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Old 03-11-2013, 07:01 PM   #1
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Chinook is or isn't out of business?

I was looking for the date Chinook went OOB and found
http://www.fretzrv.com/

Who seems like they might be making the line. Anyone know? It would be awesome if you could still get a Chinook Baja after all...
http://www.fretzrv.com/page.aspx/pageid/23651/page.aspx

So who knows the deal with Chinook?

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Old 03-11-2013, 08:10 PM   #2
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

Huh. Fretz RV is 30 minutes from my house. They are located just north of Philadelphia. They are just your average RV dealer (I almost bought a used Dodge SMB from them a few years ago). I'd be surprised if they make Chinooks; I think those web pages are just legacy pages that they have left up, or perhaps they cloned Chinook's website to save it for some reason (kind of looks like that, as the Chinook interlinks work but resolve to the Fretz web domain).

This page on their site talks about Trail Wagons/Chinook closing their manufacturing facility in Washington: http://www.fretzrv.com/page.aspx/pageid/23610/page.aspx

As an interesting aside/small world connection, my wife's family had a Chinook pop-top motorhome on a Toyota pickup chassis in the late 70s, and they bought it from Fretz!
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Old 03-11-2013, 08:18 PM   #3
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

my mom had one of those toyota pop top chinooks and it was pretty cool but got really moldy parked in rainy Portland OR. The Fritz RV site is showing 2001? model Ford Bajas...... According to this site, Chinook is OOB: http://gotnarcosis.com/brucewittmeier/t ... urers.html
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Old 03-11-2013, 08:18 PM   #4
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

They seem illusive. The Baja model was what I wanted before my SMB but it seemed like everything was used. Don't know if they quit making the Baja back then or if they still make them now for that matter but I can't find one. Funny, but when I searched of pics of new Baja's there were tons of pics but none were a new looking model. Even more funny, some were SMB's...pics off this site. You would think if they are still making a line of Chinook RV's, it would be easier to find a picture of em. Like the dealer is sucking you in using a long gone item...ya think?
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Old 03-11-2013, 08:21 PM   #5
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

According to another website the following RV manufacturers are out of business:

Alfa
Ameri Camp
Big Foot RV
Chinook - Trail Wagons
Rag'n
Dolphin
Extreme RV
King of the Road
National RV
Pilgrim International
Sun Valley Inc.
Sunline Coach Company
Travel Supreme
Travelaire
Weekend Warrior
Western RV

It really looks like Chinook is no longer in business.

Mike
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Old 03-11-2013, 08:23 PM   #6
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

Over on the Yahoo "Chinook owners forum" there was a conversation about the new owner of Chinook about a month ago. He owns Wagon Trail RV in Nevada and Creston RV in Montana, and now Chinook. He joined the group and talked about his plans of resurrecting the Chinook RV.

Here's a link to the thread... http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chi ... sage/10634
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Old 03-11-2013, 08:31 PM   #7
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350
According to another website the following RV manufacturers are out of business:

Alfa
Ameri Camp
Big Foot RV
Chinook - Trail Wagons
Rag'n
Dolphin
Extreme RV
King of the Road
National RV
Pilgrim International
Sun Valley Inc.
Sunline Coach Company
Travel Supreme
Travelaire
Weekend Warrior
Western RV

It really looks like Chinook is no longer in business.

Mike
Bluebird Wanderlodge should be on that list as well...I've owned 3 of them over the years, thier built like a tank. They went out of business a few years ago.

I still have my 04 M380...
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Old 03-11-2013, 09:16 PM   #8
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

Chinook was based in Yakima WA where I live, They shut down many years ago but there are quite a few Baja's roaming around central WA
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Old 03-12-2013, 12:24 PM   #9
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

We drive by the former Chinook shop on I-82 occasionally and it is now covered by a shopping center... I used to lust after a Class B+ but the rear door just doesn't provide the same camping ambiance as the side barn doors on the Class B's.

There used to be a sign near Chinook that said "Welcome to Yakima, the Palm Springs of Washington."

Ah, here it is:



And an article about the bankruptcy.
http://www.rvbusiness.com/2005/11/wa...-receivership/
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Old 03-12-2013, 09:48 PM   #10
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Re: Chinook is or isn't out of business?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
:lol:
That sign is still there!!
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