The local guys who bought a struggling Moreno Valley towable RV manufacturer from its Ohio owners envision a happy work force working frenetically to build a new model designed for fuel efficiency.

MVP RV plans to change as it leaves behind its previous existence as Thor California.

Former managers Brad Williams, Pablo Carmona and Roger Humeston bought the Moreno Valley towables unit from Jackson Center, Ohio-based Thor.

The target market is active individuals who use the RVs as "home" on camping and other trips.

Carmona, a Romoland resident, had worked at the plant from the time Thor expanded to Moreno Valley in 1996.

Williams, of Redlands, spent 3-½ years at Thor after more than 20 years with rival Fleetwood Enterprises.

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Photo By Silvia Flores / The Press-Enterprise

MVP RV Chief Operating Officer Pablo Carmona inside the manufacturing area.

Murrieta resident Humeston came aboard Thor last July after spending 20 years in the manufacturing industry, most recently at Georgia Pacific in Buena Park.

The trio had a difficult time selecting a name for the new company. But when Williams attended a Los Angeles Lakers game he heard a chant that made a light-bulb pop and gave them the name they were looking for.

MVP's product line includes travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers - which connect inside the pickup bed instead of to the bumper - and toy haulers.

One of the benefits of local ownership will be a happier work force, Carmona said. The plant is abuzz with excitement over its potential.

"When this transaction was being put together," I didn't think the employee reaction would be as dramatic as it has been," Humeston said.

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Employee support of the new ownership springs from the trio's efforts to give workers a personal stake in the company's success, he said. Profits will be reinvested in the operations and go into bonuses and pay hikes.

The owners declined to discuss particulars of the transaction, such as the selling price or structure of financing.

The transition to private ownership was part of the allure of MVP, said Paul Krutsch, director of sales and marketing, who started work at the company the day after the sale was announced July 10.

The company's variety of products give MVP great potential, Krutsch said.

The high price of motor fuels is roiling the recreational vehicle industry. MVP is responding with its new Coast travel trailer.

The 26-foot unit weighs about 4,500 pounds, or 1,000 to 2,000 pounds less than most competing products.

The lighter weight means a gallon of fuel in the towing vehicle will go a bit further. Eventually, MVP plans to offer 12 different floor plans on the Coast, including a 13-footer.

The Coast could help boost sales, which are slightly below their 2006 peak, Williams said.

The company worries about the housing and mortgage sectors because home equity loans to buy RVs are drying up, Williams said. MVP RV is working with several financial institutions to address that need.

Among MVP's competitors will be such Thor units as Airstream, Dutchman and Keystone. Competition has always existed among the various Thor subsidiaries, Williams said.

Earlier in the decade, the Moreno Valley plant employed 650 people at a plant so busy finishing had to be done under an awning outside.

Now, about 250 people work at MVP and the pace is less hurried.

"We'll work to get back to that level," Krutsch said. "But we'll do it in a sensible manner."