Question to Dave:
I hear Winnebago Industries is going out of business. Is that correct? —”Jim,” Philadelphia RV Show seminar attendee
From Dave:
This past weekend I conducted seminars at the Philadelphia RV Show. An attendee came up to me after one of the seminars and stated he was told by one of the dealers at the show that Winnebago Industries was going out of business.
This did not surprise me, as the internet is filled with rumors and untruths. I also know that sales professionals (I use that term loosely) will say just about anything to keep you in their booth and buy from them.
I’ve been in the RV industry since 1983, starting with Winnebago and being there for 15 years. I have to say that I thought I had heard it all. However, as most of you know, I have learned to never say never, and never say always. But some things still throw me a curve.
After promising not to “rat him out,” I convinced him to tell me which dealership told him that. I was shocked that it came from a dealer group that carries the Winnebago brand. They just don’t carry it in that particular market area, so they did not have Winnebago at the show.
Don’t jump to conclusions
I do not sensationalize issues to produce what is called “clickbait.” Rather, I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and do research before jumping to conclusions.
With that, I thought maybe there were a few actual facts that might have swayed this dealership to make such a statement.
Fact #1
Winnebago has stopped manufacturing their Class A models, both gas and diesel, at the Forest City plant due to the almost non-existent market for them. Last month, the RVIA (RV Industry Association) posted sales results. The Class A market had increased 10%— which sounds good. However, it was a total of 400 units nationwide. Ouch!
Fact #2
According to a recent dealer group market call, RV dealers have a record surplus of Class A inventory that is getting very old. They would not be ordering anything for inventory, but just actual sales orders. That means even if sales figures continue at the present rate, very few will be ordering new units from manufacturers.
Fact #3
Winnebago bought Newmar a few years ago and will be using that brand and models for their Class A offering, rather than producing a “white elephant” in the Winnebago plant in Forest City.
Fact #4
According to their Q1 2026 financial report, which you can find here (pdf), they had a very good year. Below are just a few highlights.
Note: Winnebago’s fiscal year starts in September, so this is September 2025 through November 29, 2025. Q2 just ended, so financials are not available yet.
Winnebago First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Summary
- Net revenues of $702.7 million compared to $625.6 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2025
- Gross profit of $89.0 million, representing 12.7% gross margin compared to 12.3% in the first quarter of Fiscal 2025
- Net income of $5.5 million, or $0.19 per diluted share; adjusted earnings per diluted share of $0.38 compared to adjusted loss per diluted share of $0.03 in the first quarter of Fiscal 2025
So, maybe the dealer rep misinterpreted the fact that Winnebago ceased production of their Class A models, which also resulted in laying off sales reps that covered that line in their market?
Even more surprising…
As I stated earlier, this did not surprise me… but what happened next did.
Later that evening, I walked down to the dealer that was carrying the Winnebago product at the show to see if a manufacturer’s rep was at the show. I thought they might be interested in the fact one of the dealers that carried their product in another market was telling customers this rumor.
No rep was at the show. However, I did talk with one of the sales managers and told him about the comment. He stated: “That’s funny, because Winnebago’s parent company is Thor and they are financially sound. And the Winnebago name is the most recognized in the industry.” WHAT?!
About Winnebago
Winnebago was founded by John K. Hanson in Forest City, Iowa, in 1958. It is a public company, with shareholders, and has never been owned by another company. Winnebago bought the SunnyBrook RV trailer line to get back into the trailer market, then Grand Design, and lately Newmar. Winnebago is the parent company.
Thor does own more than a dozen different brands, but Winnebago is not one of them. I did not feel it was worth the effort to debate.
However, before I could leave, the sales manager “corrected” his previous statement and said: “Oh, no. That’s not right. They’re owned by Berkshire Hathaway.” Just a side note: Berkshire Hathaway owns Forest River and other brands under it, but not Winnebago.
I looked at him, bewildered, and just said, “Yeah, you’re right,” and walked away. At that point I needed a nap!
It is getting harder to know whom to trust.
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I have found that many sales people are basically clueless, and it is not just in the RV business. The amount of misinformation that gets spread is insane.
You’re speaking the truth! Lots of clueless people who don’t know what they don’t know and keep spreading misinformation.
Clarification: People used to spend more time delving into info related to their jobs so they could learn what they didn’t know.
IMHO-Sales People will convince you anything to get a sale! Then they don’t back up their product or verbal thoughts…….
“Winnebago was founded by John K. Hanson in Forest City, Iowa, in 1958. It has been independently owned since that time.”
Not sure what you mean by “independently owned.” An independent business is one that does not have external shareholders.
Winnebago is owned by stockholders as a publicly traded corporation on the New York Stock Exchange. From their website:
“Winnebago Industries’ first public offering was on January 24, 1966 at $12.50 per share and the Company was listed on the NYSE on September 9, 1970.”
You are correct. When John K was alive, he and the family owned the majority of stock. I was indicating they did not have a “parent company” such as Thor or BH so “independently owned” was not the correct description. Sorry.
I updated the wording, Dave. 😀 –Diane
Great article!
Thank you so much Mr. Dave. Sad, sad story….. Sales manager doesn’t even know the company they work for.
Dealers don’t “work for” RV manufacturers. They are independent businesses that have contracts with manufacturers to peddle products.
That’s a pretty bold headline to lead with, but it feels a bit irresponsible. As a public company, Winnebago is required by law to publish audited quarterly financials. If they were actually headed for trouble, we’d see the signs in those reports long before a rumor started. While that sales rep’s comment was definitely misleading, it’s a good reminder to lean on the data rather than uninformed chatter.
Thanks for weighing in, Matt. The question in the headline was in quotation marks because that was the question Dave received from the seminar/RV show attendee. The misinformation Dave received went downhill from there. That was the point of his post, i.e., who can you trust? Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
We have a Winnebago Class C built in Forest City in late 2019. Today, they are still building the 2026 model on the same assembly line at the same factory. They also have recently released two new floorplans of our model. And several dealers in our area have sales lots full of brand-new, 2026 models just like ours for sale. So, no, Winnebago is not going out of the Class C, Class B, Class B+, or travel trailer business any time soon.
Yes, Winnebago is NOT Owned by Thor! The fact they own Newmar, considered a superior Class A than in-house Winnebago builds, provides a variety of low, medium to high value/price motorhomes.