Newsletter Issue 67:
December 21, 2020

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Tiffin acquired by THOR Industries

Yesterday morning we woke up to the news that Tiffin Motorhomes and their fifth-wheel segment, VanLeigh, have been acquired by Thor Industries. Like many folks, we had heard rumors flying around about a possible acquisition for weeks, but we had also heard rumors that all of those rumors were false. Since the announcement, we've had friends reaching out to us sending articles about the sell of Tiffin and wondering how it would impact us as Tiffin owners.

Like everyone else, this is news to us. And like everyone else, we don't know with any certainty what to expect. Here's what we do know so far:

• We bought our 2017 Tiffin Breeze 31BR largely because of Bob Tiffin and the incredible reputation for solid customer service that he has built over the years.
• We always try to support small family businesses whenever possible.
• Our experience with Tiffin Motorhomes since we bought our pre-owned coach back in May 2018 has been exceptional. Their customer service has surpassed the high expectations we had for them.
• Our trip to Red Bay, Alabama (home of Tiffin Motorhomes) early this year further cemented our love of Tiffin.
• Prior to owning our Tiffin Breeze, we owned a 2014 Thor Palazzo 33.2.
• We had a fantastic experience getting warranty work completed by Thor at their facility in Elkhart, Indiana during our first year of owning the Palazzo. We were disappointed in their customer support after the warranty period expired.
• The Thor Palazzo is manufactured by Thor Motor Coach. We have read multiple articles today emphasizing that Thor Industries and Thor Motor Coach are different entities.
• Thor Industries is the parent company of multiple brands in the RV market including Thor Motor Coach, Airstream, Jayco, Entegra, DRV Luxury Suites, Redwood, ErwinHymer, and now Tiffin Motorhomes (amongst others).
• We have heard that Thor Industries likes to allow their acquisitions to continue to operate independently and compete against each other. It's been reported that they do not have a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Bob Tiffin has stated that he, and other Tiffin family members, will remain with the company and conduct business as usual.
• Bob Martin of Thor Industries has stated that they were only interested in adding Tiffin to their portfolio of companies if Bob Tiffin stayed on board.
• Bob Tiffin said that he has been searching for a larger company to partner with for quite a while.

So how do we feel about the acquisition? We are disappointed because we enjoy doing business with small family-owned companies. And, yes, we are a bit nervous regarding what the change will mean for us and all other owners of Tiffin motorhomes. This would be the case no matter who bought them because you just never know how things will shake out until time has passed. But we are also happy for Bob and Judy Tiffin. They have worked hard for almost 50 years to build a fantastic company that they (and the people of Red Bay, Alabama) can be proud of. As small business owners ourselves (Stacie since 2004 and Tom since 1991), we respect how much work it has taken to get them to where they are today. Mr Tiffin chose Red Bay as the home of Tiffin because it is their hometown. He has proven his dedication to his town and his customers since he launched the company in 1972. We trust his judgement and have decided to be cautiously optimistic. We have had absolutely outstanding experiences with the customer service we have received from Tiffin thus far. We hope that will continue.

We plan to return to Red Bay, Alabama in the spring for our annual maintenance trip and will update you on what we find and any differences that we experience. In the meantime, Here's What Bob Tiffin Has To Say About The Aquisition. Tiffin also has a Q&A post about the acquisition on their blog.

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In our most recent video, we introduce you to our friends and Posse Members Betty and Howard, part-time RVers who take extended trips and have a rig set up for dry camping! Watch Our Recent Wingin' It!