Thor buys Tiffin

[osuallen]

THOR Announces Acquisition Of Luxury RV Manufacturer Tiffin Motorhomes

/PRNewswire/ -- THOR Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO) today announced the acquisition of Tiffin Motor Homes, Inc. and related companies (collectively, the "Tiffin...

www.prnewswire.com

 

[sheridany]

I am not surprised after Newmar sold to Winnebago. Changing times in the industry.

 

[jmltech]

Tiffin struggling with margins. QC hasn’t been the greatest, in spite of what Mr. Tiffin exclaimed. I do wonder how Thor will cheapen the brand further.

 

[Jim]

Well, the plot thickens. No offense to our Thor owners, but there was a reason that people bought Tiffin brand and not a Thor.

 

[Neemer]

Our industry is losing its soul and character.

 

[Jim]

Our industry is losing its soul and character.

On a positive note, it opens the door for greatness. Newmar (or anyone else for that matter) can set themselves apart by building a reputation on QC and after the sale service. Imagine buying a motor home that had very few problems right out the door. And the problems that did arise were handled immediately, without the customary runaround and 4 month wait for parts.

 

[MapNerd]

And then there were none. That was the last mass market luxury coach builder that wasn’t a subsidiary of a multi-billion dollar company that seeks to do nothing but improve the bottom line and increase shareholder value, most often at the expense of the consumer. The only affordable options left if you don’t want to line the pockets of wall street are luxury 5th wheel builders such as New Horizons, Spacecraft and Luxe.

Marathon is always an option and while I consider their coaches top-notch. I wouldn’t call them, affordable.

 

[sheridany]

Right on @MapNerd. You have to know the owner of Thor Industries. An heir to the Busch family and I doubt he’s ever been in an RV. Peter Orthwein is the owner and you can google him. They just milk the cow for what it’s worth. Someone has to pay for his massive polo operation.

 

[MapNerd]

can set themselves apart by building a reputation on QC and after the sale service.

My experience with Newmar over the last 8 months leads me to believe that won’t be happening. I really, really hope I am wrong.

I think they can’t afford to build that reputation in this environment - not when everyone else is just slapping em together and shipping em by the hundreds per day. You might argue they can’t afford not to and I think that was true until they sold to Winnie. What they can and cannot afford to do now is completely different from what it was when Mahlon started the company. Whole different ballgame once you’re being traded on the exchange.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

The last of the family-owned coach builders has been swallowed up by the corporate giants and venture capitalists. The almighty dollar has spoken once again. How sad!

TJ