Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

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Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was announced by the General Manager at Coachworksat 5:30 today that Blue Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.

I wanted to share this sad news with you.

Thanks, Brenda

I assume that this means the Fort Valley plant is closed and no more
coached will be built. Will this affect CCW in Riverside?
Can someone expound on this turn of events?
Jack Smith
1973FC31
SoCal

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "EJA" wrote:
>
> Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was
announced by the General Manager at Coachworks at 5:30 today that Blue
Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.
>
> I wanted to share this sad news with you.
>
> Thanks, Brenda
>

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jack & Donna Smith"
wrote:
>
> I assume that this means the Fort Valley plant is closed and no
more
> coached will be built. Will this affect CCW in Riverside?
> Can someone expound on this turn of events?
> Jack Smith
> 1973FC31
> SoCal
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "EJA" wrote:
> >
> > Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was
> announced by the General Manager at Coachworks at 5:30 today that
Blue
> Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.
> >
> > I wanted to share this sad news with you.
> >
> > Thanks, Brenda

Well all I can say it goes with times. We are heading toward hard
times and most people just want to sell oft there big toys. But the
one thing about our Blue Birds is that they are built tuff and even
without a parent company I know our old coaches still have alot miles
in them as they are probably the best built tanks in the world.
> >
>

Sounds like a safe move ;stop building a product not selling. The
Carson bunch have business names overlayed with business names.
they think outside the box. I bet a 'shutdown plan B' was part of
their prepurchase business plan. Even if there is a sell off the
buyers will be just another acronym with the same crew moving the
rudder or stowing bleeched sails. No fat ladies in the Carson
family/ it aint over.
Greg of Tim&Greg
94ptCa

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" wrote:
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jack & Donna Smith"
> wrote:
> >
> > I assume that this means the Fort Valley plant is closed and no
> more
> > coached will be built. Will this affect CCW in Riverside?
> > Can someone expound on this turn of events?
> > Jack Smith
> > 1973FC31
> > SoCal
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "EJA" wrote:
> > >
> > > Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was
> > announced by the General Manager at Coachworks at 5:30 today
that
> Blue
> > Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.
> > >
> > > I wanted to share this sad news with you.
> > >
> > > Thanks, Brenda
>
>
> Well all I can say it goes with times. We are heading toward hard
> times and most people just want to sell oft there big toys. But
the
> one thing about our Blue Birds is that they are built tuff and
even
> without a parent company I know our old coaches still have alot
miles
> in them as they are probably the best built tanks in the world.
> > >
> >
>

I have thought that this was coming for a while. I had hoped that it
would not happen. If they stay closed it makes resources like this
forum with our shared knowledge base even more valuable. MIke
Mcmahan 96 42" Wanderlodge

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" wrote:
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jack & Donna Smith"
> wrote:
> >
> > I assume that this means the Fort Valley plant is closed and no
> more
> > coached will be built. Will this affect CCW in Riverside?
> > Can someone expound on this turn of events?
> > Jack Smith
> > 1973FC31
> > SoCal
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "EJA" wrote:
> > >
> > > Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was
> > announced by the General Manager at Coachworks at 5:30 today that
> Blue
> > Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.
> > >
> > > I wanted to share this sad news with you.
> > >
> > > Thanks, Brenda
>
>
> Well all I can say it goes with times. We are heading toward hard
> times and most people just want to sell oft there big toys. But
the
> one thing about our Blue Birds is that they are built tuff and even
> without a parent company I know our old coaches still have alot
miles
> in them as they are probably the best built tanks in the world.
> > >
> >
>

I have to disagree with Tim. I think they went into this Blind. Their
due diligence sucked. Class A sales have been falling since 2007. The
plant was robbed and raped of everything that was necessary to build
the units. They had to go out and buy equipment. So what exactly did
they get?? maybe the chassis that was needed for the Express Bus, the
name and some worthless real estate. Apparently the parts have been
somewhat depleted. What will happen to the parts that are still on the
shelves? What about the cataloging and other information? Mye xperience
is that a lot of that gets thrown into dumpsters. Maybe Randy could do
some dumpster diving?? Tim: If they had this plannned from the
beggining what was the logic??

Bruce

Orphaned 1988 FC 35

Purely speculative ... but the reason CCW purchased BB Coachworks (mentioned in an early press release) was to establish a CCW presence "in the east" to expand CCWs ability to compete for the transit bus repair and conversion (engines/"green" stuff/etc.) work that CCW does in Riverside.

I'm sure the current economic situation has hit the transit side of their business as it has the RV side, since all levels of government (including transit districts) are suffering from reduced income. However, the prospects for the transit business remain positive over the longer term. (Transit busses still wear out and upgrades to engines and other systems or conversion to natural gas or other technologies is still economically justified.) So, I suspect that CCW (if they aren't caught in some financial nightmare with banks unwilling to extend _reasonable_ financing) will probably weather the recession.

CCW will have accomplished their goal of establishing an eastern nexus, even if the BB RV business goes away. It's hard to sell expensive yachts (or land yachts) when the economy is in crisis -- and politicians are castigating business owners.

I'm saddened, but not surprised, by this turn of events. I truly wish CCW good luck and success in their business. (AFAIK, their transit bus business fills an important role and hopefully they can maintain a fair share of those services.)

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42 (For Sale)

<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.html>

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jan 31, 2009, at 9:26 AM, timvasqz wrote:

Sounds like a safe move ;stop building a product not selling. The
Carson bunch have business names overlayed with business names.
they think outside the box. I bet a 'shutdown plan B' was part of
their prepurchase business plan. Even if there is a sell off the
buyers will be just another acronym with the same crew moving the
rudder or stowing bleeched sails. No fat ladies in the Carson
family/ it aint over.
Greg of Tim&Greg
94ptCa

--- In "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com", "Jon" wrote:

--- In "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com", "Jack & Donna Smith"
wrote:
I assume that this means the Fort Valley plant is closed and no
more
coached will be built. Will this affect CCW in Riverside?
Can someone expound on this turn of events?
Jack Smith
1973FC31
SoCal
--- In "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com", "EJA" wrote:
Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was
announced by the General Manager at Coachworks at 5:30 today
that

Blue
Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.
I wanted to share this sad news with you.
Thanks, Brenda
Well all I can say it goes with times. We are heading toward hard
times and most people just want to sell oft there big toys. But
the

one thing about our Blue Birds is that they are built tuff and
even

without a parent company I know our old coaches still have alot
miles

in them as they are probably the best built tanks in the world.

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Very true, Mike. And with the folks here that work on coaches, we maybe even more in demand.

Ernie Ekberg

83PT40

Wanderlodge

Weatherford, Tx

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/erni...gandrepair

--- On Sat, 1/31/09, Mike McMahan <mmcmahan@...> wrote:

From: Mike McMahan <mmcmahan@...>
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Blue Bird
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009, 12:24 PM

I have thought that this was coming for a while. I had hoped that it
would not happen. If they stay closed it makes resources like this
forum with our shared knowledge base even more valuable. MIke
Mcmahan 96 42" Wanderlodge

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Jon" wrote:
>
> --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Jack & Donna Smith"
> wrote:
> >
> > I assume that this means the Fort Valley plant is closed and no
> more
> > coached will be built. Will this affect CCW in Riverside?
> > Can someone expound on this turn of events?
> > Jack Smith
> > 1973FC31
> > SoCal
> >
> >
> > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "EJA" wrote:
> > >
> > > Per a call I received this evening from Allen Barbee - it was
> > announced by the General Manager at Coachworks at 5:30 today that
> Blue
> > Bird Wanderlodge is officially closed.
> > >
> > > I wanted to share this sad news with you.
> > >
> > > Thanks, Brenda
>
>
> Well all I can say it goes with times. We are heading toward hard
> times and most people just want to sell oft there big toys. But
the
> one thing about our Blue Birds is that they are built tuff and even
> without a parent company I know our old coaches still have alot
miles
> in them as they are probably the best built tanks in the world.
> > >
>
>
>

Unbelievable, even faced with the tough times and decisions that need to be made
there
are Sunday armchair quarter backs thinking they know it all. Bruce, you have NO
IDEA what
went into our due diligence, and in my opinion NO RIGHT to critique us and tell
the forum
our efforts sucked. You are the worst kind of spectator standing on the
sidelines and
telling the rest of us what is right and wrong and who knew what they were doing
and
didn't.

You are dead wrong about the declining sales, and as late as the spring of 2007
the
University of Michigan, the industry experts on the RV industry published an
economic
forecast the indicated continued strong growth in 2010. I still have my copy,
part of our
due diligence, still got yours? How about Statistical Survey, through the end of
the first
quarter of 2007, the latest data available, class A shipments were up. I still
have my
copies, do you?

We are still very pursuing options and doing what we can to get through this and
I have
had all I will take from the Nay Sayers, the doom and gloomers and especially
the know it
all experts like you. You won't be able to goad another response from me.

Those of you who have been a friend and an ally, you have my email address and
my cell
phone, I will talk to you individually any time, but I am done with this forums,
and you all
have Mr. birdshill Bruce here to thank for it.

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "birdshill123"
wrote:
>
> I have to disagree with Tim. I think they went into this Blind. Their
> due diligence sucked. Class A sales have been falling since 2007. The
> plant was robbed and raped of everything that was necessary to build
> the units. They had to go out and buy equipment. So what exactly did
> they get?? maybe the chassis that was needed for the Express Bus, the
> name and some worthless real estate. Apparently the parts have been
> somewhat depleted. What will happen to the parts that are still on the
> shelves? What about the cataloging and other information? Mye xperience
> is that a lot of that gets thrown into dumpsters. Maybe Randy could do
> some dumpster diving?? Tim: If they had this plannned from the
> beggining what was the logic??
>
> Bruce
>
> Orphaned 1988 FC 35
>

Macy, this is a social forum of opinions. Bruce is a good guy, and
a halfway good chili cook. my opinion. What damage was done when he
prompted your last post?
Greg ofTim&Greg
94ptca

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "mneshati2"
wrote:
>
> Unbelievable, even faced with the tough times and decisions that
need to be made there
> are Sunday armchair quarter backs thinking they know it all.
Bruce, you have NO IDEA what
> went into our due diligence, and in my opinion NO RIGHT to
critique us and tell the forum
> our efforts sucked. You are the worst kind of spectator standing
on the sidelines and
> telling the rest of us what is right and wrong and who knew what
they were doing and
> didn't.
>
> You are dead wrong about the declining sales, and as late as the
spring of 2007 the
> University of Michigan, the industry experts on the RV industry
published an economic
> forecast the indicated continued strong growth in 2010. I still
have my copy, part of our
> due diligence, still got yours? How about Statistical Survey,
through the end of the first
> quarter of 2007, the latest data available, class A shipments were
up. I still have my
> copies, do you?
>
> We are still very pursuing options and doing what we can to get
through this and I have
> had all I will take from the Nay Sayers, the doom and gloomers and
especially the know it
> all experts like you. You won't be able to goad another response
from me.
>
> Those of you who have been a friend and an ally, you have my email
address and my cell
> phone, I will talk to you individually any time, but I am done
with this forums, and you all
> have Mr. birdshill Bruce here to thank for it.
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "birdshill123"
wrote:
> >
> > I have to disagree with Tim. I think they went into this Blind.
Their
> > due diligence sucked. Class A sales have been falling since
2007. The
> > plant was robbed and raped of everything that was necessary to
build
> > the units. They had to go out and buy equipment. So what exactly
did
> > they get?? maybe the chassis that was needed for the Express
Bus, the
> > name and some worthless real estate. Apparently the parts have
been
> > somewhat depleted. What will happen to the parts that are still
on the
> > shelves? What about the cataloging and other information? Mye
xperience
> > is that a lot of that gets thrown into dumpsters. Maybe Randy
could do
> > some dumpster diving?? Tim: If they had this plannned from the
> > beggining what was the logic??
> >
> > Bruce
> >
> > Orphaned 1988 FC 35
> >
>

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