2008 Airstream sales?

[DFord79]

With May sales down 21.5% for all towable and Motorhome sales down 48.1% does anyone have any information what Airsteam sales numbers are for this year? This should not be a mystery since all units sold have to be licensed?

[Westfalia]

I bought one in April, so at least one.

[eubank]

Bet they're glad now that they dropped the motorhome when they did.

Lynn

[redstart]

you might dig around the Thor Industries website - since they are publicly traded (aren't they?), they must have sales info somewhere...
Thor Industries, Inc. :: Recreation Vehicles, Commercial Buses and Corporate Information

[DFord79]

redstart, I looked through some of the sales info (theres a lot of it) but I could not find a breakdown by brand. They generalize by kinds when they talk about sales numbers. ie. towables, buses, motorized etc. NO specific numbers for any specific brand......I could have missed it..but....???

wow...the motor coach industry is really taking it in the shorts with the gas prices. I live near Western RV whitch closed its doors this year just two years after building a brand new facility. There are a lot of 5th wheels, and a few campers setting out in the wind collecting dust....maybe 50 or so. Its a shame...what the price of fuel is doing to the country. The Wall Street rumors have said the RV industry is being hit extremely hard and the pridict few will survive???? Thor is biggest with the most brands and they say they are still making money even with sales down. They control 75% of the RV industry.

And ...General Motors is running out of cash...ie. Wall Street.

[eubank]

Of course, I hope Airstream comes through just fine. But, personally, I think the white-sided industry was due for a slim down, anyway. So many manufacturers putting out so much junk.

Lynn

[Whizzo]

Well, I sure as heck am no economist, but I bet there's some notable regional differences. Our dealer noted they're still getting good walk-by traffic, and he's selling few Airstreams, but still quite a few SOB Fivers.

As far as less use, in south Texas, you still notice a lot of folks on the road, and full campgrounds (well, always on holidays like today).

I guess we did our small part for the 2008 sales year. The lemons-to- lemonade view suggested it was a good time to buy an A/S, since they were willing to give us a great deal and a higher than normal trade-in value on the SOB.

I constantly drool over the beautiful classic units and utterly amazing restorations in this group. But being a impatient bum, it was much easier to buy new for the first A/S!

[Mexray]

There's one, long time, large RV dealer in Sacramento that's just called it quits...they have always done lots of visible advertising as well...sign of the times?

Other dealers in our area are really hurting as well, traffic down, with huge markdowns on units...if you are in the 'market', now is the time!

Dealers are scheduling fewer hours for their service people in order to try and keep their 'talent' without having to make layoffs...it's really a gloomy picture for this industry...with really no end in sight...

If gas prices remain high (higher!), the RV industry will only be able to cater to the 'Richy-Rich' types on a limited basis...unfortunately, I think there's lots more 'fall-out' of Mfg's, dealers, etc. to come...this could be one BIG 'correction' of this industry!

Will the auto/truck makers figure out a way to tow an AS with a battery powered vehicle? I think not!

Regarding the high fuel prices...I don't think, in reality, we'll see much help from our lofty Govt legislators...The individual States are reaping HUGE revenues from increased Sales and other taxes on fuel as the price esculates...here in Calif we pay per gallon taxes to the Feds, States, and Local Govt's, ++++ an 8% sales tax that goes out of sight as the price increases! The State is enjoying the 'free range cash' windfall...it's almost criminal, IMHO!

[RedSHED]

Visited Jackson Center last month. We last visited in 2006 right after they announced they were quitting the BIG GIANT MOTORHOME business (except for sky decks. My 6YO wants one because "they have a swimming pool on the roof.")

This year the factory was still plugging along, but not so many 27' and up.

Lots of 19-22' towables.
Lots of Sprinter chassis.

So what's the future look like?
It isn't a 1 ton dually pulling a toybox or a fifth wheel the size of Kansas.

It's more likely this pulling this.

And maybe that's not so bad.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by RedSHED

Visited Jackson Center last month. We last visited in 2006 right after they announced they were quitting the BIG GIANT MOTORHOME business (except for sky decks. My 6YO wants one because "they have a swimming pool on the roof.")

This year the factory was still plugging along, but not so many 27' and up.

Lots of 19-22' towables.
Lots of Sprinter chassis.

So what's the future look like?
It isn't a 1 ton dually pulling a toybox or a fifth wheel the size of Kansas.

It's more likely this pulling this.

And maybe that's not so bad.

Yup, and for the fulltimers it'll be a lighter-weight turbodiesel pulling an aerodynamic, lighter trailer than what is currently available new. A rig that'll break 20 mpg is the ticket.

[Garfield]

I ran into a couple that works at Jackson Centre last weekend who indicated several dozen workers are on layoff. During our conversation I mentioned that I thought their engineers should be focusing on reducing the weight of the new trailers which has been creeping up too high IMO, which they agreed with. We shall see. One thing's for certain -- Airstream will not be immune to the economic challenges headed our way.

[leopattie]

We bought our first Airstream "Lola" in May - used our stimulus check as part of the down payment - but as much as we'd have loved to buy a Safari or Bambi the $$$ was just too high for us as we'd have to buy a new tow vehicle as well. So we went with the lower weight, lower cost Safari Sport which we pull with our Toyota Tacoma and still get about 15-16 mpg. I think "someday" we'll get a model with a real/non-convertible bed but otherwise we absolutely love our Lola.

[cosmotini]

During the factory tour this past Monday, I think I heard Mr. Ambos say that they are down about 75 employees. 425 down to 350.

The good news is that they are building about 28 trailers a week.

It also looks like they expect to sell a lot of the new Interstate motor homes because they had a huge supply in the factory parking lot to be converted.

[halimer]

When I am go old or infirm to hitch up to my F 350 the Interstate would be a great AS to go to.

Mark

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by cosmotini

The good news is that they are building about 28 trailers a week.

Back in the summer of 2001 on my tour of the factory, they were building 26 trailers a week and 6 motor homes.

Jack

[SafariSS]

Just as Cosmonoti said, they currently have a ton of Sprinter vans there. I am guessing around 125 units, maybe 20 25' units on the lot. Nothing larger. I did notice two Japanese export trailers, about 15 Safari Sports and about 30 Basecamps.

I have never taken the tour, look forward when I go back and pick up my Bunkhouse.

[cosmotini]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Back in the summer of 2001 on my tour of the factory, they were building 26 trailers a week and 6 motor homes.

Jack

Hi Jack,

I meant "good" in the sense that they're not closing down like a lot of other rv manufacturers.

[norsea]

Originally Posted by Mexray

<BIG SNIPPY>

Regarding the high fuel prices...I don't think, in reality, we'll see much help from our lofty Govt legislators...The individual States are reaping HUGE revenues from increased Sales and other taxes on fuel as the price esculates...here in Calif we pay per gallon taxes to the Feds, States, and Local Govt's, ++++ an 8% sales tax that goes out of sight as the price increases! The State is enjoying the 'free range cash' windfall...it's almost criminal, IMHO!

You are right about the sales taxes increasing revenue because sales tax is based on PRICE.

Most fuel taxes are calculated by VOLUME; most generally per GALLON.

From what I read today the Feds are already whining about the reduced revenue they are receiving from fuel taxes because people have cut back significantly on driving resulting in sales volume of fuel dropping.

I am not aware of other states charging sales tax on the price of fuel purchases other than California; I am sure there are some.

The states with taxes geared to the PRICE of fuel are increasing their revenues just like the oil companies who are the ones who are reaping the record profits.

Couple this with the banking industry that is now paying the price for its "free market" ways since the 1980's when our US Congress saw fit to start removing regulations that the banking industry insisted were not allowing them to be flexible in how they operated and we are starting to see what I think will become a banking crisis.

Today Washington Mutual and Watchovia have posted record multi BILLION losses; I am sure there will be many more to follow and who knows how many more will follow the California bank (whose name escapes me at the moment) to go completely under. Thanks to our government repealing regulations for the past 25 years we are now reaping the benefits of, shall we say, for lack of a better term, GREED. And, we have an economy this is moving in one direction.

The US Government is forecasting the need for $25 BILLION to bail out Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. I wonder when the general public will pick up on the idea that you the government cannot continue to print money rather than operate with fiscal responsibility?

Fasten your seat belts folks, it is going to be a rough and rocky ride before we see the end of the current spiral.

Your nattering nabob of negativity,

Jim

[SafariSS]

I am not aware of other states charging sales tax on the price of fuel purchases other than California; I am sure there are some.

Texas has a tax on gas per gallon, as well a bridge/road tax.

[FordTruck]

We bought our '08 in Dec, 2007 and took delivery in Jan, '09.
Keeping the world economy going !!!