Roadtrek and Hymer gone,

Lots of discussion of this on the various Class B forums.   The family that built the company sold it to a private investment group after the 2008 financial problems.   That group flipped it to another investment group a few years later.   They ended up selling it to Hymer.  Hymer is a large European manufacturer of motorhomes.   Now, Hymer is selling to Thor and Thor discovered alleged financial irregularities at Roadtrek.   The management installed by Hymer or one of the previous investment groups is reported to have defrauded the company of approximately one hundred million dollars utilizing false invoices and paying the dough to themselves and family members who apparently have been phantom employees.   

So, several hundred people lose their jobs and Roadtrek is no more.   

We have owned two Roadtreks over the years and both were made back when the original family had ownership.   I always said they were Beechcraft quality (referring to the top of the pile planes made by Beech).   Roadtreks have suffered a decline in quality and an acceleration in price over the last few years in the minds of those that have great love and familiarity of the brand. 

This is just another example of growth, greed, and crime coming together in a once fine family owned company.   

It’s kind of ironic that Kermit Fisher started out building Falcon and Horizon class b’s, then folded and started Phoenix USA. It seems like now they have a real opportunity to score with the new TRX if they get it right.

On  2nd thought,  RVtrader shows  424 new Roadtreks sitting in dealer inventories.  Camping World probably has a lot of  Hymer Sunlight vans too. If the factory warranties are gone how do they get rid of all those  without cutthroat fire sales?  What a giant  hangover for the rest of the class  b builders to contend with.

Hopefully Kermit is still influencing the Trx.  If so, it will be a big hit!

Ron

CalCruiser, I wonder if I am the only person that owns a Phoenix Cruiser that also has owned an Intervec Horizon or Falcon? 

We bought a little Horizon new in the eighties and had a blast with it.   It was on a Dodge 2500 van chassis and had 318 engine.   My wife and I still talk about the trips we took in the Horizon.   We got to see so many wonderful places before they got overrun with people...…...like Yellowstone, the Black Hills, Montana, Monument Valley, etc.   That has been over thirty years ago and I still have a tear in my eye when I see an old Horizon or it's big brother the Falcon for sale on some site.    I almost bought an old Falcon a few years ago just to restore it and try to regain my youth or some such endeavor.   It was in great appearance shape, had few miles, but had not been moved in years and would have required more work than I was willing to invest in it.   

I would love to know if any other PC owners had one of those little Intervecs.   When we bought our PC we knew Kermit knew what he was doing building small coaches because of our previous little Horizon experiences. 

Paul

Heres one dealers answer to the Roadtrek warranty issues.

Heres a few more.  These guys are jumping right on this.

Lots of discussion of this on the various Class B forums.   The family that built the company sold it to a private investment group after the 2008 financial problems.   That group flipped it to another investment group a few years later.   They ended up selling it to Hymer.  Hymer is a large European manufacturer of motorhomes.   Now, Hymer is selling to Thor and Thor discovered alleged financial irregularities at Roadtrek.   The management installed by Hymer or one of the previous investment groups is reported to have defrauded the company of approximately one hundred billion dollars utilizing false invoices and paying the dough to themselves and family members who apparently have been phantom employees.   

So, several hundred people lose their jobs and Roadtrek is no more.   

We have owned two Roadtreks over the years and both were made back when the original family had ownership.   I always said they were Beechcraft quality (referring to the top of the pile planes made by Beech).   Roadtreks have suffered a decline in quality and an acceleration in price over the last few years in the minds of those that have great love and familiarity of the brand. 

This is just another example of growth, greed, and crime coming together in a once fine family owned company.   

$100 million, not $100 billion, but everything else is correct

Hey, if the price is right and the rig is that ideal one you always wanted, I would not get hung up on the company going out of business, and buy one at that great price.  Most motor home companies went out of business and their products continue to be enjoyed.

We bought our first motor home in 1983.  The company went out of business 3 years later, but we owned the rig for a total of 24 years.  It was no big deal.

I agree with Ron, if the unit is what you want and the price right..........

The 'truck' warranty is still good.  The appliance warranties are still good.  And most anything else can be fixed by a good shop. 

Really sad about Roadtrek, just when I think I have things figured out people do something that shows me how naive I am.  I cannot understand the logic that allows someone to steal from the company they work for and ultimately cost all employees their job.

I cannot understand the logic that allows someone to steal from the company they work for and ultimately cost all employees their job.

I worked for Motorola Inc. from age 18 (in 1977) thru age 57.  The story there is similar, though the company today still exists as a small fraction of the original strongly diversified company.  The board of directors made up of CEOs of other companies (some competing companies) jointly decided to push the "self-destruct" button.  They divided the company in two, hired a pair of CEO's Ed Zander & Sanjay Jha (#2 highest paid in the country) followed by CEO Greg Brown to carry out the mission.  The only reason why the company still exists at about 7% of the original company is that they can't find anyone to buy the last remaining business unit of 2-way radio communications.  If they could, the cell phone branded name alone would be the only survivor....."Motorola By Lenovo".

It's corporate crime but unfortunately the crime is not recognized by law.  Impact to employment around the USA direct and indirect was horrific, fed by corporate greed at the very top.  And to think so long ago, as a very small stock holder I used to give the board of directors my permission to speak on my behalf.  My last 8 years there, I voted "NO".

Motorola Corporate Headquarters Campus was sold to developers for shopping and condos.  This picture was taken months ago.  When the weather gets better, demolition will continue.


The corporate tower was sold and leased back for a while.  The rest of the 300 acres of buildings is in demolition.


So many good USA blue and white collar jobs inside Motorola around the country and countless small business also around the country supporting it, all gone forever.  MAGA could not come fast enough.

Warren Buffet’s Forest River will probably pick it up it for  pennies on the dollar when it inevitably goes from receivership to  bankruptcy.

Interesting that Thor is seeking to “expand” into China.  That didn’t work out so well for thousands of GM’s American auto workers.

DONC13, thanks for the correction of my earlier post.  Millions became billions.   Mine eyes are aging, I fear.