Junction City’s RV History
We love Junction City and we’re proud to say that whether your RV of choice is a motorhome, a camper, a travel trailer, a fifth wheel, or a toy hauler, our community holds a special place in the RV history of America. As you travel around the Northwest, you’ll find many history lessons and landmarks to circle on your map, but be sure and add Junction City to your RV travel itinerary to get a taste of the town that is hailed by many as the birthplace of the RV manufacturing industry.
Junction City is conveniently located between Eugene and Corvallis on historic Highway 99. It was named during the late 1800’s, when it served as the major railroad hub for western Oregon. Later, both Country Coach and Monaco Coach Corporation planted their roots in the small town along with their many dealerships and service departments. For many years, the RV industry was Lane County’s second largest industry, and at the peak of RV manufacturing, the area accounted for almost 8,000 jobs and was known as the RV manufacturing capital of the world. Both Monaco and Country Coach have since moved on, but their impact on the industry and the area still remain.
Guaranty RV Supercenters, located along Highway 99 in Junction City, is one of the few survivors of the most recent economic downturn, and has been there through the good times and bad.
The Nill’s Family and Guaranty RV’s Place in Junction City
Guaranty has been part of this community since Herb Nill purchased a small Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealership here in 1966. Despite being from a small town, our values and traditions have helped us rise to become one of the top RV dealerships in the country. Many of the employees here today have been with us from the beginning and have witnessed the many ups and downs of the industry, providing them with a first hand experience of the area’s rich history.
As committed members of this community, Guaranty supports our friends and neighbors year round through our work with United Way, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the local Lion’s Club, as well as food drives, fundraisers and other events. In 2010, Guaranty got the special opportunity to send a fleet of RVs to assist the crew of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which orchestrated an extensive renovation at the Oregon School for the Deaf in Salem. We are particularly proud of our longstanding relationship with the local Boy Scouts of America. Guaranty founder, Herb Nill, was himself an Eagle Scout, and an appreciation for the Scouts is a common thread that runs through our company. In 2007, we were honored and humbled when the Oregon Trail Council named the new scouting facility in Eugene the “Herb Nill Family and Guaranty Scout Center.”
Junction City has been our home for more than forty-five years and we’re proud that we can be of service in this special place. We hope you’ll read more about who we are and what we do.
Junction City, A Gateway to Leisurely RV Travel
As you motor along through Oregon this summer in your RV, be sure to swing by our town for some fun and a little RV history. We’re known locally for our Scandinavian Festival, an annual four-day event in mid-August that pays homage to the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland that made up so much of Junction City’s early culture. So August is a great time to see the best of what Junction City has to offer.
And don’t forget, this friendly community is the gateway for leisurely travel around the Willamette Valley, the Cascades and the Pacific Coast, including some of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley.
Other reasons to stop in Junction City include:
Function 4 Junction Classic Car Cruise
Fiddler’s Green Golf Course
Shadow Hills Country Club
Junction City Historical Society
Photo: rfduck
