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Dick, I just have this feeling that we're both fortunate on this one.
Jim

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I'll bet we see this one show up again. I'll be watching for it. This story is not fully written I'll bet

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Mike Umbaugh was astute enough to diversify the company when the first oil embargo hit stateside in 1973-74, turning production to the development of an aluminum high-cube delivery van.

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I also remember the convoy out to Texas, and the Arab Oil embargo. Barth had just started off manufacturing the Mini Motorhome on chopped Chevy van chassis at the time, and was able to diversify quickly into the cubed vans.

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But in I973, like so many other flourishing businesses, outside economic factors would prove to be character builders. Barth certainly wasn't exempt from experiencing the windfall - but they had an ace up their sleeves. "The day before we heard about the energy crunch we had shipped 40 motorhomes by caravan to Texas," Barth said. "We had dealers pick up their motorhomes, and we even had a little party for them. Then when we got half way home, we heard about the crunch. At that point there was no market for motorhomes.

"However, we had been talking with Chevrolet prior to leaving on the trip to Texas about how our type of construction would be excellent for what they called a high cube van. As it turned out, three days later, we looked very seriously about getting into high cube vans. It gave us a market we hadn't been in before. Chevrolet was pleased because all of a sudden they had a high inventory of chopped vans they didn't know what they were going to do with. It worked well for both Chevrolet and Barth because a bunch of high cube vans were being sold to Chevrolet dealers throughout the Midwest. That's what helped us through the crisis." Fortunately, Barth didn't suffer very long. Oh, they built a motorhome on a few occasions, but nothing like what they had seen before 1973. The energy crunch forced Barth to re-direct their efforts to develop a separate but viable part of their business... (continued in next quote)

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(cont.)... With the type of construction they had, they knew they could diversify its application toward other businesses. Enter the special vehicle market. Barth found a demand for commercial units, primarily for mobile laboratories, medical clinics, and mobile display units.

˙ʎ˙u ןןıq- „ǝןƃuɐ ʇuǝɹǝɟɟıp ɐ ɯoɹɟ pןɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ʇɐ ʞooן ɐ ƃuıʞɐʇ sı ǝɟıן oʇ ʇǝɹɔǝs ǝɥʇ„
	1990 Barth Regis Widebody 8908 0128 40RDS-C1 L-10 Cummins Allison MT647 Transmission Spartan Chassis		1991 Medical Lab Conversion 9102 3709 33S-12 Ford 460 MPFI C6 Transmission Oshkosh Chassis
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