GWV/Sterling RV shuttered...

[mumkin]

I heard today that the creditors have arrived and taken over the premises. There may be a new investor in the wings, but it will be a new company, new management, and likely moved to a new area of the country.

Sad news...

[markopolo]

Definitely sad for employees and the owners if that has happened.

Their website looks very new http://www.greatwestvans.com so it looks like there's intention to continue.

[mumkin]

They just got that new website up a month or two or three ago - after a couple years with no updates at all to their old website. I wonder what happens to those with rigs on the line.

Rumor is that it would be an all-new company... new name and such... if the interested investor comes through.

Admitting that it is all rumor and speculation as to whether it continues at all.

[Davydd]

That is sad news. They had a great Class B RV and I considered them the best when I bought one in 2011. I was very happy with mine and got outstanding warranty support. I did move on but mainly for many things I could not achieve otherwise.

[bobojay]

Wow, sure didn't expect this news. Hope they can come back in some form. Sad for the employees...

[Shacktee15]

Last month I purchased the 2014 Legend EX from Lake Region RVs. Part of the purchase was an upgrade from the tri-fold couch to twin beds. GWV was to do the upgrade and has been postponing my trip to Alabama, ya think this may have had something to do with it? Anyone have advise on how I can get my twin beds, I live in Minnesota.

[Davydd]

First I would talk to Lake Region RVs. They might be able to help or have sources for custom work or help you get them from GWVan if they do exist in inventory there.

Fixed twin beds are probably one of the simplest conversions you can do in a Class B with one big empty space from the wheel wells back. Many have done it themselves and I would think just about any finish cabinetry shop could build them. GWVans cabinetry is pretty conventional and easy to match. With a clean palette you could design your own as I did.

I had given it some thought when I had a GWVan Legend. My thinking at the time if I had kept it would have been to do something similar to the raised Winnebago ERA 70A fixed bed but square off the notch and figure out how to maximize some storage over the wheel wells. We never used the back end as a dinette or entertaining area that conventional sit down twin beds/opposing sofas had in most Bs. Comfort to watch TV and read was paramount. That's why I took it a step further with articulated beds. If I had to build my own a simple back pillow prop like the Travato 59K was within my capabilities and most shops. I had also investigated modifying IKEA slat bed frames and foam mattresses.

[wincrasher]

Actually that same back rest on the 59k is a part from Froli. If you go on their site for the bed springs, you'll see it there. It's cheap if I remember correctly - like $50 or so.

https://froli-systems.myshopify.com/collections/all

[Shacktee15]

Davydd & wincrasher,
Thank you both for the advice! LR RVs have scheduled me in to take measurements and kick around ideas next Tuesday. I like the looks of Froli springs and headrest. David your articulated bed is excellent, I hope you are ok with me using some of your ideas, the entire system would be perfect!
Again thank you both and I hope we can meet at the Bee Social event,
Michael

[booster]

That is truly too bad about GW, but it really is not all that surprising, either, in hindsight

The move was supposedly done because of production shutdowns due to weather, so they lost production, they were recently purchased, they moved to a different country, very different work rules, conditions, and workforce, took a long time to get the move done with a lot of dead time, had quality issues on the early production, etc.

That is a lot of stuff to work through all at once, and apparently the new owner bought them on credit, so they needed income. I wonder if the whole thing went under, or just the GW RV division.

If the facility is up and running, someone will take it over, and may even get the rights to the designs and names. That would be very good for the employees, for sure, and also for the industry.

They made some very nice rigs.

[Bruceper]

I can't blame them for leaving Winnipeg as I know what they dealt with here. But I think if they would have stayed this would not have happened due to the strong US dollar.

When they moved the dollar was at par, now it's at .77ish cents. That would have been more profit for them.

[mumkin]

From the buzz that I picked up over the last few months, the big problem for them has been finding good dependable employees. That was apparent at every level in my dealings with them... it was part of the reason that I decided not to do a special order Promaster unit. Good thing now that I didn't...

[stanw909]

I have an idea. They could become Advanced RVs budget line. Those guys seem to know what they're doing. Maybe they could apply that to GW Vans.

[booster]

Originally Posted by stanw909

I have an idea. They could become Advanced RVs budget line. Those guys seem to know what they're doing. Maybe they could apply that to GW Vans.

And they also have a connection-at least to the old Great West.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by stanw909

I have an idea. They could become Advanced RVs budget line. Those guys seem to know what they're doing. Maybe they could apply that to GW Vans.

I actually suggested this to Dave once (only half joking). The two companies actually cooperated in some ways, such as bulk purchases of the screen-doors that they both use.

[mlts22]

Chevies and Cadillacs. It does make sense, and neither line really consumes/cannibalizes business from the other.

[avanti]

http://www.onenewspage.com/video/201...ant-Closes.htm

[avanti]

Sterling posted on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sterl...35579206695811

"There have been some unfounded rumours and 'stories' that have been circulating about Sterling RV Inc. lately. We will be addressing these in the next few days. We have tried to resolve certain issues amicably but ultimately this was not the intent of the other parties involved.
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused to our customers, rest assured our goal is to be fully operational as soon as possible.
Remember, there are always two sides to every story."

[mumkin]

Sometimes three...

[OskarK]

Probably are trying to keep the lawyers away with putting out info that they are trying to reopen