Fleetwood - RV sales down but motorhome sales up
RV Business blog < RVs and RVing  <  Roaming Times
RV business - Roaming Times

Fleetwood logo

RV sales down but motorhome sales up
3rd quarter fiscal 2007 
preliminary results
(to January 28th, 2007)

Fleetwood announced on February 1st, 2007, preliminary revenues for the fiscal third quarter and first nine months ended January 28, 2007.

You can read the full press release here, but the following are some key aspects, particularly about their RV business::

  • Recreational vehicle sales for the third quarter were off 12 percent to approximately $320 million compared with $365 million a year ago.
  • The decline was primarily due to a 51 percent drop in travel trailer sales to $82 million compared to last year's sales of $169 million, which included $72 million of trailers built to FEMA specifications for disaster relief. 
  • Sales of motor homes increased 24 percent to $224 million and folding trailers were down 9 percent to $14 million. Comparable non-FEMA revenues for the RV Group were up 9 percent.

"The significant increase in motor home sales is very encouraging," Fleetwood's President and CEO Elden L. Smith said. "The growth reflects a change in mix to more diesel units, as well as higher overall unit sales. Travel trailer revenues were down 16 percent ex-FEMA, which is partially due to the increased demand last year for conventional travel trailers to meet temporary shelter needs created by the hurricanes as well as lower industry demand this year, but also indicates that we have further work to do relative to the competitiveness of some of our travel trailer product lines. We have been watching the early spring RV retail shows closely. While results are mixed, it does appear that motor home consumers are more willing to purchase this year due to lower fuel costs and more stable interest rates. We have been pleased with the response to our product lines in most categories, including our low- to mid-priced Class A gas and our Class A diesel motor homes. Travel trailer sales are also improved in some segments, including high-end fifth-wheels and our toy hauler series."

"We are cautiously optimistic about the spring selling season," Smith continued. "It has the potential to reverse the nearly two years of negative trends in motor home sales, as customers seem to be more comfortable with the market environment and our motor home products are being well accepted. Overall, dealers indicate that their motor home inventories are at about the right level, or even somewhat low, which, with increased demand, could also benefit sales. On the other hand, we expect that industry travel trailer sales will continue to lag throughout the spring against difficult year-over-year comparisons and higher dealer inventories. 

"The third quarter results, which will be announced on March 8, 2007, are expected to show a significantly greater net loss than the second quarter, commensurate with the lower revenues," Smith concluded. "We expect the fourth quarter to begin to reflect the changes that have been made at Fleetwood during our restructuring. Our products are improved, our cost structure is lower, our plants are producing more efficiently and, perhaps most importantly, all of our divisions are more customer-focused. Our optimism is tempered by the ongoing uncertainty in all of our markets, which, so far, has slowed our turnaround progress."

You can read the full press release here
Latest RVing news headlines   

What do you think?  
RV sales down but motorhome sales up?
Add your comments below ...

   

Readers comments:

don :   The mechanical breakdown on coaches is not the fault of the coach maker, THE ACTUAL CHASSIS is the responsibility of the chassis maker and most coaches use the same ones

Gary :   Fleetwood sales are down because they build crap and the service sucks. I agree! Try going on line and finding support diagrams or electrical diagrams. I looked for a dealer for repairs on Fleetwood's web site and found one 150miles away. Dodge City, Ks. I live in Wichita, Ks and bought it in Augusta, about 20mi. away. I went to a local RV repair site and was given a three week wait for service. I have a warranty... Where is the service Fleetwood?

MerryT :   On 05 Excursion, entire kitchen slide is slanted sideways and rubbing on side of motor home. Top is in tight and bottom has one inch difference. Fleetwood says this is not structural.

Dan D. :   Fleetwood sales are down because they build crap and the service sucks they sell you a Coach with a 10,000 hitch and then send you a new sticker to say it is only 5,000 lbs. Too many problems to list on 06 discovery that DMV said is an 05 . Attorney is working on suit , have sent 4 friends to other manufactures in 1 year all spent 0ver 300 k thats just 1 example of lost sales...will set up site fleetwood sucks.com

JOHN S :   One hour after it was delivered, my daughter got on the top bunk and it cracked and the face board came away from the bottom board about 1/2 inch and theres nails popped up all over. Fleetwood said maybe my daughter got on it the wrong way. Theres a 500 pound weight limit sticker on the exact same model above the bunk, my daughter weighs 185 pounds. They gave me stupid excuses and lies. One employer says it was a 2007, it was actually 2006. I am going to pursue with a lawyer. The part of the freezer shelf was also missing. no one from Susquehanna Rv didn't have the decency to contact me. Fleetwood wants to fix it but its still not going to hold a 500 pound weight limit. My Son and other Daughter wouldn't be able to use it if my Daughter weighing 185 pounds broke it. The trailer was False Advertisement, Misrepresentation, Deception, Fraud, and Lies. Fleeetwood will be in trouble when I am done with my connections. This trailer should be recalled. FLEETWOOD PIONEER 3102BDS

Ken :   I think their drop in towable sales is partially due to the lack of a high quality 5th wheel. If their Triumph and Pride were supposed to be the replacements for the Avion, they evidently were a poor substitute...since they are also gone! Maybe it's time to bring back the Avion!!

Lillian :   I wish someone would have informed us about Fleetwood Motorhomes before we had TWO major breakdowns on two separt coaches and 06 Discovery blown turbo and a 06 Providence fuel pump. Both coaches left our family of 5 on the side of the road. DO NOT BUY A FLEETWOOD porduct you will be sorry, frustrated, upset like we are.

Allen :   If you want quality, avoid Fleetwood. You might check out the RV Consumers Group. Unless you are willing to shell out the big bucks, you might consider either Born Free or Lazy Daze. They are the only two brands under $100K with 5 star (*****) ratings. They are both Class C's, but they are extremely well built. I have a nine year old Lazy Daze with over 105K miles on it. I wouldn't hesitate to take off on an extended trip in it. In fact, I will be leaving for a 15K mile trip in June.

John A. :   I would say it means that the majority of people have less money to spend on non-essentials and that the majority of people with less money are poor folks that can't afford a motorhome while more affluent folks still have plenty $s to go around. On another note, my Fleetwood Wilderness 5er never leaked. My Excel 5er leaked. My neighbour's River Canyon leaks. Could this mean that Peterson and Travel Supreme ain't no good?

George :   The smart RV family knows if fuel prices go up we go on shorter trips & we stay longer. Buying a fiver is a smart thing my coach is my home!

Keith :   The reports I read were that trailer type RV's (mainly 5th wheel) were up and motorhome sales were down. Fleetwoods report was based on dollars in sales, which could mean that the cost of trailers was down and the cost of motorhomes had gone sky high!

Bradnjan :   I shudder to think that even more folks are buying Fleetwood motorhomes. The word on their lack of support and poorly constructed RVs must not be getting out to the newer buyers, likely Baby Boomers. Happy Fleetwood RV owners are few and far between on the road. Buy a used Foretravel!

Bruce K :   Interesting that the motorhome sales increase is put down to the change to more Diesel units. They also say they're making better products and have lowered their cost structure. Most vehicle companies did that 10 years ago. It's fortunate for them that they never had the Japanese as competitors.

Add your comments:

Your comments*

Your name (the name that will be seen)*

Your real name (not shown)

Your email (not shown)

Title*

See what people say about Fleetwood RVs


Search RoTi Consumer Reports

Search 

Other RoTi news items about this company or subject:

Fleetwood sells folding trailer division

04/30/2008

"The folding trailer division has not proven to be particularly synergistic with the rest of our RV businesses"
Fleetwood sales down 11%

7/12/2007

Fourth quarter fiscal 2007 results, sales down but "We have created a more cost-efficient structure" and gaining market share
Fleetwood deliver 100,000th coach

5/5/2007

Fleetwood delivers the 100,000th motor home from its Decatur, Ind. motorhome manufacturing facility
Fleetwood close travel trailer plants

5/3/2007

Closure of travel trailer manufacturing facility in Lindsay, Ontario and Campbellsville, Kentucky announced
Fleetwood sales down

5/3/2007

Spring selling season "softer than expected" - 4th quarter fiscal 2007 preliminary results