Viking RV
Viking RV
580 West Burr Oak Street
Centreville, MI 49032
Viking RV
Viking RV is still in business and can be found at the link above. The following information was taken from archives on the Coachmen Industries website. I've added other information where it is relevant.
While manufacturing folding camping trailers is currently the name of the game at Viking RV, that has not always been the case. In fact, when Coachmen Industries, Inc. acquired Viking in 1968 it was not known as Viking RV. Rather, the company's name was Viking Boat Company. And, as its name reveals, the business was focused on the production of boats. In 1971 the production line was expanded to include fold-down camping trailers. The original location was in Middlebury, IN. Shortly after the business commenced it became apparent that the boating and camping trailer lines would require separate marketing strategies as well as separate dealer bases in order to be successful. As a result, in 1974 the fold-down camper manufacturing facility was moved from Middlebury, Indiana to its present location in Centreville, Michigan occupying Wheel Camper’s old facilities. Coachmen Industries acquired Wheel Camper's assets when their business folded. After Steury Boat Company's operations were shut down in 1979 the Viking Boat Company's operations were moved to Goshen, Indiana occupying Steury's manufacturing facilities. Viking Boat Company was retained as a separate division until it was sold to Murray Chris-Craft in 1982.
In 1976 the Viking Recreational Vehicle division was technically established; its purpose was to manufacture lightweight, durable fold-down camping trailers and truck campers.
Returning its focus to the production of fold-down camping trailers, Viking sold the truck camper division to Lite-Craft in the early 1990s.
In late 2008 the Coachmen sold its RV Group to Forest River, an RV maker owned by Berkshire Hathaway who purchased Forest River in 2005. Forest River purchased most of the RV Group's assets, including the central manufacturing facility in Middlebury, Indiana, for about $42 million in cash. Coachmen retained the wheelchair-accessible bus product line it produces for ARBOC Mobility LLC.