Just got my newest Tiffin magazine. Bob's article was very upbeat. Hope he is right. Would like to see this family succeed.

Well said. Tiffin Motorhomes is a strong company with a solid reputation and very good products. They weathered oil-related problems in the past and I believe that they will once again. The RV industry will no doubt change, but I cannot see the entire thing collapsing and companies like Tiffin will be just fine.

Bob

Unfortunately Mr. Tiffin's attitude will not change reality. That article was probably written a month ago. A lot has changed since then and a lot more is happening as we speak. How upbeat do you think he will be when oil is $200 a barrel later this year?? Tiffin will survive but there will be a lot of pain while the whole industry downsizes. Has he not read about Class a sales dropping 58% in May??

i'm not burying my head in the sand but it is good to hear about somebody keeping a good attitude about things. not to bore anybody but i've seen other rv type business's go by the wayside in the past such as the snomobile industry. does anybody realize that there has been over 105 snowmobile manufacturers, now there are 4. things do change but not die like some are thinking is going to happen! one month or two bad yrs is not going to kill the industry. i've been in the bar and rest. business for over 33 yrs as an owner, boy you want to see some ups and downs but we're still going strong! things are going to be a bit rough going for a while but things will turn around and the strong survive. i hope tiffin and everybody else can try to keep thier heads up and good luck to everybody involved in the industry we all love! jim

I'm sure he has already received the skinny from his accountants. I don't beleive the pain and availability at the pump is anywhere near that of the 80s. TMH survived that economic downturn and others to become a better and stonger competitor in the market. Hopefully, their solid financial position and conservativeness will pay off.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob&Sue:
I don't beleive the pain and availability at the pump is anywhere near that of the 80s. TMH survived that economic downturn and others to become a better and stonger competitor in the market.

I remember that very well. The even / odd authorized fill days were a pain. And being only able to buy 10 gallons at a time was a pain. And finding stations that had gas was a pain. With TMH surviving that, it shows a company with a great backbone. They know what they have to do to weather this one.

I think Bob Tiffin HAS to be upbeat with the public; but I bet he, his sons, and some of the department heads at the plant have had some pretty grim meetings behind closed doors in the past few months. TMH is not only family owned, but they treat employees like family. Cutbacks are never easy.

Nevertheless, I feel as many others have stated, that TMH will weather the storm. They are small enough to be flexible to adapt to the changing market. The big problem is trying to decide what the market will be 6, 12, or even 36 months from now.

quote:

The big problem is trying to decide what the market will be 6, 12, or even 36 months from now.

It's too hard to anticipate what tomorrow will bring.

I see some relief as a call-to-design issue:
Tomorrow's class A perhaps will be lighter in overall weight & more fuel efficient.

Given Tiffin's ability to adapt, Bob and company might offer a more leaner model. The tubular steel substructure & body sub-frame might give way to something similar to carbon fiber or composite materials. The need to reduce weight could find find it's way into the way floor sheathing & cabinetry chassis are fabricated.Many areas could use a little weight conscious alternative.
The technology already exists and just needs a simple "reapplication to new use" mindset.

We all have seen idea mock-ups of what "might" one day be; but, perhaps today's prices will move the timetable up to "tomorrow".

dveasy:

I hate to bring this up in a Tiffin forum but there was an article in RV business with some comments from Monaco. They are doing exactly what you stated: a new lighter chassis for DP's is coming, new MH on Sprinter chassis is already here and there was mention of composites as well. Tiffin's problem is that they only make Class A's. Need to diversify and quickly.