Hallmark Truck Camper Company files for bankruptcy

[DirtWhiskey]

Most likely path is for the debtors (the panel guys and anybody else) to force a sale of the assets. If they feel like there is value there and they feel up to it, they will bid at the sale. There will be a recover that will bundle the classes of creditors and rank them. Unsecured creditors like depositors will get wiped out if a sale occurs. If somebody presents a reorganization plan (yes anybody can present a reorganization plan including me or you) that the receiver thinks will protect the unsecureds, they will take it. Believe it or not Chapter 11 is supposed to place highest priority on unsecured creditors. Usually doesn't work that way because there usually no real equity in these situations.

Don't forget the owners can segregate their assets any which way but any small business requires personal skin in the game. Whether guarantees on lease, lines of credit, LOC or bank loans. Nobody gets out of 11 unscathed I'm afraid.

 

[eyemgh]

You'd be hard pressed to find a more conscientious, friendly, quality minded group than the Wards. I certainly wish them the best.

 

[hallmarkrv]

Please be advised that 99% of information being conveyed here and in these "professional" articles is purely speculation. Hallmark will say that all orders will be filled and service is fully operational. Hallmark will continue to take orders. If you want details from there please call us directly as we are fully operational and happy to shed some light on any concerns you may have. 303-659-5572 Thank you for your support and understanding in this unfortunate situation.

 

[Kingsize24]

Contacted! Thank you! ?

 

[joepittsburgh]

Please be advised that 99% of information being conveyed here and in these "professional" articles is purely speculation. Hallmark will say that all orders will be filled and service is fully operational. Hallmark will continue to take orders. If you want details from there please call us directly as we are fully operational and happy to shed some light on any concerns you may have. 303-659-5572 Thank you for your support and understanding in this unfortunate situation.

Wishing the employees and owners of Hallmark all the best. We have enjoyed our Milner and hope to order a new Hallmark in a few years as I near retirement.

 

[TGlide]

Looking forward to getting our Milner later this year. I contacted Matt when I read about this and he reassured me they were still operating as usual.

 

[vintageracer]

Hallmark Manufacturing Bankruptcy Dismissed

Hallmark Manufacturing’s bankruptcy has been officially dismissed. We visited and found the 54 year old company moving full speed ahead.

www.truckcampermagazine.com

 

[Bruce]

I had some work done on my Milner last summer; Matt and his team were fantastic. Matt has a true passion for his products and it shows in his work. Matt hinted at some exciting build concepts that might come to fruition in the future and if he is able to follow through, it will shake up the camper market in a very good way. Let's hope Hallmark adjusts and charges forward, they make a fantastic product.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Can’t speak for Hallmark, but I’ll bet FWC is next

FWC thrived due to no competition and made an very low quality product (my 2018 Hawk was a steaming pile)

Now that’s there’s dozens of other options at this point, those that invested huge are going to lose

 

[danneskjold]

Can’t speak for Hallmark, but I’ll bet FWC is next

FWC thrived due to no competition and made an very low quality product (my 2018 Hawk was a steaming pile)

Now that’s there’s dozens of other options at this point, those that invested huge are going to lose

At least FWC is owned by a private equity firm who presumably has competent people making business decisions for them (would also likely explain the complete lack of innovation).

 

[Bruce]

"complete lack of innovation" is what keep cost to produce low for FWC; my guess is they make a killing ($/unit)....

 

[danneskjold]

"complete lack of innovation" is what keep cost to produce low for FWC; my guess is they make a killing ($/unit)....

Sure, but there is also a point at which it's detrimental - for example FWC is not really considered a "premium" manufacturer anymore due in large part to their continued use of substandard components. They are still selling campers right now with a long lead time but who knows how long that will continue now that OEV is on the market and can make a better camper with better components in a much shorter amount of time (at a premium price too, of course).

 

[ExpoMike]

I am sure cost will always play a bigger role to how popular things get. I love the OEV campers, the price point will likely keep me out of them. You're also not likely to see many on the used market for quite some time. With the new cost of a FWC a fair amount lower and having been on the market for so long (even if dated), there are a lot on the used market, so folks can get into these "offroad" campers with much less outlay. That ends up keeping the name at the "top" of the market, even if they are not the top of the market. Ask the general camper person about an offroad popup camper, 8-10 times you're likely to hear them say FWC. Basically they created the benchmark that others have shot for (and in many cases overshot by a fair amount). I love so many of the new campers hitting the market (OEV, SuperTramp, etc.) but their pricing and lack of used models in the market will keep a lot of people out of them.

 

[Cummins_expo]

Having owned Hallmark and multiple 4 Wheel Campers, I hope all works out for the Ward family. They build an outstanding product and if I wanted a full feature camper I wouldn't hesitate another.

As far as Four Wheel- The assumption here is the typical buyer is the "overlander" In reality I assume the majority of FWC camper and Hallmark buyers just want : An affordable (ish) solution to go camping, hunting, fishing. As compared to my backpacking tent FWC is downright luxury.

 

[TGK]

No argument that there are some impressive competitors to FWC in the marketplace today. And, as all of you noted, those alternatives come at a price. FWC has been around for many decades, as have a few others. I first started researching popup truck campers in 1997. At the time, I focused on them because of price and location in California as they did not have dealers in the day under the ownership at the time. I'm in the PNW and when I asked if they could direct me to someone up north who could show me one, they only had one referral. I had never seen one on the road. Used ones were not to be found, even though FWC's roots go back to the late 70's or early 80's. Now days, I see them all over the city and almost every time I venture out down the backroads. Even in 1997, they struck me as very basic, but they were a huge step up from the tent camping slog and allowed me, the wife & dogs to get out on weekends and on vacations to hit the mountains and high desert. Particularly appreciated it during the spring and fall shoulder season when temps could hover near freezing at night and one could get snowed on. That sucks when tent camping. They plugged into a niche that has exploded over the past few decades to become today's "overlanding" craze. The first moderately optioned FWC Grandby I bought mid '98 cost me $8,600 25 years ago. We mounted it on a new '99 F250 4x4 Supercar that cost $26K after some dickering. Nowadays, one would be fortunate to find just a camper for that price. The price of entry today is insane, but it is what it is. Costs have gone through the roof and wages, while certainly higher than then, have not kept pace. I guess the good news is that, if one doesn't need a setup made out of the latest composite and technology, there are used units to be had. From what I've seen recently the pre-owned price points that skyrocketed due to Covid may be settling back down a bit. I made the error of selling the truck and camper exactly 12 months before the pandemic shut downs, as we explored alternatives. I've kicked my self since. However, we have a road oriented trailer that we've had for years, so I feel fortunate in that regard.