My, how things have changed in the RV industry in such a short time!
See how deliveries of RVs from manufacturers to dealers have decreased.
Fleetwood, long considered one of the largest manufacturers of RV travel trailers, has fallen victim to hard times. On March 10, 2009 Fleetwood filed for bankruptcy.
Emerging a much leaner corporation, Fleetwood’s motorhome production will continue on. (Thank goodness!) Its production of travel trailers will not.
Fleetwood said that it was in talks with potential buyers for all or part of its business, and that it would continue to operate while in bankruptcy proceedings. Fleetwood said it was exiting the travel trailer business. As part of that process, it will close 3 factories and 2 service centers and eliminate 675 jobs, including 12 at its soon-to-be-shuttered Rialto plant. An additional 65 corporate jobs will be cut, most of them at the company’s headquarters, where employment will fall to about 200 people. The layoffs will reduce Fleetwood’s payroll to just more than 3,000 people nationwide — down 70% from 3 years ago. Source
The whole RV industry has taken a fairly substantial hit this year. Many other large RV dealers have folded as well.
For example, Beaudry RV in Tucson went through Chapter 11 reorganization recently — closing down much of the umbrella of businesses that operated under the Beaudry name.
It’s clear that the RV industry is changing throughout. More lightweight and smaller RVs are being produced than ever before. Even homemade RVs are becoming a popular choice when the budget is tight!
I’ve been involved in RVing for over 50 years — including camping, building, repairing, and even selling RVs and motorhomes. I’ve owned, used, and repaired almost every class and style of RV ever made. I do all of my own repair work. My other interests include cooking, living with an aging dog, and dealing with diabetic issues. If you can combine a grease monkey with a computer geek, throw in a touch of information nut and organization freak, combined with a little bit of storyteller… you’ve got a good idea of who I am. To date, I’ve shared my RV knowledge in over 300 articles here at The Fun Times Guide! Many of them have over 25K shares.
