“Building a high-end fifth wheel on the same (product) line with a Class A motorhome – each one being built one at a time, mass produced one at a time – we just found that interjecting fifth wheels into the mix didn’t allow us to be competitive from a price point,” John Sammut, Newmar’s vice president of sales and marketing, told RV PRO.
“Now, this frees up resources that were dedicated to fifth wheel development and design and it allows us to focus more on the development of our motorhome line,” he added. “So it lets us focus on the next greatest thing for Class A diesel and gas motorhomes.”
Production on Newmar’s 2012 fifth wheel lines concluded in March, according to Sammut, adding that Newmar dealers were informed of the manufacturer’s intentions in advance of production end.
The high-end fifth wheel market has undergone significant changes in terms of market players in recent years, as Hitchiker, Carriage and most recently NuWa have ceased production. Meanwhile, Redwood RV and more recently Lifestyle Luxury RV launched specifically for the purpose of competing within that market segment.
