ANOTHER ONE GONE

[rvwifi]

Bluebird RV in Fort Valley has ceased production and is selling all it's
assets.
This does NOT affect Bluebird bus as they are a separate company.
Bluebird RV (a division of Coachwork's Holdings) made their first MH way back in
1963 but have been through bankruptcy and several ownership changes in the past
few years.
Also affected by this closure is the Bluebird Custom Bus works.
(wonder if the '04 to '07 front suspension thing had anything to do with it)

On a personal note: I will miss them. but they built such a good coach for so
many years they will not dissapear from the scene until at least long after I'm
gone.

[Jack & Donna Smith]

Really too bad, but is a sign of the changing times...
I wonder what the percentage of the total Bluebrds built are still on the road??
My first M/H was a 1972 Tioga class C. I am certian it long ago went to that
great KOA in the sky.. My 1973FC31 will probably be around for many more
years.....Sorta like my Jeep CJ..

Jack Smith
1973FC31
SoCal........


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "rvwifi" wrote:
>
> Bluebird RV in Fort Valley has ceased production and is selling all it's
assets.
> This does NOT affect Bluebird bus as they are a separate company.
> Bluebird RV (a division of Coachwork's Holdings) made their first MH way back
in 1963 but have been through bankruptcy and several ownership changes in the
past few years.
> Also affected by this closure is the Bluebird Custom Bus works.
> (wonder if the '04 to '07 front suspension thing had anything to do with it)
>
> On a personal note: I will miss them. but they built such a good coach for so
many years they will not dissapear from the scene until at least long after I'm
gone.
>

[g_man1146]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jack & Donna Smith"
wrote:
>>>>>>>SNIP<<<<<<<<

> I wonder what the percentage of the total Bluebrds built are still on the
road??


In the early 1990's factory personel told me that "All but 3" Wanderlodges were
still on the road. I'll bet that, even today, the percentage still around is
around 98%.

Rich D. '99LXi43' CT

[birdshill123]

I am wondering why this is being posted here ?? This is very old news as they
ceased production moanths ago and the assets were auctioned off last week?? Who
is Blubird Custom Bus??

Bruce

1988 FC35

[rvwifi]

I appologize if i have offended you sir, perhaps if you read the entire article
posted below it might help, please note the date on the article that was taken
from an industry news site.
And where better to post this than on the Bluebird site????

April 30, 2009 by Bob Ashley
Coachworks Holdings Inc., Fort Valley, Ga., has shut down production of luxury
Blue Bird Wanderlodge buses and is selling off assets, according to a reliable
source.

Coachworks Holdings declined comment.

School bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp., which sold its Class A RV and Express
seated bus business to Coachworks Holdings in 2007, issued a statement on Monday
(April 27) refuting rumors that it was going out of business. "We no longer have
a financial connection with this unrelated business entity (Coachworks Holdings)
as it is a completely separate company," the Blue Bird Corp. statement said.
"Blue Bird Corp. is as strong as ever and in excellent financial shape."

Coachworks Holdings built custom-made Wanderlodge Premier XL Class A buses,
which went back into production last fall after a year-long hiatus.

The original Blue Bird Body Co., was founded in 1927 by Albert L. Luce Sr. to
build all-steel school buses, which previously had been assembled with wood. The
Blue Bird Wanderlodge Class A motorhome was introduced in 1963, and Blue Bird
Body began building commercial buses in the 1970s.

A management group bought the Blue Bird company in 1992, and in 1999 Blue Bird
Body was sold to Great Britain-based Henlys Group PLC, which also owned Volvo
and had an ownership interest in Canada's Prevost Car Co., a Blue Bird
Wanderlodge competitor.

After running into financial problems, Blue Bird filed for bankruptcy in 2006,
after which its assets were acquired by investment firm Cerberus Capital
Management LP, the current owner of Chrysler Holdings Inc.

In 2007, Cerberus sold the Blue Bird RV and commercial bus division to
Coachworks Holdings a sister company to Complete Coach Works Inc., a 22-year-old
California company that specializes in refurbishing and selling used transit
buses.




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "birdshill123"
wrote:
>
> I am wondering why this is being posted here ?? This is very old news as they
ceased production moanths ago and the assets were auctioned off last week?? Who
is Blubird Custom Bus??
>
> Bruce
>
> 1988 FC35
>

[Al Scudder]

If 3 is the number then I saw 2 of them on vacation in Maryland and or Pennsylvania. Both were in a field with weeds growing out of them, One was really sorry looking the other was "pink" and up by the fence along the road. Wish that I had pictures and would put those up for a spread.



Scooter 2000LX Ocqueoc, MI

---

To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
From: gman1146@...
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 14:26:00 +0000
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: ANOTHER ONE GONE

--- In "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com", "Jack & Donna Smith" wrote:
>>>>>>>SNIP<<<<<<<<

> I wonder what the percentage of the total Bluebrds built are still on the road??

In the early 1990's factory personel told me that "All but 3" Wanderlodges were still on the road. I'll bet that, even today, the percentage still around is around 98%.

Rich D. '99LXi43' CT

[Don Bradner]

My reaction when you posted it was also a bit incredulous.

I guess most of us who read/post here do so continuously, and not just here. So,
the many, many posts with greater detail that have been placed here and
elsewhere over the past three months made this one a "Huh??" moment.

The author of the article was apparently well behind the times. Coachworks
closed down in February, and the entire property was auctioned off on April 24th
to a single buyer. The sale will take a short while to finalize, but we have
heard that the buyer has stated that he has no interest in producing
Wanderlodges, but is willing to work with owners (Randy Dupree in particular) to
preserve information and possibly parts.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

On 5/1/2009 at 4:26 PM rvwifi wrote:

>I appologize if i have offended you sir, perhaps if you read the entire
>article posted below it might help, please note the date on the article
>that was taken from an industry news site.
>And where better to post this than on the Bluebird site????
>
>April 30, 2009 by Bob Ashley
>Coachworks Holdings Inc., Fort Valley, Ga., has shut down production of
>luxury Blue Bird Wanderlodge buses and is selling off assets, according to
>a reliable source.
>
>Coachworks Holdings declined comment.
>
>School bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp., which sold its Class A RV and
>Express seated bus business to Coachworks Holdings in 2007, issued a
>statement on Monday (April 27) refuting rumors that it was going out of
>business. "We no longer have a financial connection with this unrelated
>business entity (Coachworks Holdings) as it is a completely separate
>company," the Blue Bird Corp. statement said. "Blue Bird Corp. is as
>strong as ever and in excellent financial shape."
>
>Coachworks Holdings built custom-made Wanderlodge Premier XL Class A
>buses, which went back into production last fall after a year-long hiatus.
>
>The original Blue Bird Body Co., was founded in 1927 by Albert L. Luce Sr.
>to build all-steel school buses, which previously had been assembled with
>wood. The Blue Bird Wanderlodge Class A motorhome was introduced in 1963,
>and Blue Bird Body began building commercial buses in the 1970s.
>
>A management group bought the Blue Bird company in 1992, and in 1999 Blue
>Bird Body was sold to Great Britain-based Henlys Group PLC, which also
>owned Volvo and had an ownership interest in Canada's Prevost Car Co., a
>Blue Bird Wanderlodge competitor.
>
>After running into financial problems, Blue Bird filed for bankruptcy in
>2006, after which its assets were acquired by investment firm Cerberus
>Capital Management LP, the current owner of Chrysler Holdings Inc.
>
>In 2007, Cerberus sold the Blue Bird RV and commercial bus division to
>Coachworks Holdings a sister company to Complete Coach Works Inc., a
>22-year-old California company that specializes in refurbishing and
>selling used transit buses.
>
>
>
>
>--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "birdshill123"
>wrote:
>>
>> I am wondering why this is being posted here ?? This is very old news
>as they ceased production moanths ago and the assets were auctioned off
>last week?? Who is Blubird Custom Bus??
>>
>> Bruce
>>
>> 1988 FC35
>>
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

[Fred Bellows]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Don Bradner" wrote:
>
> My reaction when you posted it was also a bit incredulous.


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Ya, but, Don, if you and I and Bruce and others
that felt it was odd for someone to announce the closing, since we had all
talked it to death here, and criticize them for it in anyway, then we're sorta
guilty of being cliquey, and suggesting that every member of this forum should
be as avid a daily reader as we are. And that tends to make the more casual,
intermittent forum user feel like they shouldn't post their thoughts and
questions. And that's not good. I think we want to encourage participation
here, to have more diversity in viewpoints, to enrich and broaden the over-all
scope of the forum. I think when someone says something that sounds to us like
"did you hear the Beatles broke up?", we should just say something like "yeah,
we heard, there's been a lot of discussion about it, it should be fine though.
What year coach do you have?" and just try to welcome them and create another 'bird head like us!

<!--[if gte mso 9]>

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\/\/\…Fred

__________________

Fred & Wendy Bellows

Queen Creek, AZ (so.east Phx)

'90 SP36

"Maunder Maximum"

photos of coach
and upgrades

current location

[Ernie Ekberg]

Let me give you a behind the scene look at the individual known as rvwifi. This individual joined in March 09. Elected to have his email sent only if Special Notices were sent out. I assumed that he chose to look at the messages from the home page, his perogative. The only time he posted was this initial post that he told about the closing of BB etc. Maybe this was the first he heard of it- maybe not. Whoever it was has since unsubscribed himself from the forum. Too bad- wish he would have signed his posts as directed in the Home Page when folks join and maybe not wear his feeling too much on the cuff. Ernie Ekberg 83PT40 Wanderlodge Weatherford, Tx http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/erni...gandrepair --- On Fri, 5/1/09, Fred Bellows wrote: From: Fred Bellows Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: ANOTHER ONE GONE To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, May 1, 2009, 4:49 PM --- In WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com, "Don Bradner" wrote: > > My reaction when you posted it was also a bit incredulous. Ya, but, Don, if you and I and Bruce and others that felt it was odd for someone to announce the closing, since we had all talked it to death here, and criticize them for it in anyway, then we're sorta guilty of being cliquey, and suggesting that every member of this forum should be as avid a daily reader as we are. And that tends to make the more casual, intermittent forum user feel like they shouldn't post their thoughts and questions. And that's not good. I think we want to encourage participation here, to have more diversity in viewpoints, to enrich and broaden the over-all scope of the forum. I think when someone says something that sounds to us like "did you hear the Beatles broke up?", we should just say something like "yeah, we heard, there's been a lot of discussion about it, it should be fine though. What year coach do you have?" and just try to welcome them and create another 'bird head like us! \/\/\…Fred ____________ ______ Fred & Wendy Bellows Queen Creek, AZ (so.east Phx) '90 SP36 "Maunder Maximum" photos of coach and upgrades current location

[Don Bradner]

Yeah, its tough to survive in the internet world without having at least a
couple of layers of skin!

On 5/1/2009 at 2:56 PM Ernie Ekberg wrote:

>maybe not wear his feeling
>too much on the cuff.