Winnebago Buys Grand Design RV
 

500 Million Price.

Report at WSBT TV

Winnebago buying Middlebury's Grand Design RV for $500 million | WSBT

Typical big business. The 3 founding owners quickly built a great company with superb customer service, making it a very valuable company. Take the money and run while it's good. They have $500mil in their pockets, still have jobs, and if the RV industry tanks, they are in the clear. Someone else's risk now.

What would you have done?

We've been casually shopping/looking at fivers.... Grand Design made it to the short list. Sorry to see the industry bunching up like this, I won't consider them any longer.

I didn't say I wouldn't have, just stating what happened.

Seriously? You like the coach but suddenly because another company bought a controlling interest in them you don't like it? What changed in your choice from yesterday? It's still the same coach and same company, right?

Can't say I'm surprised. I figured it would be Thor or FR that bought them but I guess Winnebago got there first.

Or had deeper pockets! :thumbsup:

Weren't the principal owners of Grand Design former Prime Time managers?

We also liked what we saw. Trim quality was quit good, floor plan wa nice . Everything else is built by someone else. Not too many ways to skin a cat.

I like the grand designs which is why I hoped FR would buy them.

Why, So FR can screwup what these guys have created.

What I've seen very impressive trailers by grand design.


2012 Ford F-150 EB Crew FX4 3.73 gears
2012 Micro Lite 23lb

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

Yes, I'm serious.... I still like the coach, but I won't spend that kind of money with a company in transition. The same thing happened to me with Dutchman a couple years ago. I don't want to deal with long term ownership and/or problems, until a track record is established. Besides, once the bean counters from corporate get looking at things, it may be a completely different coach going forward.

Very deeeeep!

So maybe you should buy one NOW, before FR gets their fingers into it. :trink39:

FR did not buy Grand Design, Winnebago did..

I'm not ready for a bit....

GD was on my short list, but I have had a great experience with both of our Rockwoods, so I'd likely stay with FR, anyway.

We'll see when we get there.... maybe GD will have a good story to tell by then.

Oooops. :roflblack:

Change Fr to Winnebago. Same response.

One impressive feature of Winnebago is PARTS AND AVAILABILITY. I considering a motor home before we bought our Silverback. It was a hard decision, MH or 5er. Having had a previous 5er, we stayed that route as the living space fit our style.

Winnebago numbers each part. Easily and quickly ordered and replaced by the owner or local expertise. That is worth a LOT. Try to find replacement parts on most fifth wheels! Incredible. You cannot even get a schematic!!

I "was" considering ..........😄