Is Gulfstream Motorhomes Out of Business? (Review, Problems)
Old news, check the dates. One of the things you need to do when you read or hear news about any given RV company is check the date. There was a rumor that Gulfstream went out of the motorhome business but the date on that news was 2012. The next thing to do is check the website and see for yourselves.
The Gulfstream Coach Inc. is still in business. There may have been a time when they stopped making motorhomes but that was just a blip if it ever took place. Even with the official notice sent out in 2012, the company is making Class C motorhomes again.
To learn more about this company, just continue to read our article. It has the information to put the different rumors to rest and gives you up-to-date info so that you can consider this company’s products when you are ready to buy a travel trailer, 5th wheel, or Class C motorhome.
Gulfstream Motorhomes 101
Is Gulfstream Motorhomes Out Of Business?
No, it is not and it doesn’t look like it will be out of business anytime soon. Their website is up and operating and there does not seem to be any evidence supporting the 2012 rumor.
The company makes a long line of RV vehicles that include, travel trailers, toy haulers, 5th wheels, and lightweight trailers, destination trailers, and Class C motorhomes.
To see their full line-up just go to their website and peruse the product web pages. The company is going strong and it seems they have been making Class C motorhomes for some time.
The rumors may have just been about the Class A coach but that would just be a guess. The official notice only stated the term motorhomes but some people found ads for 2012 Gulf Stream motorhomes in 2012.
In a quick check, the company had 3 dealers in Idhao within a few miles of Boise. The company is still located in Nappanee, Indiana and you can get everything you need off of their website.
Who Makes Gulfstream Motorhomes?
Gulfstream is a family-owned and family-run enterprise. It has not sold out to any of the big brands as of yet. The company is in its second generation of family members who run the business.
Originally founded in 1983, Gulfstream was a product of the family-owned Fairmont Homes, a manufactured housing company. That company was started in 1971 by Jim Shea and his sons entered the business when they got old enough.
Jim Shea was the founder of both companies and in the 1990s, he was inducted into the MH/RV Hall of Fame. Currently, Gulfstream Coach Inc is the largest family owned and run RV maker in America.
It has not gone out of business and the company makes over 140 models. Since 1983, they have made over 300,000 RVs, with the majority of those RVs being trailers of some sort.
On their website, the company writes a news blog so you can keep up to date on all matters of Gulfstream as well as get a lot of other interesting pieces of information.
One of those pieces of information is the ultimate RV toolkit. It is a list of tools the company thinks every RVer needs to have in one of their storage bins. It looks like a great list.
Gulfstream RV Parent Company
Since it is a privately held company, we are not exactly sure of the business structure. What we do know is that the original owner of the company decided to take his manufactured home company in a different direction.
That company was called Fairmont Homes and he named the new RV business Gulfstream Coach Inc. If Fairmont Homes is still the parent company it is not listed on a business website we checked.
If not then Gulfstream Coach Inc., is an independent company that stands on its own. Since it is the largest family-owned RV maker in the nation, there does not seem to be a need for the family to sell out to any of the big boys.
Gulfstream seems to have a good reputation for making their trailers and Class C RVs in larger sizes as well as providing them with top-quality construction.
You may find websites talking about the Class A and B RVs the company makes but their website does not list those Classes anymore. That may be the part of the business they do not want to deal with anymore.
Gulfstream RV Headquarters
According to its website, Gulfstream is still in the same city as when it started the business. Their website says that Nappanee Indian is their home and it does not look like they will be leaving that city any time soon.
They also have factories in Etna Green and Goshen so they are pretty well set in where they will keep their company. It is said that the company makes about 22 brands of RVs and over 140 models. The work is carried out by roughly 1500+ employees who have, as stated earlier, produced over 300,000 travel trailers and RVs.
Their website also contains videos, 360 tours, and owners’ reviews so you can get an idea of the high quality of their product lines. To get a price you will have to contact the company or visit one of their dealers.
There is a dealer locator web page on their website so you can find one near you. Just fill out the information at the top of the map and the web page will find a dealer within at least 10 miles of your location.
Are Gulfstream Motorhomes Good?
The company holds a very good reputation in the RV industry and it is known for making very good RVs. One review company stated that this RV maker made exceptional and high-quality trailers and RVs.
That seems to be the indication of other reviewers and owners. They are also supposed to work with other reputable manufacturers to make sure their customers get the best appliances and other components inside.
The business model the company practices includes listening to their customers, to help make their products more sustainable and better. They also employ innovation to help their RVs or trailers stand out from the crowded industry.
Plus, their construction techniques mirror how their customers want to use their new homes. This seems like a company that does not sit on its laurels but continues to improve on its product so they maintain its market share.
Of course, the innovations and other design features may not be everyone’s cup of tea. That means you will find some negative reviews on the internet about this company. Whether they have an argument or not remains to be seen.
Gulfstream Motorhomes Review
Like any other RV company, Gulfstream Coach will have both negative and positive reviews. One review website has them rated at 3.5 stars approx but that is based on the variety of reviews the owners have made at that location.
Some owners are very pleased with their trailer and even found that the smaller 20’ model was perfect for their travel needs. There were some middle of the road reviews.
One owner liked his model and felt that it did just fine when they went camping. The only problems they encountered were cosmetic issues. Some screws were loose or misaligned and the owner lost a few clearance lights because of the former situation.
Then there were the out and out negative reviews that are hard to accept as real but may be. Some owners have experienced nothing but trouble with their models and that is always a possibility.
Some of these owners reported leaks, others just about everything went wrong including the CO2 detector. This is to be expected as well as not every model will leave the factor perfect and some problems can arise during the move from the factory to the dealer.
While some people did not like the customer service they were given, the company will stand by its warranty guidelines and not pay for repairs that are not their fault.
We take both overly positive and overly negative reviews with a grain of salt because it is hard to tell when people are telling the honest truth.
Gulfstream Motorhome Quality
It seems things may have changed at Gulfstream as the most recent worst RVs to buy lists include this company. We have seen them on more than one worst to buy list so there may be a point to this downturn in their reputation.
One list went as far as to say that if you want an older RV, buy a Gulfstream. But if you want a newer RV, then run as far as you can from their dealers. It seems that the quality of their RVs has gone down in recent years.
This is a consistent theme over the different lists we have come across. There are many satisfied owners who will tell you that the company can still produce top-quality trailers etc., but something has changed somewhere as the bad reviews are mounting.
One of these worst RV lists went on to state that there was a deterioration in the high production and quality control areas this company was known for. This may be one of the reasons they got out of the motorhome end of the industry.
They were having trouble maintaining the quality of their products. We know of one lawsuit against them but we have not researched the details as of yet to say more.
There are still some review sites that speak well of the company and its products. Hope is not lost that the company can turn everything around and make a better RV once again. As well as get back to their superior standards and quality control.
Common Gulfstream RV Problems
One of the first problems you will encounter when you read the different reviews will be leaks. It seems that Gulfstream has a problem with not sealing their roofs very well.
Another common problem may be that the fridge is not seated or sealed very well. These fridge models are known to leak propane inside the trailer. That leakage can lead to more serious problems.
Then, it was found that there was not enough clearance between the axle and the gray water tank. This could cause some damage if you went over a bump or hit a pot hole. Or the axle would rub against the gray water tank and cause it to leak once both the tank and the trailer were loaded.
Another common problem may be dealer attitude. It seems that some dealers are very slow in fixing any problem you may encounter. Plus, they may not do a very good job if they get to the repair work at all. Some owners have had their trailers at a dealer for weeks without any work being done to them.
Other owners complained about the customer service from the company itself. They were not happy with the treatment they received and made their opinions known on the different review sites.
It is to be expected that there will be some problems with any RV or trailer. However, with the news that Gulfstream is losing its grip on its product and not making very good trailers anymore, owners may experience a laundry list of issues that may or may not get fixed.
Finding Gulfstream RV Replacement Parts
This should not be that hard to do since the company is still making travel and other trailers. There is a website link you can try. It is supposed to be part of the company and you may get those hard-to-find parts direct from them.
If you own an older Gulfstream Class A motorhome, then this link takes you to a salvage yard that sells parts for those vehicles. We cannot say what parts are available but there are models listed from various years to help you out.
Getting parts for those older Class A RVs may be difficult as they may use unique components that are not being made anymore. Junk yards may be your best bet.
For those components not made by Gulfstream, like Dometic, Thetford, and other name brand products, you may find replacement parts at Amazon. You won’t find any for Gulfstream.
The best thing we can say is that if the company doesn’t have what you need, and the salvage yards are fresh out, look to the classified ads or the independent RV parts dealers. These are located in different states and may be near you.
Sometimes, if you are looking for headlights, as an example, you may find the same type on a Taurus or a Lincoln or some other brand and make of car. That is what the owners of the Gulfstream discussion forum suggested back in 2010 when someone was looking for headlight replacements.
Finally, look to the dealers to solve your parts problems. You may pay more but they should know where to get some quickly for you. Or they can get them from the company directly.
Download a Gulfstream Motorhome Owners Manual
The best place to go would be Gulfstream’s website. They have a link in the Owner’s resource center that will take you directly to the manuals they have on hand. Just click here to get to that resource.
The company is also building an archive so that resources may be available soon. Then manuallib seems to only have one for both the travel trailer and 5th wheel trailers.
It seems to be a combined owner’s manual as the title indicates. There is also no year listed on this particular one so you may have to do some searching of that website to find more options.
Those two locations seem to be your best bet, even for older models made by that company. There are other websites talking about how to find manuals for older RVs but none of those suggestions will beat talking to Gulfstream directly.
Plus, Gulfstream may have those manuals for free. Going to other companies may cost you a few dollars to download one.
Gulfstream RV Phone Number
If you lose track of this article and website, make a note of its content. Or just go to the Gulfstream website linked to above. There you will find the contact us link at the bottom of all web pages.
That contact us web page has a form you can fill out and let them know your concern. Or you can use their toll-free phone number to talk directly to a human. That number is 1-800-289-8787 (8 AM - 4 PM Eastern Time).
If you want to drive in to see the factory or head office then their address is-503 South Oakland Avenue Nappanee, IN 46550. That page also has links to contact their sales department and to get a price quote on one of their recent models.
There is also a link to their find a dealer web page and that is in the middle of the contact page as well as at the top of the page in its main navigation menu. Getting a hold of this company is not going to be difficult.
We are not sure if they still hold tours of their facilities or not. There were canceled at one time, around 2012ish but no word if they have continued that practice. There is a web page that lets you take 360 video tours of their trailers, etc.,
List Of Gulfstream Motorhome Dealers
The best thing we can do is link you to their dealer locator web page. That way you can use their system to find a dealer near you. Just click here to access this convenient dealer finder.
When we did a search for this section, there were far too many independent dealers available which makes placing them here impossible. They are located all around the company.
One of the dealers you may not like was Camping World RV Sales. You can also find Gulfstream RVs for sale in the different RV classifieds like RV Trader and so on.
The next best thing to do to find a dealer near you is to use the internet and conduct a local search. That should turn up a few within a hundred miles of your location. Or you just take a drive in your town or city to see which RV dealerships sell this brand of RV.
How Are Gulfstream Trailers Made?
The company seems to employ three different construction techniques. Those are listed below:
1. The conventional construction method- this is the method that uses wood studs, fiberglass insulation, and aluminum siding. These materials are put together using the Uni Body technology.
The models that are made using this option are- Innsbruck, Ameri-Lite, Kingsport, Track & Trail
2. The laminated construction method- combines fiberglass aluminum framing, closed-cell polyfoam insulation, and several other outer and inner structure materials that feature heat resistant adhesives.
Plus, each layer of the walling is vacuum bonded into lightweight, rigid laminated paneling that is used for ceilings, floors, and walls.
The models using this method are- Northern Express, Vintage Cruiser, Vista Cruiser, and Gulf Breeze Champagne.
3. Built A Better Way Construction Method- uses 16 structural enhancements to provide a more stable and stronger manufactured product. The models utilizing this method are- Conquest Class C and BT Cruiser.
There should be more models using each of these methods. These are just examples.
Some Final Words
The Gulfstream Coach Inc company is still in business. However, as you have seen, it seems that the owners have lost a step or two in their production quality. Their standards seem to have slipped a little over recent years.
But that does not mean you cannot get a very good travel and other trailers from this company. There are many satisfied owners out there that tells everyone the company has not given up yet. Check them out to see the difference between them and the big boys.
