preparing to play their role, do their part.

The author states that our nation's trucking network "is up to the challenge thanks to diesel power, keeping critical supply chains moving for decades and most recently, ensuring essential goods are available during the pandemic. Today, the fleet of commercial vehicles is predominantly powered by diesel engines and fuel with nearly all – 97 percent – of the fleet of tractor-trailers being powered by diesel."

The two approved vaccines have special handling criteria that present special problems. For example, typical "reefer trucks" (refrigerated trucks) only have to keep frozen foods at a temperature below freezing. These vaccines must be maintained in extremely cold temperatures, and that extreme cold chain must not be broken.

The reliability of diesel transport trucks is one reason the fight against Covid needs our trucking industry. In addition, only diesel trucks have the range and capacity to make the long distance deliveries they have to make. 

No other fuel or technology type has a more extensive global goods movement network of trucks, trains, ships and planes that will meet this challenge all the while continuing to deliver essential goods and the expected increase in online shopping for gifts for the holiday season. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) alone is ready to deliver more than 28 million packages per day between Dec. 16-21 and will average 20.5 million packages per day through the remainder of the year.

As I noted above, we take a lot for granted and seldom appreciate the shipping industry the way we should. Add in FedEx and UPS numbers, and the mind-boggling efficiencies that have been developed in order to make fast, accurate deliveries is something that did not happen overnight. We've come a long ways from the Pony Express. 

You can read the full story here.

Related Links
Safe and Efficient Transport: Why Choose A Refrigerated Truck?
The Impact of Refrigeration (History Magazine)

Blue Flame Diesel Oil: Buy Now Before the End of the Year

Oil rig photo by WORKSITE Ltd. on Unsplash

The price of oil has certainly been herky-jerky this year. Pandemic shutdowns in the spring resulted in a sharp decline in fuel prices to the extent that it was more profitable for many oil companies to leave it in the ground than pay to extract and transport it.

Prices at the pump declined as well, which was appreciated by those who were still on the road even though a lot of us were on the sidelines for a spell. By mid-summer, though, crude futures recovered to their target base of $40 and climbing, which helps keep oil companies solvent and truckers on the road. Then again, downstream fuel and oil prices are impacted. 

Apparently oil companies are not losing sleep over that short term hit and things are feeling pretty hopeful going forward. 

In the meantime, however, I saw some news from Champion that came across the wire today. The company has announced a price increase, which means that December might be a good time to stock up for 2021. Here's the story:

Champion Oil Announces MWD Price Increase Effective 2021  

(Clinton, MO 12.08.20) Champion Oil, a major player in development and manufacturing of semi-synthetic and full synthetic motor oils, announced that effective January 1st, 2021 there will be a price increase for Master Warehouse Distributors (MWD) and Private Label Customers.

 

“Champion attributes the increase to a number of factors, one being the recent round of base oil posting increases”, said Karl Dedolph of Champion Brands in Clinton, MO. “In addition, higher freight rates, corrugated packaging, and high demand for resin, caps and bottles due to the massive new/increased demand for cleaning/disinfecting products, which has caused the prices for those commodities to spike. And as is the case with nearly all businesses during the pandemic, the high cost to maintain safe operations and keep plant staffing levels sufficient to run as efficiently as possible.”

 

Why the price increase? https://jobbersworld.com/2020/10/20/why-the-price-increases/

 

It should be noted that Champion Oil, who manufactures primarily synthetic and semi-synthetic motor and engine oils, is not in a direct parallel or correlation with crude oil pricing volatility. The development in creating the base stocks and additives for these oils is a very arduous and expensive process and only in a very small part associated with crude oil.

 

There's little doubt today that synthetics are now superior over conventional mineral based products in almost all scenarios. They feature resistance to high temperature oxidation, good film strength, lower volatility, stable viscosity, improved cold-flow and extended drain interval opportunities.  These properties ultimately result in better operation and life expectancy of engines, gears and other equipment.  This is especially true under harsh or extreme operating conditions.

 

About the company: Champion Brands, LLC, is a globally recognized industry leader in specialty lubricants for over 645 years. Champion also produces and blends over 350 products including fuel, oil, engine additives, and lubricants for the racing, automotive, heavy truck, agricultural, industrial, and specialty markets. For more information call Champion at 660-890-6231. Champion Brands, LLC; 1001 Golden Drive, Clinton, MO, or go to http://www.championbrands.com

A Diesel Engine That Runs On Ethanol?

Photo by Katherine Volkovski on Unsplash

A Norfolk Daily News story last week announced that a Chicago company, ClearFlame Engine Technologies, has been developing an ethanol-based fuel that can power diesel engines. We're not talking E-85. We're talking about ethanol itself. If this is true, it's quite the breakthrough.

Before getting into the story, I would note that using ethanol as fuel for diesels has many challenges.  According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are many technical barriers to the use of ethanol in diesel fuel. 

The Milestone Report begins by citing the reasons ethanol was considered for fuel in the first place. The NREL cited these benefits of Ethanol-diesel blends:

 • Displacement of imported petroleum with a domestic and renewable resource.
• Significant lowering of diesel particulate matter emissions.
• Possible improvement in cold flow properties imparted by the ethanol.
• Possible improvement in fuel lubricity imparted by the emulsifier additives. 

 The challenges, however, are many. They include:

• Low flashpoint of this fuel. E-diesel cannot be safely handled like conventional diesel but must be handled like gasoline. This may necessitate some modifications to storage and handling equipment, as well as vehicle fuel systems. Some stakeholders believe that this fact limits the market for e-diesel to centrally refueled fleets, estimated to represent some 5 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually. If the market is limited to fleets, E-diesel represents a potential market for fuel-grade ethanol of several hundred million gallons.
• Obtaining OEM warranty acceptance. Currently engine manufacturers will not warrantee their engines for use with e-diesel because of concerns about safety and liability, as well as materials and component compatibility. A large body of test data acquired in close cooperation with the OEM’s will be necessary to address this issue.
• EPA fuel registration requirements. As a non-baseline diesel fuel, e-diesel will be required to undergo Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission and health effects testing, a time consuming and expensive process. In addition to these major concerns there are issues related to quantifying the stability, water tolerance, and other fuel properties of e-diesel.

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In light of these objections to increasing the percentage of ethanol in blended e-Diesel, it surprised me to read that a company has been working on a 100 percent ethanol fuel for diesels. The Norfolk Daily News article is  titled Tech Company Develops Diesel Engine That Runs On Ethanol.

BJ Johnson, co-founder and CEO of ClearFlame Engine Technologies, says their mission is to decrease tailpipe emissions and build a low-carbon future.

“What our solution allows is to maintain all of the performance, fuel economy, torque, and practicality of the diesel engine design, but without the need for any diesel fuel and replacing it with 100 percent renewable ethanol. Which not only lowers your fuel cost, but also drastically lowers your emissions.”

Johnson said that "if just 20 percent of U.S. diesel trucks converted to ClearFlame technology, carbon reduction would eclipse 40% and ethanol demand would double." 

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It is interesting to see the variety of approaches that are being explored to bring us a cleaner future. I always feel like it's too early to tell what route will take precedence over the others. It's like VHS and Beta all over agin, except that instead of a choice between two options, we still have a multitude of competing concepts in the works. Only time will tell.

Key Links

Milestone Report: Technical Barriers to the Use of Ethanol in Diesel Fuel

Tech Company Develops Diesel Engine That Runs On Ethanol

Abstract for a research paper on Diesel-Ethanol Blends

Champion Featured in Global Diesel Engine Oil Report

Champion Oil, producer of the Blue Flame Diesel Oil that we're always chattering about, is featured in new 2020 Global Heavy-Duty Diesel Market Report. 

The new Global Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Oil Market Research Report (GMR) includes current API CK-4 and FA-4 Categories. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the market. One of the key players profiled in the study is Champion Oil, a.k.a. Champion Brands, LLC.

The GMR provides lubricant organizations with a deep focus on market intelligence, data analytics, and social intelligence, by skilled industry professionals. By combining and analyzing relevant data, they provide a comprehensive understanding of the market and today’s business climate demands for various lubricants and applications.

The history, trends and forecast report covers the history and growth strategies for the lubricant future, industry convergence, technologies, company capabilities, and market trends. The GMR study covers premium conventional, full-synthetic, synthetic blend & higher mileage oil for heavy-duty/off-road trucks, light duty diesel trucks, high-tech diesel engines, and newer diesel cars, etc.

Some of the key lubricant manufacturers involved in the GMR are:  Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Chevron, Champion Brands, Total S.A., Royal Purple, Valvoline, Castrol & Kendall Motor Oils

Global regions, market sizes, and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and oil companies. The GMR includes specific segments by Type and by Application. Each type provides information about the production during the forecast period of 2015 to 2026. Application segment also provides consumption during the forecast period of 2015 to 2026. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth for full-synthetic & synthetic-blend plus applications for Off-Road Equipment, Light Duty & Heavy-Duty Truck.

The 2020 Global Diesel Engine Oil Market Research Report is available here for $2,900. 

According to the Canaan Mountain Herald the Diesel Engine Oil market report is an up-to-the-minute compilation of statistically verified facts related to world market share, government legislation, current trends, futuristic plan and more.  

Some of the questions addressed in the report include:

1.    What is the expected market size by the end of the forecast period?
2.    What are the major factors initiating the global Diesel Engine Oil market growth?
3.    What are the latest developments and trending market strategies that are influencing the growth of the Diesel Engine Oil market?
4.    What are the key outcomes of the Diesel Engine Oil market developments?
5.    Who are the key players in the market?
6.    What are the opportunities and challenges faced by the key players?

For a more comprehensive description of the report, read this article in the Herald.

 

December Special for Champion Distributors

Champion has recently announced a December special for their diesel engine oils. Distributors will get 10% off the company's 275 gallon tote pricing, plus Free Freight. 

A lot of people don't realize Champion offers 4 different lines of diesel engine oils: Premium Heavy-Duty, All Fleet-T, Blue Flame and Ultra Fleet.

For diesel enthusiasts, oil is the lifeblood of their equipment. Oil's responsibilities are many. They include reducing friction, cooling, cleaning and sealing, as well as protecting moving parts. Because it is treated as a commodity the important roles it plays are often overlooked. 

For many enthusiasts, the Blue Flame is still burning. They want a brand they can identify with, so Champion is looking to expand its distribution to meet demand.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS

10% Off MWD Pricing on 275 Gallon Totes and Free Freight.

One tote is the equivalent of Five 55-Gallon Drums.

For more details on this offer or to become  Champion Distributor yourself, 

Contact kdedolph@championbrands.com or call 660-890-6231

Champion Brands, LLC, originally Lowe Oil Co. founded by Ralph Lowe in 1956, is a globally recognized industry leader in specialty lubricants for over 60 years. Champion also produces and blends more than 300 products including fuel, brake fluid, oil and engine additives and lubricants for the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural and specialty markets.

Champion Brands understands the complexities of doing business in today’s market and is always looking for new and better ways to make your company more efficient and increase your bottom line. Quality products are more than a commitment at Champion; their standards define the way they do business.

Their headquarters, located in Clinton, Missouri, just 75 miles southeast of Kansas City, is ideal for timely, cost-effective service and distribution. Champion’s 450,000 square foot plant accommodates more than one million gallons of bulk storage with convenient rail siding.

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Have a great weekend, and enjoy the ride.