In the UK Winnebago is the name we usually associate with huge motorhomes that we see in movies and TV and are quite rare to be seen on our roads or campsites. Winnebago has been very successful over the years being one of the biggest players in the motorhome industry in the US and popular around the globe.
The first Winnebago rolled off the production lines in 1966 and at that time they were selling their motorhomes at about half the price of their competitors providing a foothold in the popular motorhome sector.
The Brave was a popular model introduced in the early seventies which included the flying ‘W’ a trademark of the early Winnebagos. A variety of different types of motorhomes were introduced by Winnebago of all shapes and sizes during the seventies and eighties. Winnebago introduced a second brand to the marketplace in 1975 to have more of a presence in the showrooms of independent dealers. This brand is known as Itasca which is still used today. Winnebago has also produced caravans, truck top campers and trailer tents over the years.
The motorhome or recreational vehicle industry as it’s known in the United States was at its peak during 1970s where US shipments reached 160,200 units. However, the energy crisis greatly impacted sales during that period where oil prices fluctuated putting some people off owning a motorhome.
Winnebago has good share of the market throughout the 1980s with a number of different and updated models sold throughout that period. From 2004 sales started to tail off and this trend continued across the market. A low was reached in 2009 where Winnebago’s revenue was just a fifth of that than in 2004. The global recession had taken hold and a number of motorhome manufacturers went out of business.
The good news for Winnebago and motorhome and campervan lovers is that the company is now in a much better place financially with lots of different motorhomes to offer. In 2013 Winnebago’s sales were up to $803 million dollars and the company featured at No 56 on Fortune’s list of the fastest growing companies that year.
Don’t worry if you are not in the States there are many companies that will import a Winnebago for you and also provide the important after sales services.
