Cover Art: Forest River Bus & Van management team (L to R): Director of Sales-Bus Mike Terlep, President-Bus, Van and Marine Divisions Douglas Wright, General Sales Manager Bus & Van Jay Nine, and General Manager-Van Nate Ritchie The bus world mourned when Peter Liegl, the visionary founder of RV and bus manufacturer Forest River, passed away in late 2024. Still consistently working at 80 at the company he loved, Liegl’s contribution to the industry was recognized by none other than Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, to whom Liegl had sold his company in the early 2000s. In a letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett praised Liegl’s respected leadership as well as his humility, adding that Forest River was one of their most successful acquisitions.
Liegl’s legacy and spirit are still felt throughout the organization, especially the creative and passionate team that is moving Forest River into its next era. To accomplish these goals, Forest River split their leadership, with Doug Gaeddert and David Wright serving as co-CEOs, both of whom were mentored by Liegl. Gaeddert’s concentration has been on the RV side, while Wright has steadily and adeptly guided the bus division, growing the organization into a conglomerate. Since their first bus brand acquisition, Starcraft, in 2001, the bus and van divisions now include longtime nameplates like Champion, ElDorado, Forest River Van, MobilityTRANS, Glaval, Collins, StarTrans, Trans Tech, and, most recently, L.A. West Coaches. Although there is some overlap, the lineup encompasses a variety of sectors, from luxury shuttles and vans to ADA-compliant vehicles to school buses.
Douglas Wright, president of bus, van, and marine divisions After two decades with the company, David Wright announced earlier this year that he would retire, but not before presiding over the absorption of L.A. West, officially launching Forest River Bus & Van into the luxury market. After a mutually beneficial conversation with L.A. West Owner Vern Kauffman, the well-respected builder became a part of the Forest River family in February. Kauffman and his longtime team of craftsmen remain with the company.
L.A. West, a Mercedes-Benz eXpert Upfitter, is known for its attention to detail and industry-leading features like their European-style portal doors. Among their most popular vehicles are the Ford Transit and—by a country mile—their 14-passenger Sprinter, which consistently claims the top spot year after year.
L.A. West’s fabrication department In the announcement about the acquisition, Kauffman commented: “The ultimate compliment as a manufacturer is to be recognized by Forest River Bus & Van as a desirable addition to their portfolio of brands. Forest River has great respect for the technology we’ve built and taken to market, for our incredible team, and for our culture. The additional resources that Forest River Bus brings to L.A. West will further accelerate our growth and market penetration in the luxury transportation segment.”
Forest River’s bus, van, and marine divisions are now run by a different Wright—President Douglas Wright, who has been with the company since 2019 and was previously general manager. He came to Forest River with more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, including as a principal in a Chrysler dealership in Upstate New York.
“We carry a tremendous responsibility—not just to build a great bus, but to respond quickly, openly, and effectively when challenges arise,” says Wright.
L.A. West’s AC installation In the past six years, Wright has become deeply entrenched in all sides of the bus division, overseeing parts and service as well as the warranty department. The automotive world, he says, is extremely data-driven due to the massive number of units they produce each year, while bus manufacturing is more intimate and custom-built. His goal is to blend the best of both worlds.
Of course, that includes giving customers access to their nationwide network of dealers and an industry-leading warranty of 5 years/100,000 miles that covers everything on every vehicle, a groundbreaking guarantee that Wright says was an industry first. To enhance their commitment to customer service throughout the organization, Forest River Bus & Van recently announced two newly created positions: Ryan Lamb was appointed director of customer experience while Matt Steele is now director of dealer experience. Both are seasoned professionals in the bus sector who will work closely with Mike Terlep, a Forest River RV veteran who was just promoted to director of sales for the bus division.
Final adjustment of an L.A. West portal door “Matt’s and Ryan’s main roles are really straightforward: They’re helping us get better at everything we do,” says Wright. “Ryan looks at it from the customer standpoint by going out there and talking to end users while Matt addresses our dealers’ concerns. They bring that information to us, which strengthens our sales, service, and production teams. We have a responsibility to everyone in that line, from the dealers who sell the buses to the mechanics who service them.”
Forest River Bus & Van also has a standing partnership with many of the OEMs like Ford, International, GM, Chevrolet, and Freightliner. These longstanding relationships even help to shape the industry.
“Forest River is American owned, and our vehicles are American made,” says Wright. “We have very few components that come from overseas, usually only specialty items like video or audio, which means that tariffs have had a limited impact on us. We have no plans to increase our prices because of tariffs, which is a benefit to our customers and dealers.”
L.A. West production team The past five years have been an inflection point for almost every industry on the planet, the bus industry included, and Wright says that they are about 80-85% to where they were in 2019. He notes that operators have kept their existing buses longer to squeeze the maximum life out of their investment—a testament to the longevity of their vehicles, but also to the recovery of business and leisure travel.
With a diverse lineup of products, a solid company culture, and dedicated experts in the right roles to help steer Forest River’s next chapter, Wright is excited about the changes that are already happening.
“We’re redefining support—not just a call center or a policy, but a part of everything we do to build, deliver, and maintain vehicles that truly matter. Our work isn’t only about vehicles—it’s about independence, opportunity, and everyday life. We are transporting what matters,” says Wright. [CD0725]
