Coachmen VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
“Built to a Higher Standard”
Coachmen RV is an American recreational vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Middlebury, Indiana, and a division of Forest River, Inc. (a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary since 2005). Founded as Coachmen Industries in 1964 by brothers Tom, Keith and Claude Corson, Coachmen produced its first travel trailer that year and grew into one of the largest mid-market RV brands in the United States. Forest River acquired Coachmen in 2008.
Coachmen produces travel trailers (Catalina, Apex, Spirit, Adrenaline), fifth wheels (Brookstone, Chaparral), Class A motorhomes (Encore, Pursuit), Class B motorhomes (Galleria, Beyond, Cross Trek), Class C motorhomes (Leprechaun, Freelander, Cross Trail) and toy haulers. Coachmen's Galleria Class B is built on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis and competes with Airstream Interstate. The brand's entry-level pricing and dealer network make it one of the most accessible mid-market RV brands.
Coachmen's parent Berkshire Hathaway (Forest River parent) trades on the NYSE under BRK.A. Recall data for every Coachmen VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Coachmen VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Coachmen at a glance
- Founded
- 1964
- Founders
- Tom, Keith, Claude Corson
- Headquarters
- Middlebury, Indiana, USA
- Parent
- Forest River / Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A, since 2008)
- Sister brands
- Cherokee, Wildwood, Salem, Cardinal, others (Forest River)
- Bestselling Class B
- Galleria (Mercedes Sprinter)
- Bestselling travel trailer
- Catalina
- Region
- Elkhart-Middlebury Indiana RV cluster
- Basic warranty
- 1 year / 12,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty
- 3 years / 36,000 miles
Decode any Coachmen VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Coachmen dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Coachmen technology
Coachmen heritage
Tom, Keith and Claude Corson founded Coachmen Industries in 1964 in Middlebury, Indiana — the heart of the Indiana RV manufacturing region (which today produces approximately 80% of US RVs). The first Coachmen trailer was a 16-foot travel trailer launched the same year. Coachmen went public on the NYSE in 1969 and grew through acquisitions of Sportscoach (1979), Georgie Boy (1981) and other RV brands. Coachmen Industries spun off Coachmen RV in 2008 to Forest River. The 2008 Coachmen sale to Berkshire Hathaway-owned Forest River completed the transition.
Market position
Coachmen competes in the mid-market RV segment alongside Forest River sister brands (Cherokee, Wildwood, Salem, Cardinal, Sandpiper, others) and against Thor Industries brands (Jayco, Airstream, Heartland, Keystone, Crossroads), Winnebago and other manufacturers. The brand's positioning emphasizes value-for-money rather than premium luxury, making Coachmen a popular entry-level RV brand for first-time buyers.
New-vehicle warranty
COACHMEN VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick COACHMEN VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any COACHMEN VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Coachmen models (1)
Frequently asked questions
When was Coachmen founded and by whom?
Coachmen was founded in 1964 by Coachmen Industries and is headquartered in Middlebury, USA.
Where is the VIN on a Coachmen vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Coachmen models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 1 Coachmen nameplates. Any 17-character Coachmen VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Coachmen warranty?
Basic: 1 year / 12,000 miles. Powertrain: 3 years / 36,000 miles (chassis dependent).
How to check Coachmen recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Coachmen RV (a Forest River division) — not the broader Coachmen Industries (the original 1964-2008 conglomerate, defunct as a separate entity) or Coachmen Industries spun-off real estate operations.
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