Community Forums

motojavaphil · 11-28-2009, 01:13 AM

Just got this off the Beaver Ambassador Forum:

News: Local | "Judge orders liquidation of Country Coach" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

Does not sound good.
Moto

MonacoMama · 11-28-2009, 01:39 AM

Nooo...It is a bit dismal...It is even sadder for the folks in that region...There have been too many RV manufacturers affected there - so I know the job opportunities for the employees are bleak.

Good Luck everyone....

motojavaphil · 11-30-2009, 12:44 AM

I dunno. Even Manufacturer's with deep pockets are not necessaily out of the clear. I suspect the damage to the economy is way to extensive to feel comfortable. I suspect we will have another round of these folks. Banks are not lending as easily and people are afraid to put $100,000's into a sinking vessel like RV Sales.
Phil

B Bob · 11-30-2009, 08:24 PM

Kiss is now back after two retirements. I think Bret Farve has retired twice. George Forman.

One of the keys to know if CC will come back is to see what happens at the auction if there is one. If somebody buys the assets before an auction then likely that entity will become CC. If the tools, parts, and equipment go to a whole bunch of folks at the auction then likely there will be no resurrection. And even if that happens the name could be sold and new coaches made under that name by somebody. For example Sportscoach did that a couple years ago.

I don't know the cash situation of the major makers like Newmar, Winny, and so on. But one of them could add the name. Maybe buy the rights to make the chassis. Put their own box on it. So there are whole bunches of things that could happen. And the longer it drags out the better the economy gets and the more demand increases for RVs.

I would guess someone will start doing the parts if CC does not come back.

Bluebird went bust hard last year. No resurrection can be seen there at all. But IMHO the Country Coach line of motor homes was far more suited to the market than the Bluebird line. But then I am surprised that WRV did not come back. Their Alpine really started off well. Maybe five years ago I would have rated to top three upper middle coaches to be Alpine, CC, and Monaco.

We shall see what happens.

And even if they don't come back most of the coaches are great vechicles. Packard not coming back has not made their old cars any less valuable.

EngineerMike · 12-01-2009, 10:51 AM

Bob- Wells Fargo was Monomoy's lender @ WRV also. They hired an auction firm but scrambled to try & peddle the entire works for one price until the auction date was too close. Then they parted the place out at auction. IMO there are only a couple of logical buyers. One would be Lee tho I'm pretty sure they lobbied the heck out of him; another would be Warren Buffet's Forest River line, tho Warren religiously abstains from work out situations. The simple cost of moving the operation is likely to mean the end if nobody buys it in place & negotiates a rent deal w/Lee.

I'm hoping Lee was waiting for the last Howard shoe to drop, Wells to face the grim truth about the debt service cost (i.e. the debt is uncollectible), and that will mean a rock bottom price where today's market could sustain a given level of production. One problem Lee has is who in the heck is going to occupy his real estate? If the other overhead would zero out for the time being, that by itself might be impetus to restart a smaller operation and pay the not-insubstantial rent.

PASODAVE · 12-02-2009, 11:26 PM

No one could be surprised. CC has made a lot of enemies in the last few years. I have talked to many CC owners like me who have put a lot of money in their rigs that should have been dealt with by CC. Just the latest in my case is the likelyhood of a $20,000 repaint due to the materials used by CC and found to be defective years ago. The problem was known to CC years back, but new owners were not advised nor coaches repainted. Many other problems from defective dual pane windows to cheap awnings have surfaced.

Having had several coaches since my first in 1971, I am sorry to have been pulled into the CC "family".

big jimbo · 12-04-2009, 07:22 PM

Engineer Mike, as always, has the best informed and level headed outlook on these things. I have read him on a couple of other RV forums, and have met him in person at a couple of rallys.

I do not know anything about the Howards but have never heard anybody say anything good about them. I do get the impression that Bob Lee is a "good guy" and hope he comes out as the new owner of Country Coach.

Thanks for being there Mike and let's hope Country Coach is "reborn" and the RV industry also has a ressurecton in the near future.

Merry Christmas to all.

Jim

gla · 12-10-2009, 08:30 AM

the most imporant thing about the demise of cc is who will end up owning technical data for all of the cc coaches now on the road. this would include,parts info,wiring schematics,diagrams,b/p,suppliers,vendors,and service records. cc part nos. to vendor part nos would be #1. i hope the cci club would bid on this info, that way new members owning older coaches or people looking to own a used coach would feel that tech info could be had.

sharbra · 12-12-2009, 09:41 PM

If the bidding is low, CCI club might have a chance to obtain that information, but they are not exactly financially flush and are also facing problems in organizing the club and keeping the members interested. It is going to be one of those wait and see situations for all concerned. Although Country Coach was a fairly large operation, there are still a number of quality former techs out there who are very capable in the repair of the coaches. One example is Oregon Motorcoach Center, opened by Bob Lee and his family a year ago in June or July.

gla · 12-14-2009, 05:06 PM

well how much did parliament coach pay for the blue bird data?the owners of country coaches and future owners need this information now!!! moneys now in hand and future dues should only be used for this type of purchase, not for offices for hired help to keep track of dues paid. every one have a very hapy hoilday...