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Hilltop RVs Offers A Great Selection of RVs for Every Family

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Tuesday May 13, 2008

By Rebecca K. Fay

    Hilltop RVs in New Haven sells a variety of Recreational Vehicles.  It is owned and operated by Jim Borne, Scott Lafave and Bret Knapp.  They are experienced in automotive sales and service, and were introduced to the RV business through happenstance.  Scott Lafave, owner of Vergennes Auto, was receiving many used RVs for trade-ins.  Lafave put the RVs on his lot and they had a quick resale. Lafave began thinking about opening a store, but needed to find the right property and business partners.

    Luckily the property came to him.  One of his customers was selling a car and ended up selling Lafave and his partners a restaurant located on Route 7 in New Haven.  Lafave proudly states, “Now we're in the RV business.”  The first step was to do a major remodel of the restaurant into a RV sales and repair facility.  

    During the remodel, Scott Lafave and Bret Knapp started looking for which RVs they would sell. Lafave explains we were looking for “a quality affordable product that we wouldn't have to worry about when it went off the lot.”  Hilltop also wanted to “have a versatile line.” After visiting the manufacturing plants in Indiana, Hilltop RVs decided to sell Coachman and Crossroad RVs.    

    Since opening in 2005, Hilltop has achieved its annual objective set by the manufacturers.  Lafave credits their success to having a great product, giving a fair price to people who are trading in RVs, and providing repair service at a $30-$40 less per hour than other RV dealers.  

    At Hilltop you can find an RV to fit any size family or budget.  From a large full size RV like the Wyoming to a smaller Sidekick or Ultra Light Travel Trailer.  Lafave explains, “[we are] one of the only dealers in this area with true high-end Wyoming Fifth Wheel by Coachman.”  The Fifth Wheel design allows the RV to be mounted over the rear axel of a pick-up truck.  This makes it much easier to tow a large RV and improves the turning radius.  

    The Sidekick RV is 12 to 18 feet long and made of fiberglass so it is relatively lightweight.   The Sidekick and the Ultra Light RVs can be pulled by a SUV, so a family doesn't have to use two vehicles when bringing along the RV.  Lafave explains, “now [you can have] the SUV, family and trailer all in one [with] plenty of room because they are fairly large.”

    Although the struggling economy indicates that RV sales would diminish, Hilltop's RV sales haven't been affected.  Lafave explains this is the “best beginning of a season we've had. People aren't going to stop camping…rather than travel 500 miles…they are going stay closer to home.”  As a result, Lafave explains that local and state campgrounds are booking quickly for the summer and fall camping seasons.  

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