Coachmen: Coachmen 'Orphans'

[ChiefJohn]

Interested in feedback from those owners of Coachmen RV products that were produced prior to sale of Coachmen RV to Forest River (26 Dec 08) and are considered 'Orphans'. I understand that the 10 million Coachmen had set aside for warranty claims has been spent. Folks, like myself, who have purchased a "New" Coachmen RV and are dealing with warranty issues -- not that I've had any (yet) .

Quote:

Dear Coachmen Owner Forest River Inc acquired select assets of Coachmen RV from Coachmen Industries (Old CRV) on December 26, 2008. These assets included the physical property and assets of Coachmen RV, as well as the brand name, trade marks, domains and intellectual properties. These assets are being used as part of Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc (New CRV). This web site is owned, operated and controlled by Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc (New CRV). Forest River Inc did not acquire any liabilities or assume any contractual obligations of Coachmen RV from when it was under Coachmen Industries, inclusive of product liability or warranty obligations for products built and sold by Coachmen Industries. Warranty for Coachmen RV products built and sold by Coachmen Industries (Old CRV) is intact as published by Coachmen Industries and should be honored by Coachmen Industries. However, in order to assure as smooth of a transition as possible for Coachmen RV owners, Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc. is processing warranty claims for products built and sold by Coachmen Industries. As part of this transaction, a good faith estimate was established for foreseeable future warranty claims. These dollars were put in reserve to handle such claims. And Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc. is attempting to handle parts order fulfillment for Coachmen owners regardless of whom the product was built and sold by. More details on this are outlined below. Warranty & Parts – Coachmen RV Products by Coachmen Industries (Old CRV)  WARRANTY for Coachmen RV products built and sold by Coachmen Industries is intact as published by Coachmen Industries and should be honored by Coachmen Industries; however, in order to provide minimal disruption for our owners and dealers warranty administration and processing is being processed through Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc (New CRV).  Any exceptions to the published warranties offered by Coachmen Industries must be approved by Coachmen Industries prior to authorizations of such repairs by Coachmen RV (New CRV).  Since Coachmen Industries has phased out of their Service Parts Warehouses, parts ordering and fulfillment through them (Old CRV) has presented a number of challenges for our dealers and owners. Accordingly, we have asked our dealers to order their parts for units built and sold by Coachmen Industries through Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River (New CRV). Even though we do not have any contractual responsibility to handle part orders and fulfillment for Old CRV products, we believe it necessary to provide this service to owners of Coachmen RV products. However, we do not have access to Coachmen Industries data base for Old CRV product and have only limited resources to pull data or to purchase inactive proprietary parts. Despite this, we are doing our absolute best to meet the needs of Coachmen RV owners. Parts ordering and fulfillment for Coachmen RV products manufactured and sold by Coachmen Industries that are current active parts are easily accommodated. Warranty & Parts – Coachmen RV Products by Forest River Inc (New CRV)  Warranty for Coachmen RV products built and/or sold by Forest River Inc. is intact as published by Forest River and will be administered, processed and honored by Coachmen RV a division of Forest River Inc.  Parts ordering and fulfillment for all Coachmen RV products manufactured and sold by Forest River Inc … are processed through Coachmen RV (New CRV) Parts Advisor. Allow us to address some misperceptions (italicized) regarding service and parts support of Coachmen RV products and the status of Coachmen Industries and Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc. “Coachmen sold to Forest River.” – Yes only the assets of the RV group, as outlined above. Coachmen Industries continues as an active company, retaining liabilities from their RV operation. They simply are no longer in the RV business. As stated earlier, Warranty for Coachmen RV products built and sold by Coachmen Industries is intact as published by Coachmen Industries and should be honored by Coachmen Industries. “Parts or service will not be available for Coachmen models that were not manufactured by Forest River.” – No, this is not correct. While it is true that we will not be inventorying parts for old CRV products that Forest River did not manufacture, we will and are doing our absolute best to satisfy customer needs for parts of old CRV products and we are processing orders daily for such parts through authorized Coachmen RV dealers. We believe that we can attain most parts; however there may be some parts that are simply no longer available. In such cases, we believe that we can identify suitable, alternative parts. “If you want to replace any parts for a Coachmen with a manufacture year prior to 2009 you will have to first try to find the part # and then go to the particular parts supplier.” – No, this is not correct. We have dedicated Parts and Service personnel assisting dealers and owners with units purchased prior to 2009 and we are processing parts orders for these units on a daily basis through authorized dealers. “Are Coachmen customers important to Forest River?” - Absolutely! A large part of the value in purchasing the assets of Coachmen RV lies in the brand name … the value of the brand name is the customer base! Despite having no obligation or liability, Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River is processing warranty claims for old CRV products and processing parts orders (in some cases requiring us to buy bulk quantities to satisfy the need for a single item) for units which are outside our realm of legal responsibility. In addition to these services that we are providing for Coachmen owners, we continue to support one of the largest manufactured sponsored RV Owners clubs in the Industry … Coachmen Owners Association. As a matter of fact, our recently held national rally in Nashville, TN brought nearly twice as many owners together to participate in this annual event and Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River extended a very sincere thank you with a free southern style cook out, service technicians on hand to provide assistance and diagnostic services free of charge and a commitment to grow our owners association in the years ahead. We very much care about Coachmen owners … past, present and future! Coachmen RV a Division of Forest River Inc has a team of dedicated and capable Service and Parts personnel. Class A’s: Service Representative: Jason Brewer / 574-825-8212 / jbrewer@forestriverinc.com Parts Representative: Dwayne Johnson / 574-825-8317 / dwaynejohnson@forestriverinc.com Class C’s: Service Representative: Ron Ross / 574-825-8602 / rross@forestriverinc.com Parts Representative: Deb Detwiler / 574-825-8214 / ddetwiler@forestriverinc.com Fifth Wheels: Service Representative: Mike Vanderpool / 574-825-8360 / mvanderpool@forestriverinc.com Parts Representative: Gary Mast / 574-825-8204 / mast@forestriverinc.com Travel Trailers:  Service Representative Steve Brandenberger/ 574-825-8205 / sbrandenberger@forestriverinc.com Parts Representative: Simon Micola / 574-825-88413 / smicola@forestriverinc.com Camping Trailers: Service Representative: Connie Burkett / 269-467-6321 / cburkett@forestriverinc.com Parts Representative: Paula Stewart / 269-467-6321 / pstewart@forestriverinc.com The integration of Coachmen RV into Forest River Inc (a Berkshire Hathaway Company) has gone remarkably well and the value proposition for Coachmen owners is significant, especially when one considers the state of so many RV owners with products in which their RV manufacturer is no longer in existence leaving them no warranty and no resource or venue for parts. The Coachmen RV brand is alive and well! Our products and new offerings represent some of the hottest products on the market. Our owners club - Coachmen Owners Association and its affiliated Caravan Club is active and growing. And we remain committed to servicing our owners! Yes … the transition to Forest River has been a good one and truly has benefited Coachmen Dealers, Coachmen Owners, the Coachmen Brand and Forest River. Thank you for your business of past, present and future! Coachmen RV A Division of Forest River Inc

[Nuge]

-I'd just be happy to find someone else who has a 1982 SportsCoach CrossCountry that would be willing the share some info on my RV. Forest River had nothing for me.

[EngineerMike]

Nuge- the old SportsCoach was dead for quite a while before Coachmen took up the brand. When they did I'm pretty sure it was a clean sheet design so the newer units had scant resemblance to yours.

The key to the extent that Forest River's statement (Coachmen is still in business & therefore liable for warranty) lies in whether Coachmen went thru bankruptcy to escape such liabilities w/the business unit for RV's. If they didn't, then the parent company is still in business making buses, etc., and should honor warranty claims on their previous products.

[ChiefJohn]

There are 'SportsCoach' MHs that were built by Forest River -- I've personally looked at these coaches and confirmed with the Forest River Mid-West Sales Representative.

[George Z]

We have a 2006 Coachmen Epic class A which was only produced by Coachmen for 1 1/2 years. Lucky we had the rear slide removed, opening squared and reinstalled just before the buy out. We rarely come across another Epic owner as I don't think they produced too many.

[Nuge]

I have now owned this unit for over 2 years and between this site and the Yahoo Vintage SportsCoach Owners group I've found only ONE other one like mine and the guy who owns it is only interested in selling it. I'm starting to think my Beast is virtually extinct!!!

[Nuge]

This is what I DID find out there and NONE of the CrossCountry RVs look like mine; not even the ones listed as an 1982 model!!!
vintagesportscoach : Vintage Sportscoach Owners
http://www.samstoybox.com/vso/library.htm

[Joby1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuge This is what I DID find out there and NONE of the CrossCountry RVs look like mine; not even the ones listed as an 1982 model!!! vintagesportscoach : Vintage Sportscoach Owners Vintage Sportscoach Owners Library

Nuge --

Just saw you post today...i just bought a 1981 Sportscoach...I can't tell if it's a Cross Country or a Pathfinder because it doesn't say anything on it anywhere except on the dash there is a little plaque that says "SCII"
anyways, i too am looking for any information on it that I can because it's definitely a beast and needs some TLC.
I have not seen any exactly like mine so am curious to talk to other owners and see what their setup is like and if they have any issues/tips and what not about the early 80's sportscoach's.
my current issues are: the high pressure hose for the power steering is bad...it's leaking fluid everywhere and this is affecting the brake system because the brake booster uses the pressure from the power steering system to assist the brakes...so i have to get the hose off there and find a replacement which i don't think is going to be easy to find.
also, the Onan genny i have on it doesn't want to turn over...i rotated the engine fan and can feel compression build up when it rotates so i am fairly certain the motor on it works, it just doesn't seem to be getting any power...i think the solenoid on it might be bad...but not sure...other than that, the Sportscoach is in fairly good condition with about 96,000 miles on it...it had the timing chain changed at 92,000 and has a lot of receipts for a lot of work that's been done on it...i may need a couple of tires in front, but the backs look good...i got to redo the flooring/carpet and add some paint, but she fires right up and drives/shifts like a dream.
hit me back when you can and we can chat a bit if you like!
peace!
Joby1

[Nuge]

Well, as they say, Pics, man, PICS!!! LOL!!! This is our "Beast" at her home on THE Tippecanoe River

[Joby1]

nice beast, Nuge!
you know what's funny, when i pulled my rig home, the first thing out of the wife's mouth was "Dude! We should call that thing the Beast!"
lol
anyways, yes!!! i will have to get some pics and post them. would love to see more of yours. ours is a almond with a dark brown aroung the middle. i like blue better...
oh and i got the power steering hose off. looks like i'm going to have to get one custom made though...

[Nuge]

The frame and engine are just a TRUCK! Go to a truck repair place; they should have what you need. The last pic shows the seat belts put to good use on the road!! LOL!! We really don't have many good inside shots. The 2nd previous owners repainted it with the original colors, but every one I've seen since have a color scheme similar to yours. We're thinking of painting it in a military camo pattern to lessen her effect on the local environment!!! LOL!!

[Joby1]

well, I have to say, your beast definitely looks different than my beast. i like the looks of yours much better!
i checked around for the hose, and no one could find one for me. it's got some hardline built into it on both ends that's all bent this way and that, and no truck/parts shop could say for sure they could order one that would match. so i took it down to a place that makes custom brake lines and had them do a hose for me, but it's all hose, no hardline. better fittings too. the only thing is i think it may be tricky to snake it in where it needs to go..but i'm gonna try tonight and see what happens!
pics soon come...promise!!!

[Nuge]

Be careful of the hose routing near hot spots like the exhaust manifolds and pipes - They usually put in the metal tubing for a reason!!! If you can determine what your chassis is, you SHOULD be able to get original parts. My chassis is known as a P-30....BUT mine IS an exception...

[Nuge]

This is the best info I've been able to find on SportsCoach so far.....I copied it from the web site for my own knowledge in case that site went down.

These pages are copies from 2005, use at your own risk.
Thanks to Bob Spear for creating them.

Welcome to the Vintage Sportscoach Owners Homepage.

These pages are dedicated to owners of early Sportscoach motor homes and are intended to help you locate parts, provide technical information, club listings and other helpful information. All owners are encouraged to share data and experiences. These pages are best viewed with IE 5.0 or greater. Be sure to check out the VSO library where you will find wiring diagrams, manuals and other publications. New for 2005, all VSO library publications are now available on CD. Click on the buttons next to the ad to navigate this site.
Sportscoach motor homes were manufactured in Chatsworth, Ca. during the '70's and '80's. Early Sportscoaches were SC1 series until the SC2's were introduced. The SC2 series, often referred to as the "Long Rangers", featured 100 gals fuel, waste and potable water capacities and 104 lb propane capacity. All SC2 series are designated as 2500, 2900, 3100 and 3300 models in side or rear bath configurations. Sportscoaches were available on Chevrolet P-30 chassis or Dodge M400/M500 chassis. Engine configurations included 350/454 for Chevrolet and 360/440 for Dodge. The construction of a Sportscoach Motorhome was considered 20 years ahead of it's time. They featured full steel, welded frames, two integral roll bars to protect occupants and a bonded sidewall construction. Sportscoach used high capacity heating and air conditioning systems that provided comfort in a wide range of climate conditions. Sportscoaches are distinguished by their unique aerodynamically designed front end. Sportscoach claimed a 20% increase in power and mileage over other conventional designs. Any Sportscoach owner will tell you they handle very well in windy situations with this design. Another Sportscoach feature was the 1 1/2" x 4" steel girder wrapped around the entire coach at impact level. This girder protects all system components including the gas tanks, propane tank, and the holding tanks, truly the "Sherman Tank" of the open road. In 1973, Sportscoach announced to their shareholders that a Ford based Sportscoach would be offered. If you have one, please let me know. So far, I know of 5 including one that is still owned by the original owner and traveling to gem shows out west.
Another Sportscoach spin-off was the Transcoach. It was made by SCA and featured a more conventional square look which was popular at that time. The Chevallero Sportscoach was built on a Chevy chassis and had a 350 CID engine. This was a very early Sportscoach built by B+M Automotive. B+M Automotive made those famous transmissions and later, the company was the backbone for Sportscoach Corporation of America. By 1981, Sportscoach motor homes were being manufactured by Coachman Industries. The new models included a tag axle 36 footer that retained almost the same look as earlier, shark-nosed Sportscoaches. These were referred to as Sportscoach IV models. Other models called the Pathfinder and the Cross Country was also being produced at this time. In late 1997, Coachman Industries announced a revival to the Sportscoach legend. The new Sportscoach is a diesel pusher configuration on a raised rail Freightliner chassis.
These pages were originally maintained by Bob Spear, bobspear@tds.net, and are currently hosted
and minimally maintained by Sam Cancilla, sam@samstoybox.com on his vintage camper webs