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12-21-2020, 10:59 AM
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#1
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Moderator Emeritus
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Conway, SC
Posts: 23,641
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THOR Buys Tiffin Motorhomes for 300 Million
The RV world was rocked just 18 months ago when Winnebago Industries purchased luxury RV manufacturer, Newmar. What seemed unlikely, became a reality. Now, what seemed unfathomable has happened as well. THOR Industries, one of the “Big Three” in the RV industry along with the aforementioned Winnebago and Forest River, has purchased Tiffin Motorhomes for $300 million.
For diehard Tiffin Motorhome fans, it’s a bit like finding out your favorite sports team has just moved to another city. Tiffin, long known for quality coaches with a consistently high customer ranking and a great factory service center experience, will now fall under the vast THOR umbrella. Devoted Tiffin owners are now left to wonder what happens next.
Will Tiffin Motorhomes Stay in Red Bay, Alabama?
One would assume that Tiffin would remain outside of the Elkhart bubble, at least geographically speaking. How will this acquisition affect pricing, quality control, availability, and delivery times? Will those mecca-like pilgrimages to Red Bay, Alabama for factory service continue? Will Bob Martin take over kitchen cabinet door signing duties from Bob Tiffin?
Much like those Newmar customers, Tiffin owners have enjoyed a bit of an elite status. Until their recent roll out of the Wayfarer series of Class C RVs, Tiffin Motorhomes has primarily been known as an upper-end Class A RV manufacturer. Tiffin proselytes are as devoted to “roughing it smoothly” as they are the brand itself. That confident swagger that comes with driving and owning 40+ feet of quality diesel motorhome carries over into conversation, whether sitting around the campfire or in popular RVing forums.
What Happens Next?
Will that confident swagger lose a little of its swag, now that Tiffin Motorhomes is just another THOR brand? Will the vast infusion of cash from THOR Industries help take Tiffin to the next level, or just water down the overall brand? Will Tiffin Motorhomes be pressured into building more motorhomes faster, causing quality to suffer? Or will THOR take the Berkshire-Hathaway approach (Forest River’s parent company) and let a successful business continue to be successful, while fine-tuning sensible cost saving measures? Will Tiffin Motorhomes shine even brighter under THOR?
Time will tell. The jury is still out on how Winnebago’s acquisition of Newmar has affected that brand, so expect the same with this one. The big three just got bigger, and Tiffin Motorhome owners are wondering, what happens next? Tiffin fans can learn further details about the acquisition of Tiffin by THOR Industries on RVBusiness.com.
Want to hear what other RVers are saying, head over to the Tiffin Owners forum on iRV2.com.
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03 Adventurer 38G, Workhorse W22
F&R Track Bars, Safety+ , Ultrapower, Taylor Extremes, SGII
TST 507, Blue Ox, SMI, Koni FSD, CrossFire
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12-21-2020, 11:20 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: East Bethel, Minnesota
Posts: 99
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Thor
Kind of a kick in the teeth but where the market is going!
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12-21-2020, 05:01 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,226
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Who knows how this will play out. When Thor bought Entegra everyone predicted the end but long time Entegra customers are saying the quality has actually improved some. Tiffin could certainly use a quality improvement based on what I've seen over the last few years. I was going to trade in my 2013 but the new 2019 and 2020 coaches I looked at were poor examples of Tiffin quality. I guess now I will just keep my old 2013 til I'm done with the RV life.
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2013 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
2016 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD V6
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12-21-2020, 05:27 PM
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#4
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Community Administrator
Tiffin Owners Club Pond Piggies Club LA Gulf Coast Campers Outdoors RV Owners Club Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 35,567
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I'm still hoping the 2021 Rally will be held, that Bob will be there & that I'll get my cabinet door signed with a genuine Bob Tiffin signature!
Lori-
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Lori (& Dave, my spirit guide) - FMCA #F419886 | RV/MH Hall of Fame Lifetime Member
2018 Phaeton XSH 40 IH & 2014 CRV EX-L AWD, My iRV2 Photo Albums
2006 Bounder 36Z, 2004 Cougar 285EFS 5-r, 2000 Aerolite 25FBR TT
There is great need for a sarcasm font. 
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12-26-2020, 06:04 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Grand Rapids , Michigan
Posts: 164
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Even more money for chief investor , g. soros !
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01-13-2021, 08:14 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Haslet, Texas
Posts: 801
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From what I have read so far wouldn't it be more accurate to say " Tiffin sells to Thor for $300 million".
My understanding is Tiffin went to Thor.
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2013 Newmar Dutch Star 4318
2019 F150 KR
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01-13-2021, 01:49 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Full time in the coach
Posts: 421
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TourNut
Even more money for chief investor , g. soros !
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Not sure about that. He is not listed in the top 10 owners of Thor Industries and his mutual fund Soros Fund Management is not listed in the top ten mutual funds investing in Thor Industries.
At the bottom of the top ten owners and holding companies own just over 1% each.
He or his fund may be investors but certainly don’t hold enough stock to affect any operations.
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2018 Phaeton 40IH
Bill & Jeanine
Roughing it Smoothly!
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01-04-2022, 10:37 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 2
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IF YOU dont like Soros trade for a Winnebago a great brand
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01-04-2022, 09:45 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 430
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If Tiffin was a going concern, they would never have sold out to Thor. Face it, Tiffin was in trouble and the family decided to cut and run while the business was still worth something. Sure, one of the family is the 'president' or 'ceo' or some such title, but Thor is running the show and any remaining quality will suffer.
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Lt Keefer
2018 Hurricane 29M
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