Used 5th Wheel For Sale

C. Oregon RV dealer steers through tough times, hopes 2011 will be better

BEND, Ore. — Dramatic declines in sales of travel trailers and motor coaches during the 2007-09 recession forced some dealers and manufacturers to close their doors. But Chris Jackson, co-owner and general manager of Beaver Coach Sales & Service in Bend, helped steer the company through tough times by getting the staff involved in creating a leaner, more efficient business model.

Jackson and the other owners of Beaver Coach Sales & Service purchased the Destination RV dealership and showroom in Bend in 2001 and changed its name.

People often get Beaver Coach Sales & Service in Bend mixed up with the now defunct Beaver Coach manufacturing company, Jackson said. The manufacturing company was founded in Bend in 1988 and sold to Safari Motor Coach in 1994. In 2001, it was sold to Monaco Coach Corp. It relocated to Coburg in 2005, and filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The company was sold in May 2009 to Navistar, which added motor coaches to the International trucks and buses it builds in Coburg.

"It (Navistar) has nothing to do with us or Bend," Jackson said.

"For years we were dedicated to the Beaver brand because it used to be made here in Bend and the service center was next door. They stopped producing the Beaver in late 2009, so we aligned with Winnebago and Forest River for new coach products," Jackson said. And in 2006, Beaver Coach Sales & Service took over the former Beaver Coach service center, which had remained in Bend.

The company sells new Itasca and Winnebago motor homes made by Iowa-based Winnebago Industries, as well as Indiana-based Forest River motor homes, which is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

"Nobody is building the old Beaver Coach brand anymore. The ones you see for sale on our lot are all used," Jackson said.

Initially, Beaver Coach Sales & Service sales increased every year, peaking between 2003 and 2006 at around 100 new motor coaches per year ranging in price from $400,000 to $500,000 and about 100 used motor coaches in the $100,000 to $200,000 range, Jackson said.

During the top of the market, gross annual sales ranged from $50 million to $60 million a year, and the company employed about 65 people, he said.

Unfortunately, he said, the bottom dropped out in 2007 and stayed down until the second half of 2010, when sales began to pick up slightly, but mostly for lower-end motor coaches.

"The RV industry was one of the first sectors of the economy to feel the recession toward the end of summer of 2007, and then the bottom fell out in 2008 and 2009," with motor coach sales dropping 75 percent or more, Jackson said.

Keystone Cougar W/3 Slides (318SAB) Used 5th Wheel RV For Sale ...

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Sold 1 out of Every 6 New Motor Homes in Texas in 2009.

Sold 1 out of Every 10 New Motor Homes in Texas in 2008.

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Motor Home Specialist Used Keystone RV for Sale - 2010 Keystone Cougar with 3 slides model 318SAB. This RV is approximately 34' in length and features power front leveling jacks, sofa/sleeper with air mattress, dinette table and chairs, radio/DVD player and a large Flat Screen TV. For complete details visit Motor Home Specialist at MHSRV .com or 800-335-6054. Some additional features include: power patio awning, gas water heater, pass-thru storage, black tank rinsing system, exterior sprayer hose, ducted roof A/C, dual pane windows, day/night shades, 3-burner range with oven, sink covers, refrigerator, queen mattress and much more. DISCLAIMER: All sale prices include any and all other incentives, offers and rebates offered by Motor Home Specialist or any other manufacturer unless specified in writing. *(w.a.c.) Estimated payment figured at 5.99% on 20 years with 10% down. Price and payment does NOT include TT&L or any other fees that may apply. Manufacturers standards & features are subject to change without notice. Online information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Due to high volume sales some Videos, virtual tours and pictures may not represent actual vehicle for sale. MHSRV Prices and special offers are subject to change without notice. All weights & measurments are approximate and NOT guaranteed to be 100% accurate. Verify before purchase.