7 Discontinued RVs That Need to Come Back

When the popular Livin’ Lite RV trailers ceased production a couple of years back, lots of people were shocked. The innovated composite and aluminum trailers had a lot going for them – and lots of fans, too.

But the manufacturer’s parent company, Thor Industries, abruptly pulled the plug on them in 2018.

Decisions like this leave a lot of RVers scratching their heads. Many of these discontinued RVs have gone out of business before they’ve gone out of style.

In fact, it seems like they were literally yanked off the showroom floor.

Many of them are missed. Today we’ll look at seven RVs that have been discontinued – and would probably be welcomed back with open arms.

Why Do RVs Get Discontinued? 

Why does this happen? There are a few different reasons that RVs get discontinued.

Companies are often tight-lipped about their reasons behind such decisions, but in most cases you can rest assured that it’s probably a financial matter.

Maybe the company itself has run into money problems, or maybe a particular model is just too costly to build. It could be that the quality control has been a costly issue.

Another possibility is that while a particular type of RV is trendy at the present time, the company sees a changing market up ahead. Maybe they feel like they’ve exhausted their sales already and want to go in a different direction.

7 Discontinued RVs and Manufacturers That Need To Come Back…Like, Today

Whatever the case, there are some discontinued RVs that we’ve hated to see go. We would love to see these seven classic campers, in particular, roll out from assembly lines once again:

Airstream Nest

Airstream RVs have been a camping mainstay for decades, and most of them have been made from aluminum. However, the company flirted with fiberglass as far back as early as the 1950s.

The Nest, however, was the result of a design from a separate company based in Bend, Oregon. Airstream bought them out in 2017 and produced the lightweight 16-footers for less than three years.

During its short life, the Airstream Nest seemed to gather a big following despite its base price of $45,900.

Born Free Motorcoach

Founded by John Dodgen, this company based in Humboldt, Iowa, made farm equipment before getting into the RV business. They had a good long run, building their solid and desirable Class C motorhomes until 2015.

Born Free RVs were custom built to order and were known for their high-quality materials, including wood cabinetry. They were powered by a Ford engine and chassis.

Dodgen Industries was in business for almost 70 years when it sold out to HBF Investments. The founder’s grandson, Brandon Dodgen, stayed on as a manager but the plant shut down two years later.

If Born Free was still in production today, it would surely make our list of the 5 best small Class C RVs.

GMC MotorHomes

Conventional wisdom is that the General Motors had a terrific product but terrible timing when it launched its motorhome.

The GMC MotorHome was built from 1973 to 1978. Unfortunately, that was during the years when gasoline was very expensive. It was also before RVs boomed in popularity.

If gas prices had been lower, maybe these Detroit beauties would have ushered in that boom.

Under the hood of the GMC MotorHome was the same 455-cubic-inch V-8 engine that powered the front-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Toronado. They were offered in a 23-foot model or a 26-foot model. More than 12,000 were built during a six-year run.

Blue Bird Wanderlodge

Blue Bird is better known for mass transit, and the Wanderlodge started its life as a school bus. It was first introduced as the Transit Home in 1963 and continued its life until 2009.

Unlike the buses, each Wanderlodges was custom built. There were more than 200 different options, so no two are exactly alike.

The early models were 31 feet in length and powered by a Ford Super Duty V-8. Later models grew to 43 feet with a Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine.

The company, headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia, ultimately decided to devote its resources to buses.

Pro Tip: There are a few good Class A RV brands out there, here are the 5 best.

Fiber Stream RV Trailers

This one’s close to our hearts, but kind of mysterious too. We knew nothing about Fiber Streams when we purchased our 1985 model just over five years ago.

We still don’t know a lot more.

From 1975 to 1986, the company made only one model – a 16-foot dual-axle travel trailer with a fiberglass body that’s molded in one piece.

The company was started in San Diego by the husband-and-wife team (the Lenards) and one additional employee. We’ve been unable to determine how many of these breadbox-style campers were constructed.

Here’s a view of the original factory guide and a little more info.

Toyota RVs

These stopped rolling out almost 30 years ago, but many of them are still rolling along. The first ones were the Toyota Chinooks that left the line in 1972.

They were actually a Toyota long-wheelbase truck chassis outfitted with camper shells made by an independent California company.

As many as 50,000 Toyota motorhomes were produced until 1994. Popular models included the Dolphin and the Sunrader.

Toyota RVs enjoy kind of a cult following today. One problem with them, however, is the added weight of the camper led to rear axle failures.

Livin’ Lite

First produced in Indiana under the name Camplite in 2009, Livin’ Lite travel trailers had a lasting impact on the industry.

They were lightweight because they were made from aluminum and composite materials rather than wood. They were built to last, though – and the ones we see out and about seem to be holding up well.

When Thor announced in 2018 they would stop making them, some were in disbelief. In its short life, Livin’ Lite had legions of fans. Dealers were sorry to see them go, too – some said they practically sold themselves.

What Discontinued RV Would You Like to See Re-Born?

Let us know in the comments what discontinued RV you’d like to see on the road again!

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