Navistar RV is gone.......Hello new owners

MRUSA wrote:
If they drop the Navistar engines, they could again be a contender. But any company that is on its third owner in four years has a lot to prove.

There are no more Navistar engines. their design is what broke them. Warranty cost on their OTR truck engines is humongous.

As I recall, Navistar got into big problems with the latest polution control rquirements. They tried to design an alternative approach to the urea system and failed to meet standards. That coming after the Ford diesel problems put Navistar on the brink. Don't know where they stand now. The old International diesel they built for Ford was a great engine that would run forever. But it was old technology that would not meet new emissions requirements. I had one in my 2002 F350 and wish I had kept it. Navistar has been struggling ever since.

tinkerer wrote:
As a Fleetwood owner I am happy to report that the people who bought out Fleetwood was the best thing that ever happened. Their parts and service is much better now and I really like Fleetwoods web site where I can buy parts for my Fleetwood. I wouldn't get to excited about stories from sales people because they usually are not a good source of information;)

X2

Have nothing but good things to say about the new and improved Fleetwood. It's a different world today, and companies can't give away the store if they plan on staying in business for the long haul.

moisheh wrote:
Hipower stated:The Navistar engine line would seem to be well proven in their OTR truck products and if the HP/torque curves fit in an RV application it would seem to be a good alternative to Cummins, Cat and Detroit.
I don't know where you got that information. Those engines are far from proven and came very close to killing Navistar's engine mfg.! The truckers hated the engines and finally Navistar smartened up and is installing Cummins. Neither Cat nor Detroit are supplying engines to RV mfrs. Cat does not sell any OTR engines other than something for specialty uses. Detroits may be used in some bus conversions. If the new owners expect to sell any units they will have to dump that ridiculous excuse for a powerplant. I do hope they continue with the Roadmaster but the last link sounds like that too will be history. I bet most in this forum do not know that the Roadmaster chassis was designed by Chrysler just before they went bankrupt.

Moisheh

Based on personal experience operating a fleet of trucks where 90% were powered by the Navistar DT series engines which evolved into the Maxforce of today I can say that the Navistar engine is certainly a good alternative to the B series Cummins and a whole lot less expensive overall. If that doesn't meet with your experience then I am happy that we have choices. While many of us desire big, high horsepower engines we don't really need the same engines that operate in class 8 trucks to drive our 6-8 or 10,000 miles a year.

Allied DID NOT buy Navistar. They bought the Monaco and HR brands from Navistar. Navistar has been having financial difficulties recently and has closed some of its own manufacturing facilities.

This was copied from wiki about Monaco.

Monaco was incorporated in 1968 as the Caribou Manufacturing Company. They began building pickup campers. The most popular line was named "Monaco." [2] In 1977 the name was changed to Monaco Coach Corporation. It acquired the Roadmaster Chassis Division of Chrysler Corporation in 1984 and the Holiday Rambler Division of Harley-Davidson in 1996. In 1987 Kay Toolson was appointed President.[3] Monaco manufactured seven brands of motorhomes and RVs, including Monaco, Beaver, Safari, McKenzie, Holiday Rambler, R-Vision, and Roadmaster Chassis. In 1994 Monaco President Kay Toolson announced they would move their Junction City operations to the Coburg Industrial Park in Eugene, Oregon.[4]

On March 4, 1996, the Monaco Coach Corporation acquired from Harley-Davidson, Inc. certain assets of Holiday Rambler (the "Holiday Acquisition") in exchange for $21.5 million in cash, 65,217 shares of Redeemable Preferred Stock (which was subsequently converted into 230,767 shares of Common Stock), and the assumption of most of the liabilities of Holiday Rambler. Concurrently, the Company acquired ten Holiday World Dealerships for $13.0 million, including a $12.0 million subordinated.[5]

In 2005, the company had sales of approximately US$1.2 billion, and employed nearly 5,400 people.[1]

On March 5, 2009 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankrutpcy.[6] On April 24, 2009 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, an attorney for Monaco said the company had signed an asset purchase agreement with Workhorse International Holding Co., a Navistar International subsidiary. Monaco's CEO was Kay Toolson.[7] On June 23, 2009, Judge Kevin Carey agreed to the company’s request to convert its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to a Chapter 7 case so it could liquidate its remaining assets, seven pieces of real estate in Oregon, Indiana and Florida. The order converting the case to Chapter 7 was effective June 30. Monaco Coach Corporation sold its factories, inventory, brands and intellectual property to Navistar International Corp. earlier in June for $47 million. The RV resort properties in California, Nevada, Florida and Michigan were sold to various other buyers. Once the remaining assets are liquidated under Chapter 7, “the entity ceases to exist,” and effectively spells the end of Monaco Coach Corporation, said Andrea Coles-Bjerre, an assistant law professor at the University of Oregon and a former bankruptcy lawyer in New York.[8]

Monaco RV LLC was sold by Navistar International Corp. to Allied Specialty Vehicles in 2013

As a Fleetwood owner I am happy to report that the people who bought out Fleetwood was the best thing that ever happened. Their parts and service is much better now and I really like Fleetwoods web site where I can buy parts for my Fleetwood. I wouldn't get to excited about stories from sales people because they usually are not a good source of information;)

Hipower stated:The Navistar engine line would seem to be well proven in their OTR truck products and if the HP/torque curves fit in an RV application it would seem to be a good alternative to Cummins, Cat and Detroit.
I don't know where you got that information. Those engines are far from proven and came very close to killing Navistar's engine mfg.! The truckers hated the engines and finally Navistar smartened up and is installing Cummins. Neither Cat nor Detroit are supplying engines to RV mfrs. Cat does not sell any OTR engines other than something for specialty uses. Detroits may be used in some bus conversions. If the new owners expect to sell any units they will have to dump that ridiculous excuse for a powerplant. I do hope they continue with the Roadmaster but the last link sounds like that too will be history. I bet most in this forum do not know that the Roadmaster chassis was designed by Chrysler just before they went bankrupt.

Moisheh

As a prior owner of a Fleetwood Coach (90's) there quality and craftsmanship was very poor! I will say there service was excellent! My Fleetwood Coach spent to much time in the shop so I got rid of it, and vowed not to go that way again! This could be a great shot in the arm for Fleetwood if they build less of them and build them better then ever! Time will tell?

Add me to the list of one's who think the front deco on the Navistars is as gaudy as it comes.

After reading various forums the last 24 hours, one thing appears to be the accepted fact, the Monaco brand name will be retired within 2 years. It seems the HR will be the surviving brand, but the Dynasty model name will be retained as an HR model. Will be interesting to see just how this plays out, but I think there will be many changes in the lineup. Also, it has already been stated that they will move production of the line to Decatur, IN where the Fleetwood factories are.