Another one bites the dust: Rexhall Industries

[Gary RV Roamer]

Another veteran RV manufacturer has gone away. Rexhall Industries, manufacturers of RexAir, Rose Air and Aer Bus brand coaches has filed for Chapter 11. Always ahead of the mainstream, Rexhall pioneered many innovations including the full wall slide in the T-rex model back around 2002, two full wall slides in 2004, double(opposing) lounge area slides (1999) and the side aisle floor plan back in the mid-90's.  Their latest innovation is a streamlined body that integrates the slide into the roof line. They were never a big force in the market as far as sales went, but they were always a leader in design. In recent years Rexhall has sold only factory direct. See their current coaches here: http://www.rexhall.com/

Rexhall Files Chapter 11

[Ron]

More bad news.  Hope it starts getting better before they all fall.

[Tom]

Filing chapter 11 doesn't mean they've gone away; It provides them protection from creditors while they reorganize. Vendors, creditors, and shareholders usually get screwed in these situations, but Rexhall continues to operate, and could emerge in a much stronger position.
[edit]Added creditors.[/edit]

[davemittan]

That's true, but it won't help much if they don't have sales after the bankruptcy.  A couple of big retailers (not RVs) didn't make it after filing chapter 11 - Goody's and Circuit City.
I'm glad I'm not in any business that relies on RV sales.

[Tom]

That's very true Dave although, with effectively the removal of any large debt load, they may have sufficient cash to weather the storm (recession) longer than they otherwise might have. Might help keep some/most employees in a job longer. If things don't turn up, they've merely prolonged the inevitable. Meanwhile, suppliers are likely to insist on payment up front.

[Gary RV Roamer]

Rexhall has been teetering on the brink for years. They lost their few dealers due to low sales volume but survived by eliminating the middle man and selling direct. Now with sales impacted even further, they've got to be hurting bad.  On the other hand, they are used to running lean and probably don't have anywhere near the overhead of the others. Their Chapter 11 filing claims that assets slightly exceed debt ($100k?), so they actually are not dead yet.  This will prevent a creditor from seizing their plant and equipment and forcing them to liquidate, at least for awhile.

I'd like to see them survive - they have had a much broader effect on the RV industry a lot more than most people realize. Heck, few people have ever even heard of Rexhall motorhomes. 

[KodiakRV]

... Heck, few people have ever even heard of Rexhall motorhomes. 

That'd be me.  I thought they were a drug store.   

[Dave Stringham]

Drove by their sales lot in Lancaster Calif last weekend, there were a dozen or so 40+ footers sitting on the lot and a dozen smaller units.  I didnt see anyone walking around on the lot but I went by it at 65/70mph.

Hope they hang on.........

[Pierat]

It isn't good news that a company is failing. However, after looking at several of Rexhall's offerings at last fall's Pomona RV show, I can guess that part of the reason is shoddy workmanship. Their display units had uneven fitting cabinets, torn insulation, gaps in metal, and design gaffes like a mirror set so only someone over 6'6" probably could have seen their face in it. The floor plans were very attractive to us, but the blatant defects even in display models completely turned us off. If they survive, I hope they improve.

[BernieD]

It isn't good news that a company is failing. However, after looking at several of Rexhall's offerings at last fall's Pomona RV show, I can guess that part of the reason is shoddy workmanship. Their display units had uneven fitting cabinets, torn insulation, gaps in metal, and design gaffes like a mirror set so only someone over 6'6" probably could have seen their face in it. The floor plans were very attractive to us, but the blatant defects even in display models completely turned us off. If they survive, I hope they improve.

I didn't get a chance to go in any, but Rexhall had 3 display coaches at FMCA-Indio last month and sold all 3 plus took 8 orders. Someone commented that the fit and finish looked pretty good.

[Woody]

There was a report in yesterdays newspaper that said Coachman Industries was close to being delisted on the New York Stock Exchange.

Woody