By Tom Gonser, 12/08
While we thought the closure of Western RV in Yakima would signal the final chapter in this series, with the passage of time we've found that indeed that may not be the case. As of this writing several major RV manufacturers have gone out of business, and those that have survived the current economic challenges have had to implement severe measures to keep the doors open. When we wrote what we thought might have been the last article in this series, we knew only that our Alpine had attraced the unenviable label of "orphan coach". We suspected this might entail endless headaches with service issues, with no clear options for the inevitable need for service and repairs that any RV owner knows is part and parcel of RV ownership. It was a sort of anticipation of the doctrine of horrible consequences. Yet it has not turned out that way at all.
In fact we have continued to use and enjoy our Alpine coach, with its superior handling characteristics and unique features, despite the disappearance of its original manufacturer. Our perception of the coach has changed immensily over the past six months from one of uncertainty to one of optimism. All of our first year warranty issues had been fully addressed as of the date WRV ceased operations, and with those "adjustments" taken care of we've enjoyed almost trouble-free service from a coach we've been using for extended time RVing.
We've experienced a few minor glitches, including a couple of "intermittent" electrical problems. We'd anticipated these would be the most troubling, in that there is no schematics available for what must be a very complex electrical system in our coach. We happen to have an excellent RV service tech near where we live -- a certified Master Mechanic -- and I made a point of discussing with him just how concerned I should be as the owner of an "orphan". Keith had already worked on a number of Alpine units, was familiar with them, and said that the Alpine unit is absolutely a top-end quaity product -- and that I should not be losing sleep over the fact the manufacturer was now AWOL. The few things we've had Keith look at he was able to quickly diagnose and fix -- and we're now far more confident that the sky has not fallen with the disappearance of WRV.
In fact we're enjoying our new (well, now more than two year-old) Alpine more than ever. It's a joy to drive, has exceptional features, and has been about as close to trouble-free as any unit we've ever owned, our last Country Coach Intrgue included.
We've also seen some impressive events that were created in response to this unusual challenge of having a homeless RV. Whether motivated by high fuel costs or a sense of survival, some of the regional chapters of the Alpine Coach Association suddenly grew in numbers, and provided a great deal of "self help" among members. And the online forum for Alpine owners has provided an invaluable resource for getting tips, help and guidance from other Alpine owners. More recently the national organization of the Alpine Coach Association, which some had assumed might slowly disappear, has taken on a vibrant new mission as well. In addition to developing an online database of technical information for Alpine owners (available exclusively to ACA members of course!), it took the additonal creative step of experimenting with a 90 day trial period retaining one of Western RV's former top telephone tech support persons, who is now available to ACA members as well (just provide the correct ACA membership number.).
And finally, the creative new leadership of this enterprising group has been in touch with other high-end RV manufacturers, exploring opportunities for "adoption". Initially it appears just such a surrogate parent might be on the horizon -- Tiffin Motorhomes. In fact it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Tiffin will support some future ACA rallies with tech support personnel. Taken together all these steps point to the real possibility that a strong cadre of Alpine owners will be alive, supportive, and functional for years to come. One only needs to look to the example of GMC motorhomes. These units have not been manufactured for many years, but but they continue to have a large and dedicated group of loyal owners with a continuing active agenda. Alpine owners by and large are also committed to their "brand", and the emerging vision is that over time they will find themselves in like circumstances.
The bottom line of all this seems to be, consistent with a comment that was only speculation at the time we learned that WRV had closed its doors, it appears the final chapter on this has indeed not yet been written. And meantime Alpine owners throughout the country continue to enjoy what is proving to be one of the finest coaches available.