As one of the newest Barth owners, I can't help but wonder if there are any statistics about how many the company built. How many different models and lengths? How many each year? It would just add to the enjoyment and mystic of ownership.

Nick Cagle

I can account for: 1.

Estimates have been that Barth made about 300 vehicles per year, many of which were specialty units like SWAT Team toters, fake trolleys, medical labs, and bookmobiles.

To start the arguments, I'm going to guess they made around 6-7,000 actual motorhomes.

BTW (OT Alert) - your copies of the Sharp microwave instructions went out today (late); mail will be picked up tomorrow.

To wet your appetite, I can tell you about body styles and chassis's...

--- denotes body style model
+ denotes chassis that could be had in that body style

--- Regency 86-96
--- Monarch 94-98
+ Gillig Chassis
+ Spartan Air Chassis
+ MCC Chassis 198?-198?
--- Regal, Regal SE & Euro 7?-9?
+ Oshkosh Chassis Pusher
+ Oshkosh Chassis Puller
+ P-32 Chassis
--- Breakaway 90-95
+ Spartan Spring Chassis
== Others ==
--- Sovereign
- International Chassis
--- Iveco
- Class C 69-8?
- Travel Trailer Forum 63-69'ish
- Trolley cars and other types of commercial coaches

quote:

Add the...
--- Royal
--- Aristocrat

If someone wants to add more or fill in the blanks for years... Please, have at it, I'm not sure this is 100% correct...

˙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
Quick Link: Members Only Link To Send Me A Private Message

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:

--- Regency 86-96
--- Monarch 94-98
--- Breakaway 90-95

Bill, as a newcomer what are the major differences in the 3 models that were manufactured at the same time.

Thanks, Nick

Add the Royale and Aristocrat.

Mine is a 1975, guess it doesn't have a classification such as Monarch, Regency, etc?

As I gather the information for the data tag project, I'm lead to believe that the number of Barths built maybe far less than previously thought. Most of the information I have gathered comes from reading sales brochures and magazine articles and ads on Dave's CD and other internet research.

We know that Barth begin production in the 1968 to 1969 time frame. At that time they were only using one chassis, engine, transmission combination. The Chevrolet chassis, 454 engine and turbo 400 transmission. The coaches were offered in several lengths ranging from 21 feet to 34 feet. There were also a few class C built on a Chevrolet chassis with a 350 engine. It appears that this is the only coaches built until sometime in the very late 70's or early 80's. With this simple production quantities, Barth never produced more than 300 hundred units in a year.

Now along comes the energy crisis of 1973 and Barth's sales plummeted. An article from tincantourists.com states that Barth emerged from the crisis and altered its long-term vision by dedicating itself to manufacturing custom coaches designed for commercial purposes like mobile offices, medical support vehicles, dental labs, libraries, and remote TV production units.
This would certainly reduce their capacity to build RV's.

In the 80's Barth begin to use chassis and engines from several different manufacturers. Both front engine and rear engine. The Coaches begin to come in different models and configurations. The Coaches became bigger and more complex to build. All of these factors would greatly reduce the quantity of units they were capable of producing.

By the 90's Barth's financial situation had begin to deteriorate badly. The recession of the 90's hurt all of the luxury sales. Barth's timing to try to move more into the upscale market of the large and expensive Regency and Monarch was a big mistake. One comment by another member was that when they went to pickup their new Monarch the place was almost empty. According to an interview in RV News, September, 1996, Bill Prinz, president of Barth RSV, Inc., said the company had sales of $4.5 million in 1995. At an average cost of $250,000 that is a total of 18 units for the year.

We have a Data Tag dated August, 1974 with unit number 1563. I guess it is possible, although in a manufacturing startup operation, I have my doubts that Barth built 1563 units in 6 years between 1968 and 1974.

Now the energy crisis and the slow down, a Data Tag dated May, 1984 with unit number 3087. This means that in the ten years between 1974 and 1984, Barth built 1524 units, an average of 152 per year.

The complexities of the 80's and the division of capacity between the traditional lines and the new Diesel Pushers limits volume. We have a Data Tag dated May, 1993 with unit number 3864. 777 units in 9 years, an average of 86 per year.

In addition to these were the introduction of the Regency and Monarch lines, which carried their own unit numbers. The newest Regency tag is dated October, 1992 and is number 164. The only Monarch tag is dated August, 1996 and is number 22.

Based on these numbers it is my estimate that the total units produced by Barth including all RV's and Commercial units is approximately 4000.

Please give me your feedback on this analysis.

Thanks,
Nick

I've always been of the impression that the number of Barths built is far less then people think. Read up on this post Nick for my thoughts and Dave's response. I really don't know, and I guess the people who do know, ain't talkin'

I wonder if the numbers started in 1963 with the first trailer. The first motor home was in 1968 or 1969, depending what you read. In 88 they quoted 300 "units" a year. 1970 was the last trailer.

Hoping this helps put a few more pieces in the puzzle.

Bill N.Y., It is your coach that makes me believe that the commercial units are included in the total production. Your commercial unit number 3709 dated Feb 91 is correctly between a Breakaway number 3699 and a Breakaway number 3710.
Nick

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
I wonder if the numbers started in 1963 with the first trailer. The first motor home was in 1968 or 1969, depending what you read. In 88 they quoted 300 "units" a year. 1970 was the last trailer.

Hoping this helps put a few more pieces in the puzzle.

Bill H., I think you are probably correct in that the trailers are included. That would just mean probably a 1000 less coaches. I just know from 30 years manufacturing experience that startup operations never go as smoothly or quickly as planned. As far as the quoted 300 units a year, I have seen that number in more than one article including the October, 88 RV Trade Digest. I suspect that was wishful thinking on managements part. They did probably hit 300 at sometime in the 71 or 72 time frame when they were using the one model of production.
Nick

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
1970 was the last trailer.

In the land of Barth nothing is as simple as that.

Behold the beauty of a 1979 Barth Dental Trailer with 36 additional pictures at this link.

Wouldn't it be something if someone could read the data tag on this puppy?

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
In 88 they quoted 300 "units" a year.

That number has been floated around many times. Seeing that the tag info seems to suggest less then that maybe that number refers to their best years.

Maybe this was the era of the 300 units. A search using the words "Iraq" and "Euro" will produce several more good hits.

Bill N.Y., Believe it or not the build number on the dental trailer actually fits in the numbers we have so far. Now just for the fun of it!! S79032614TD31.
S special order 7903 March, 79 2614 sequence t trailer d dental 31 length of the actual trailer minus the tongue.

We have data tag 1563 dated 8/30/74 and tag 2755 dated 2/11/81.

Nick

Anyone ever talk to Lee Merriman, he would know to the coach. He has the company paperwork. I estimate 9000 Barth vehicles made.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bowers:
Anyone ever talk to Lee Merriman, he would know to the coach. He has the company paperwork. I estimate 9000 Barth vehicles made.

Dave, they would have had to average 300 units a year for 30 years to have 9000. From 1968 to 1998 do you think they did that. My estimate 4500.

Nick