Forest River Bus
Forest River Bus is a U.S. commercial bus manufacturer operating five sub-brands (Champion, ElDorado, Glaval, Starcraft, StarTrans) that produces 14- to 45-passenger buses for commercial transit, school, and government/municipal customers through a nationwide dealer network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersGoshen, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Forest River Bus does
Forest River Bus, LLC is a U.S. commercial bus manufacturer headquartered in Goshen, Indiana, operating as a subsidiary of Forest River, Inc. (itself part of the Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate). The company produces light- to medium-duty commercial buses in configurations ranging from 14 to 45 passengers and 20 to 40 feet in length, built on Ford E350/E450/F550/F650 and Freightliner chassis platforms. Its product portfolio is organized across five sub-brands — Champion Bus, ElDorado Bus, Glaval Bus, Starcraft Bus, and StarTrans Bus — most of which were acquired from REV Group during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forest River Bus serves three primary customer segments: commercial transit and shuttle operators, school transportation providers, and government/municipal transit authorities.
The company's core technology centers on bus body manufacturing on commercial chassis, supplemented by a recently launched QR code-based maintenance tracking system and a transition to in-house warranty claims management. It backs its products with a 5-year/100,000-mile comprehensive warranty covering all installed components — an industry-leading coverage position that anchors its value proposition around reliability and total cost of ownership. Manufacturing infrastructure includes recently expanded paint facilities (50% capacity increase) as part of a broader transformation that has delivered 40+ product and process improvements.
Forest River Bus generates revenue primarily through hardware sales of buses via an authorized multi-brand dealer network across the United States, with each brand maintaining a dedicated dealer locator. A secondary revenue stream comes from aftermarket parts, maintenance services, and warranty work over the vehicle lifecycle. Pricing is quote-based and varies by passenger capacity, length, chassis selection, and customization. The company is led by President Douglas Wright and currently employs 501-1,000 people, with all production and sales activities focused on the domestic U.S. market.
Forest River Bus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forest River Bus
- Legal name
- Forest River Bus, LLC
- Website
- https://championbus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Forest River Bus is a U.S. commercial bus manufacturer operating five sub-brands (Champion, ElDorado, Glaval, Starcraft, StarTrans) that produces 14- to 45-passenger buses for commercial transit, school, and government/municipal customers through a nationwide dealer network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forest River Bus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Bus Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (3361)
- SIC
- Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)
- akta.pro primary industry
- City/Urban Transit Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Shuttle/Paratransit & Community Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAD), Intercity/Coach (Touring) Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAB)
Keywords
Where Forest River Bus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Goshen
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forest River Bus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Bus Manufacturing and Sales: Forest River Bus generates primary revenue through the manufacture and sale of commercial buses across multiple brands. The company produces vehicles ranging from 14-passenger to 45-passenger capacity on various chassis platforms (Ford E350, E450, F550, F650, Freightliner). Revenue is generated through dealer network sales to commercial, government, and transit operators.
- Aftermarket Parts and Service: Revenue derived from replacement parts, maintenance services, and extended warranty offerings. The comprehensive five-year, 100,000-mile warranty covering all installed components creates a service revenue stream for parts and repairs over the vehicle lifecycle.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Forest River Bus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forest River Bus manufactures commercial buses across multiple sub-brands (Champion Bus, ElDorado Bus, Glaval Bus, Starcraft Bus, and StarTrans Bus), producing light- to medium-duty vehicles on Ford and Freightliner chassis platforms with passenger capacities ranging from 14 to 45 and lengths from 20 to 40 feet. The company sells primarily through an authorized dealer network to commercial transit operators, government and municipal transit agencies, school transportation providers, and paratransit service operators.
Product overview
Forest River Bus operates as a multi-brand bus manufacturing platform comprising multiple sub-brands: Champion Bus, ElDorado Bus, Glaval Bus, Starcraft Bus, and StarTrans Bus. The company manufactures commercial buses across various configurations, including models under the Champion brand (Challenger, Crusader, Defender F550, Defender F650, Defender S2C) built on Ford E350/E450/F550/F650 and Freightliner chassis platforms, with passenger capacities ranging from 14 to 45 and lengths from 20' to 40'. Following its acquisition of REV Group brands during the COVID-19 pandemic, Forest River Bus has implemented over 40 product and process changes and offers a comprehensive five-year, 100,000-mile warranty covering all installed components.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Champion Bus: Bus manufacturer offering multiple models including Challenger, Crusader, Defender F550, Defender F650, and Defender S2C on various Ford and Freightliner chassis
- ElDorado Bus
- Glaval Bus
- Starcraft Bus
- StarTrans Bus
Products and services
- Champion Bus Champion Bus is a sub-brand of Forest River Bus that produces light- and medium-duty commercial buses including Challenger, Crusader, and Defender series built on Ford E350, E450, F550, F650 and Freightliner chassis platforms for commercial transit and shuttle operators.
- Champion Challenger The Challenger is a commercial transit bus model offered under the Champion Bus brand for commercial passenger transportation applications.
- Champion Crusader The Crusader is a commercial transit bus model offered under the Champion Bus brand for passenger transportation operators.
- Champion Defender F550 The Defender F550 is a commercial transit bus built on the Ford F550 chassis, part of the Defender series within the Champion Bus brand, designed for medium-duty passenger transportation.
- Champion Defender F650 The Defender F650 is a commercial transit bus built on the Ford F650 chassis, part of the Defender series within the Champion Bus brand, designed for heavier-duty passenger transportation.
- Champion Defender S2C The Defender S2C is a commercial transit bus model in the Defender series within the Champion Bus brand, featuring specific configurations tailored for commercial passenger transport use cases.
- ElDorado Bus ElDorado Bus is a wholly owned sub-brand of Forest River Bus that manufactures commercial buses for the multi-brand dealer network.
- Glaval Bus Glaval Bus is a wholly owned sub-brand of Forest River Bus that manufactures commercial buses as part of the company's multi-brand portfolio.
- Starcraft Bus Starcraft Bus is a wholly owned sub-brand of Forest River Bus that manufactures commercial buses, included in the Forest River Bus brand family.
- StarTrans Bus StarTrans Bus is a wholly owned sub-brand of Forest River Bus that manufactures commercial buses, included in the company's brand offerings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% expansion of paint facilities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Forest River Bus
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Forest River Bus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Forest River Bus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Forest River Bus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Collins Bus: A sister Forest River brand producing Type A school and activity buses on Ford and Chevrolet chassis. Directly comparable as a small/mid-duty bus builder in the same corporate family, competing for adjacent dealer and fleet customers.
- Blue Bird Corporation: Leading U.S. school bus manufacturer offering Type C/D buses, including electric and propane variants. A direct peer for Forest River Bus in the school transportation segment and a relevant comparable for fleet customers.
- Thomas Built Buses: Daimler Truck subsidiary producing Type C and D school buses and specialty buses. Competes with Forest River Bus in school transportation and commercial shuttle segments, sharing the Freightliner chassis heritage.
- Gillig: Major U.S. manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, including low-floor and electric models. Directly competes with Forest River Bus for U.S. transit agency procurements, though focused on heavier-duty segments.
- Trans Tech Bus: A sibling Forest River brand manufacturing Type A and D school and transit buses, including the Saf-T-Liner lines. Comparable product platform to Forest River Bus for mid-duty transit and shuttle applications.
- IC Bus (Navistar): Navistar's school and commercial bus brand producing Type C/D school buses and CE-Series commercial buses. Overlaps with Forest River Bus in commercial shuttle, paratransit, and school transportation segments using shared chassis platforms.
- New Flyer: North America's largest transit bus manufacturer (NFI Group), producing heavy-duty low-floor transit, articulated, and electric buses. Competes with Forest River Bus in the U.S. transit and shuttle market, particularly for government and municipal contracts.
Emerging players
- ARBOC Specialty Vehicles: Specialty bus builder focused on low-floor transit and paratransit applications using proprietary body designs. An emerging competitor in the accessible transit niche where Forest River Bus's Champion and ElDorado brands also compete.
- Motiv Power Systems: U.S. builder of battery-electric chassis for medium-duty buses and trucks, partnering with body builders such as forest river-adjacent firms to electrify shuttle and transit fleets. Relevant comparable for Forest River Bus's BEV transition path.
- GreenPower Motor Company: Manufacturer of zero-emission school and transit buses (Type A/D) targeting U.S. fleets. An emerging EV-focused competitor relevant to Forest River Bus's electrification trajectory in shuttle and small transit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Forest River Bus social profiles
Digital presenceForest River Bus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forest River Bus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Forest River Bus subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Forest River Bus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forest River Bus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forest River Bus
What does Forest River Bus do?
Forest River Bus manufactures commercial buses across multiple sub-brands (Champion Bus, ElDorado Bus, Glaval Bus, Starcraft Bus, and StarTrans Bus), producing light- to medium-duty vehicles on Ford and Freightliner chassis platforms with passenger capacities ranging from 14 to 45 and lengths from 20 to 40 feet. The company sells primarily through an authorized dealer network to commercial transit operators, government and municipal transit agencies, school transportation providers, and paratransit service operators.
When was Forest River Bus founded?
Forest River Bus was founded in 2001. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Forest River Bus based?
Forest River Bus is headquartered in Goshen, United States, in the North America region.
How does Forest River Bus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Bus Manufacturing and Sales are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Parts and Service.
Who are Forest River Bus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Collins Bus, Blue Bird Corporation, Thomas Built Buses, Gillig, Trans Tech Bus, IC Bus (Navistar) and New Flyer. Emerging players are ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, Motiv Power Systems and GreenPower Motor Company.
Does Forest River Bus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forest River Bus.
What industry is Forest River Bus in?
Forest River Bus's product category is Commercial Bus Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACADAA, City/Urban Transit Bus Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMACADAD, Shuttle/Paratransit & Community Bus Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3361 and its SIC code is 3713.