Dan Gamel in Anderson closes; new business to operate at site

Dan Gamel Inc. has closed its RV dealership, but two former employees plan to reopen at the location under a different name.

Scott Backstrom, former general manager of Gamel's store in Anderson, will open B and B RV with partner Wayne Barnes, former chief financial officer for Dan Gamel.

"We're scheduled to open June 1, pending DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) licensing," Backstrom said Monday. "The parts and service department will open June 1; sales is waiting on licensing."

Gamel closed his last two locations - Anderson and Fresno - on Friday. The Fresno businessman opened the RV business about 30 years ago. Dan Gamel RV Inc. had operated in Anderson since 2003.

The Anderson store, on the west side of Interstate 5 and south of Riverside Drive, had 30 employees when it closed Friday. Backstrom said 15 employees will be hired back to work at B and B RV.

On Monday, drivers were taking the remaining RVs and trailers owned by Gamel back to Fresno. Backstrom said there are no plans for B and B RV to buy Gamel's leftover inventory.

Backstrom plans to rent the property back from Gamel, though he hasn't signed a lease. The land also is for sale.

Asked if there will be a condition in the lease that allows B and B to stay should the property sell, Backstrom said, "We're working on it."

Meanwhile, Barnes and Erin McIlhatton, a Fresno accountant, in January 2005 purchased Dan Gamel's RV conglomerate for an undisclosed price.

At the time, the dealer had eight locations.

But Gamel bought the business back in November 2007.

"They were having financial difficulty, so Dan came out of retirement to take the company back," Joyce Dillingham, marketing director for Dan Gamel, said Monday.

But seven months after repurchasing his RV empire, Gamel announced that he was liquidating all inventory and going out of business.

Gamel then changed his mind in October and said his Anderson, Fresno, Modesto and Rocklin stores would stay open.

In December, Gamel changed his mind again, declaring his Anderson lot would stay open while he closed his three other dealerships for the winter.

Gamel is about to launch RVmall.com, an online community where dealers and individuals can buy and sell motorhomes.

The Fresno Bee reported that B and B will be a service center affiliate for RVmall.com, which Backstrom would neither confirm nor deny.

Backstrom couldn't say why Dan Gamel closed, but he added the Anderson dealership has been profitable every year since it opened in 2003.

"We had a good 2008 and we're having a good 2009," Backstrom said.

Backstrom is confident B and B will continue the success RV sales have had at the location. Backstrom and Barnes have already lined up financing with several banks, including Wells Fargo, Backstrom said.

Former Dan Gamel customer service agreements will be handled on a case-by-case basis, Backstrom said.

"If it was a Dan Gamel-specific product (service agreement), it's a Dan Gamel issue," Backstrom said. Customers can call 1-800-789-4846 for more information.

Valid RV manufacturer warranties will be honored at B and B, Backstrom said.

Jack Barker, Gamel's former service manager, said the company has notified about 150 customers about the change.

Ron and Christine Parton bought a new RV from Dan Gamel in 2007. They also purchased Gamel's "MVP" service package for nearly $4,000, which allows them to bring their rig in once a year and have it detailed. The Partons are worried the new owners won't honor the agreement.

"We were disappointed they closed. We have gotten pretty good service there," Ron Parton said.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at dbenda@redding.com.