Bankruptcy!

[Surfer]

The Tirus Group which owns brands such as Kip (currently the most popular caravan brand in Holland - and with full order books), Home-car, Beyerland, Chateau, and others has filed for bankruptcy. The reason quoted is that the Dutch caravan market has shrunk by almost 40% in the last few years and apparently their banks have no faith in the future of the business.

The Tirus Group also owns Lunar in the UK and Cabby in Sweden - and this could be a concern to many owners of Lunar caravans. Will those Lunar owners be able to get spares for their caravans in a year's time. Rover is still fresh in the mind.

 

[Peter_374225034]

This might work out well for Lunar.

UK Management buyout will make them truly british again.

 

[KeithJ]

Strange that "the Dutch caravan market has shrunk by almost 40%" when the Dutch people seem to be the most avid caravanners in Europe - you find them everywhere!

Keith

 

[George2]

'Dutch people seem to be the most avid caravanners in Europe - you find them everywhere! '

But they seem quite happy with 5,10,15 year old caravans!!

 

[KeithJ]

Maybe that's the answer

 

[Peter_374225034]

Thank you for your recent email regarding the Tirus Group.

You are correct in your statement that the Tirus Group has applied for bankruptcy of some of the companies under it's umbrella. One of these companies is Chateau Caravans, which in turn owns Lunar Caravans in the UK.

Lunar Caravans Ltd is still continuing to trade as normal in all manners, and will continue to do so.

Lunar Caravans are in the final stages of completion of a management buy from the administrators of Chateau Caravans in order to bring the company back solely into UK ownership, which is why the bankruptcy has not affected us.

Please rest assured that you are safe to continue with your purchase of your new Lunar Caravan, and that you will continue to be looked after by your retailer and ourselves for the long term.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further concerns.

Kind regards

Martin B Henderson

Sales Manager.

 

[Surfer]

I am pleased to see people copying from other forums a reply I got from Lunar.

 

[rob_jax]

Not attributing sources to reports is one of the aspects of forum postings

Robert

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

i got told by my dealer today that lunar are still trading here but under the receivers. they should know they are a lunar dealer as awell as other manu's.

i wouldnt buy a lunar now , you could lose deposits, all your money, never get your van and no warrenty work done.

i feel so sorry for all the lunar customers and people who have ordered one.

jo-anne

 

[vernon]

I have just spoken to a Dutch friend, who said that it is the holding company, Tirus, who have problems, and Kip has a good order book, and they are hoping for a buyer to take over the caravan side of the business.

 

[Surfer]

i got told by my dealer today that lunar are still trading here but under the receivers. they should know they are a lunar dealer as awell as other manu's.

i wouldnt buy a lunar now , you could lose deposits, all your money, never get your van and no warrenty work done.

i feel so sorry for all the lunar customers and people who have ordered one.

jo-anne

I think your dealer is talking poppy ****! Lunar are not in receivership at the present moment as it is a stand alone company within a group.

 

[rob_jax]

I'll re-iterate my original posting from the T&T forum:

On November 9, the Tirus Group (which owns Kip, Lunar, Cabby and others) which lists three people as employees, applied for protection against creditors - news of this financial position has to be advertised in the Dutch (and Belgian) press - and it was announced that the Chateau manufacturing plants in Belgium had closed (several hundred jobs in two plants)

It is hoped that Kip, Lunar and Cabby (and as many others as possible) will in the Dutch language "doorstart" - be able to continue (under new ownership) - because having failed to find support from their banks, under Dutch law the Tirus Group will end up selling these subsidiaries. The closure of Chateau will initially cause a few problems because the Belgian plants built components for the other groups too.

Robert

 

[Guest]

Does this also include the Christall range of vans and motorhomes. Christall is a German Company but sells vans under the Kip and Beyerland name as well. It also uses the Chateau factory in Belgium.

 

[Rioja]

As a great Lunar fan, I have owned 5, I have every confidence in their future.I read this comment with interest though

"Please rest assured that you are safe to continue with your purchase of your new Lunar Caravan, and that you will continue to be looked after by your retailer and ourselves for the long term.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further concerns.

Kind regards

Martin B Henderson

Sales Manager."

What happened with my van that ended up with me having to pay for axle repairs on a two year old van as your dealer messed about so long the van went out of warrenty. OK this was 2002, but it has put me off buying another brand new one again.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi ScotchLad,

This is the link to the article in the Dutch trade press:

http://www.tourpress.nl/nieuws/10951/tirus-group-in-surseance-van-betaling.html
An on-line Dutch to English translator will do a reasonable job, but you should know that Kip = Chicken and Doorstart = Restart

It mentions most of the operating divisions, and I thought there was mention of Cristall in another news article - but I can't find that now.

Robert

 

[allen1]

I would not trust anybody who claims to be head of sales,and the Idea of a management buy out depends on who will put up the money,and lunars track record was not that great before chateux took them over.

 

[Geist]

As the songs said, It's all over now, baby blue...."

Well, almost over. I've said for some time that these are the final few years of caravaning - and now I'm getting that warm glow of satisfaction from being proved right.

How long? - I had thought five or six years, but now I can see that the end is going to come rather sooner than that. Next year will see a gallon of fuel well in excess of

 

[allen1]

Hi Giest,

Im going to to run myself a hot bath take a couple of valium have a glass of whiskey,and a very sharp razor,sod it there is no future.LOL

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

My reading of the issue with Tirus - the 40% decline in new caravan sales in Holland - is that the Dutch market has split.

My Dutch friends are still buying new, lightweight caravans - like the Kip - but people who were going to buy a mid sized or large caravan have bought motorhomes instead. The market for medium / large caravans has disappeared from underneath the Tirus group

Robert

 

[Geist]

Allen wrote: Hi Giest,

Im going to to run myself a hot bath take a couple of valium have a glass of whiskey,and a very sharp razor,sod it there is no future.LOL⇦br/>

It would be very ant-social of you to run a bath - haven't the beardies told us that one bath uses enough water to keep a third world country supplied with drinking water for 100 years? (or something like that)

I make this comment because it's the Dutch beardies who have claimed their first real scalp with the demise of Tirus. The eco-thuggery is far more advanced in Holland, and it's clear that the constant propaganda vis. the use large tow cars and the demise of the lesser spotted porcupines in Guatemala have resulted in anguished Dutch caravanners turning from their hobby in an attempt to placate the eco-Nazi's.

They never *will* be placated, however - not until everyone except the Eco bigwigs are forced onto bicycles or into pulling their goods and chattels around in a handcart - but that not the pint, they have scored an impressive victory, and it's one that will greatly encourage our own eco storm troopers into making a greater assault upon caravans (and the use of motor vehicles in general)

A delighted government will be only to pleased to raise fuel taxes through the roof - happy in the knowledge that they can dress up their massive theft in 'green' credentials.

It's easy to scoff at the ragged figure dressed in a sandwich board, who wanders the busy shopping streets proclaiming, 'The end is nigh'. Howvere, *this* time, the end really *is* nigh, at least, for those of us who enjoy caravanning it is

 

[allen1]

The dutch contingent that move south for the winter are choosing the larger van ie the Hobby,burstner, Knaus, for the longer stays in spain,as do the germans.They dont use the Kip which tends to be on the small side and very few dutch use English vans ie the swift,which claim to have a foothold in europe,our German friends regard the Kip as amusing,english vans as quaint with the three front windows and the chintz interiors,but not the cost of them.

 

[DeliDave]

diesel which many vanners use could well be next year it certainly wont be a cheap hobby if it ever was.

 

[DeliDave]

sorry missed out the

 

[Pat_374304630]

Billing Aquadrome (not too far fron Daventry,check the map).

It is a very large site.It's been going for more years than I can remember.Approx 6 years ago it was split 95% tourer/tents , 5% static caravans.Now approx 75% static caravans, 25% tourers/tents and the statics are still advancing.

Geist could be right.........

 

[geofthecyclist]

Billing Aquadrome (not too far fron Daventry,check the map).

It is a very large site.It's been going for more years than I can remember.Approx 6 years ago it was split 95% tourer/tents , 5% static caravans.Now approx 75% static caravans, 25% tourers/tents and the statics are still advancing.

Geist could be right.........

Geist - I thought you advocated hefty German vans and in fact either had one or had ordered one? Why's that then?

My understanding is that big City money is being invested in caravan parks to upgrade them on the basis that city dwellers are now wanting to get away from it all - into the countryside, and the ageing population will have the time and money for more leisure pursuits.

I would have thought that warmer weather here combined with the anti long haul aircraft lobby would also point to growth rather than recession in caravanning?