Teton Bites The Dust

[jacqnbill]

Teton Homes closed the doors Tuesday and stopped all warranty service. Anorher RV Manufacturer down. Where does it end.



Bill Davis

 

[Grizzly]

Teton is a well built and well rated Fulltime RV, but very expensive. I'm not too surprised they went bally up. Who can afford them.

 

[HBarlow]

That's sad. Many well-off full-timers and longterm construction/oil and gas workers use them as their homes. They are a great fiver.



I was hoping they would survive. Alfa and Travel Supreme were killed off by their motorhome business which involved millions of dollars in warranty claims but Teton did not build motorhomes so I was hopeful they would make it.

 

[HBarlow]

I just looked at both of the RV industry news sites I frequent. No mention of Teton shutting down but they may not have the news yet.

 

[jacqnbill]

I just looked at both of the RV industry news sites I frequent. No mention of Teton shutting down but they may not have the news yet.

Teton called owners scheduled for service at the plant and informed them of the shutdown on Tuesday. Dealers are calling owners under warranty that the warrenty is kaput. Any call to the plant gets a message to call Chris, the CEO.



Bill

 

[KBalzuweit]

Official: Teton Homes layoff rumors are untrue > RV Industry News > RV Industry News | News Room



Official: Teton Homes layoff rumors are untrue

By Wolfgang Neuwirth @ 7:27 AM :: :: 0 Comments :: [Article Rating] [Click to print]



Jackson Hole, WY -- Teton Homes in Casper is contemplating a "substantial restructuring" but no layoffs are expected, according to the investment firm that owns the luxury travel-trailer builder.



"I don't expect this to translate into anything but a healthy, more viable business, and don't contemplate layoffs," said Charlie Larkin of Massachusetts-based Webster Capital Investment Co.



Larkin said recent rumors that the 41-year-old Casper business is shutting its doors are not true.



He said tough economic times sometimes generate speculation about the worst possible outcome, but in this case the speculation is inaccurate.



"We've heard the same ugly rumors," he said.



Teton Homes is not the only RV builder in America facing tough times.



Many plants are restructuring, slowing down or closing all together, according to Kevin Broom, spokesman for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.



Broom said the chief factor is the national credit crunch, which is making it harder for people who want to buy RVs to qualify for credit.



"The biggest thing is the banks," Broom said. "There are plenty of people who would like to buy RVs, but because of the mortgage meltdown, lending standards have tightened across the board. "



Founded in the late 1960s by Robert Ingram, Teton Homes specializes in upper-end fifth-wheel trailers, some of which have been used on set by Hollywood stars.



In 2005, Ingram sold a controlling share of the company to Boston-based Webster Capital.



Teton Homes employs about 150 workers, according to statements a company official made to the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance this summer.



Source: Jackson Hole Star Tribune

 

[AClayton]

I was at the Hershey RV Show in PA yesterday and where the Teton Homes stand was,they had only 3 units and one was used. Posted a big poster saying that Teton Homes is out of business. Can't vouch for the reliability of this statement but that is indeed what I saw.



Alan

 

[TRLRTRSH]

I think the RV industry is down the toilet until such time a fuel prices are more reasonable for the average family. Or until someone builds an alternative fuel vehicle capable of towing 25K down the road. Around this neck of the woods we get a lot of winter snowbirds, quite a few left their RV’s in the parks down here over the summer. Cheaper to pay the park rent (storage) than the fuel prices for in some cases thousands of miles round trip.

 

[PToombs]

The sad thing about this is that all the quality RV manufacturers will go out, and the ones building trash will be ok.

 

[AMink]

I agree with PToombs. I think that the lower end/poor quality ones will make it. By shear volume, they can stay in business. They'll sell a lot more $15,000-$25,000 units than the up-scales selling $50K+ units. I know what I want, but I also know what I can afford!:-laf

 

[KBalzuweit]

I agree with PToombs. I think that the lower end/poor quality ones will make it. By shear volume, they can stay in business. They'll sell a lot more $15,000-$25,000 units than the up-scales selling $50K+ units. I know what I want, but I also know what I can afford!:-laf

Pilgrim didn't make it.