EXHBIIT 99.1


                                  NEWS RELEASE


For immediate release Thursday, May 2, 2002

COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC. REPORTS IMPROVED FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

        O  LOSS OF $0.04 PER SHARE MARKS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER LOSS OF
           $0.31 PER SHARE IN YEAR-EARLIER  PERIOD.

        O  WHOLESALE RV MARKET SHARE UP 14.5% SINCE  START OF THE YEAR.

        O  BACKLOGS UP SINCE START OF YEAR IN  RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND MODULAR
           HOUSING.

        O  CASH FLOW REMAINS POSITIVE  WITH $52.5 MILLION IN CASH AND SECURITIES
           AT END OF QUARTER.

ELKHART,  IND.  - Coachmen  Industries,  Inc.  (NYSE:  COA)  today  announced  a
significantly reduced loss for the first quarter of 2002 that is consistent with
its earlier  guidance  and supports the  Company's  expectation  for a return to
profitability for the full year 2002.

The loss of $0.6 million,  or $0.04 per share,  for the quarter  compares with a
loss of $4.9 million, or $0.31 per share, in the year-earlier  period. Sales for
the first quarter increased to $154.5 million versus $152.9 million in the first
quarter of 2001.

Claire C. Skinner,  Chairman,  Chief Executive Officer and President,  remarked,
"Although we are not satisfied  with even this small loss for the first quarter,
it matches the public guidance we had provided; and the underlying trends affirm
our outlook  for  further  improvement  in coming  quarters.  As a result of the
growth thus far in our RV shipments, our market share is 7.1% based on shipments
to dealers, up 14.5% just from the start of the year. The focus of our marketing
program is to sustain that momentum over the remainder of 2002. Trade statistics
show that the improving trend in shipments of  recreational  vehicles to dealers
that began in 2001 has carried over into 2002. Because inventories at the retail
level are relatively low we had expected that any strengthening in

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Coachmen Industries, Inc. Reports First Quarter
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May 2, 2002

retail sales would translate  quickly into increased  orders.  We are benefiting
not only  from that  positive  industry-wide  trend but also from the  extensive
design and product  changes that are reflected in our 2002 line of  recreational
vehicles.  The results of our Modular  Housing  group for the first quarter were
down somewhat from a year ago. This is not the strongest  period of the year for
our business because of seasonal factors, and we are encouraged that the backlog
of orders in this  business  segment was up 26% at the close of the quarter from
the end of 2001."

                                                     QUARTER ENDED
                                                        MARCH 31,
                                                     2002             2001
                                               --------------    -------------
SALES
Recreational Vehicle                            $  109,521        $  106,263
Modular Housing/Building                            44,936            46,661
                                               --------------    -------------
     Total                                      $  154,457        $  152,924
                                               ==============    ============
PRE-TAX INCOME (LOSS)
Recreational Vehicle                            $     (573)       $  (5,511)
Modular Housing/Building                              (512)             475
Other                                                  189           (2,756)
                                               --------------    -------------
                                                $     (896)       $  (7,792)
                                              ===============   ==============

RECREATIONAL VEHICLE SEGMENT

The Company's  Recreational  Vehicle  segment is  benefiting  from the improving
trend in retail purchases that began industry-wide  during the fourth quarter of
2001.  This pattern has continued  and even  accelerated  thus far in 2002.  The
Company had expected that the trend in wholesale  shipments through at least the
first half of 2002 would track  closely with the change in retail sales  because
of the relatively low level of inventory at dealers.  The uncertainty  about the
direction  of the economy  caused  dealers on an  industry-wide  basis to reduce
inventories during 2001, leaving the supply chain lean at the start of 2002.

Coachmen has the infrastructure and existing  manufacturing  capacity to be able
to increase its recreational  vehicle production  quickly.  The daily production
rate in units at  Coachmen  was up 25% versus a year ago by the end of the first
quarter.  The Company expects to continue  operating at a  significantly  higher
production rate over the remainder of 2002 and is reopening a motorhome facility
that was closed late in 2000 when the cyclical downswing in demand was starting.
The  increase  in  Coachmen's  shipment  rate in 2002 is well  above that of the
industry  as a  whole,  signifying  the  Company's  success  in  increasing  its
wholesale  market  share.  The Company  continues  to market one of the broadest
lines of recreational vehicles and is benefiting from the extensive redesign and
marketing changes made during 2001 throughout its various models.


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Coachmen Industries, Inc. Reports First Quarter
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May 2, 2002


MODULAR HOUSING AND BUILDING SEGMENT

The Company's modular  housing/building segment reported lower sales and a small
operating loss for the first quarter. One of the factors affecting this business
segment has been the sharp drop in demand from the telecom  industry  which uses
modular  structures  extensively in their  operations.  Seasonal factors make it
difficult  to  extrapolate  sales of modular  homes in the first  quarter into a
forecast for the full year. However, the backlog of homes was up at the close of
the  quarter,  and the  Company  expects an  improvement  in the results of this
business  segment  over  the  remainder  of the  year.  While  attending  to its
traditional  markets,  the Company is also  concentrating  on achieving  greater
penetration of urban markets where it can realize higher economies of scale from
advertising and other marketing expenses.

BALANCE SHEET/CASH FLOW

As of March 31, 2002,  the Company had cash and  marketable  securities of $52.5
million and shareholders' equity of $208.1 million.  Cash flow was $11.8 million
and capital expenditures totaled $1.1 million for the first quarter.

Joseph P. Tomczak,  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,  said,
"We are  continuing  to  generate  positive  cash flow and to maintain a strong,
liquid balance sheet. We had a debt/capital  ratio of 5% at the end of the first
quarter. The strength of our balance sheet provides considerable flexibility for
us to fund internal  expansion  opportunities and to consider  acquisitions that
meet our established criteria, including being complementary to our business and
accretive to earnings in the first year of ownership."

OUTLOOK

Skinner said,  "The results for the first  quarter,  which is not seasonally the
strongest period of the year for the modular housing side of our business,  were
in line with our expectations. Based on current trends, we continue to expect to
report  at  least a 10%  gain in net  sales  for  2002  and a sound  rebound  in
profitability.  We are  continuing  to  contain  costs  closely  and  anticipate
reporting earnings in each of the remaining three quarters,  leading to earnings
of approximately $0.75 per share for the full year.

"Our goal is to use the  improvement  for 2002 as a base for further  gains.  We
believe  that we can  achieve the  historical  levels of  profitability  that we
attained as recently as three years ago. We recognize the cyclical tendencies of
both of our target markets,  but each has shown consistent  above-average growth
on a long-term basis."

Founded  in 1964,  Coachmen  Industries,  Inc.  is one of the  nation's  leading
manufacturers  of recreational  vehicles with  well-known  brand names including
Coachmen(R), Georgie Boy(R), Shasta(R)and Viking(R). Coachmen Industries is also
the largest modular home

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Coachmen Industries, Inc. Reports First Quarter
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May 2, 2002

producer  in the  nation  with  its  All  American  Homes(R)  and  Mod-U-Kraf(R)
subsidiaries.   Modular   commercial   and   telecommunication   structures  are
manufactured by the Company's Miller Building Systems subsidiary.  Coachmen is a
publicly  held company with stock listed on the New York Stock  Exchange  (NYSE)
under the COA ticker symbol.

THIS  RELEASE  CONTAINS  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  WITHIN THE  MEANING OF THE
PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. INVESTORS ARE CAUTIONED NOT TO
PLACE  UNDUE  RELIANCE  ON  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS,  WHICH  ARE  INHERENTLY
UNCERTAIN. ACTUAL RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THAT PROJECTED OR SUGGESTED
DUE TO  CERTAIN  RISKS  AND  UNCERTAINTIES  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO THE
POTENTIAL  FLUCTUATIONS IN THE COMPANY'S OPERATING RESULTS, THE CONDITION OF THE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY WHICH PURCHASES MODULAR STRUCTURES, THE AVAILABILITY
AND THE PRICE OF  GASOLINE,  THE  COMPANY'S  DEPENDENCE  ON  CHASSIS  SUPPLIERS,
INTEREST RATES, COMPETITION,  GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS,  LEGISLATION GOVERNING THE
RELATIONSHIPS OF THE COMPANY WITH ITS RECREATIONAL  VEHICLE DEALERS,  THE IMPACT
OF CONSUMER  CONFIDENCE  AND ECONOMIC  UNCERTAINTY  ON  HIGH-COST  DISCRETIONARY
PRODUCT PURCHASES AND OTHER RISKS IDENTIFIED IN THE COMPANY'S SEC FILINGS.

For more information:
     Joseph P. Tomczak
     Executive Vice President and
     Chief Financial Officer
     219-262-0123

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Coachmen Industries, Inc. Reports First Quarter
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                            COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
                                   (UNAUDITED)

                                                     THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                          MARCH 31,
                                                      2002           2001
                                                  ----------     -----------
Net Sales                                         $  154,457     $   152,924

Gross Profit - $                                      19,980          16,122
Gross Profit - %                                        12.9%           10.5%

General, Selling & Administrative - $                 21,391          23,549
General, Selling & Administrative - %                   13.8%           15.4%

Operating Income/(Loss) - $                           (1,411)         (7,427)
Operating Income/(Loss) - %                             (0.9)%          (4.9)%

Other (Income)/Expense                                  (515)            365

Pre-Tax Profit/(Loss) - $                               (896)         (7,792)
Pre-Tax Profit/(Loss) - %                               (0.6)%          (5.1)%

Tax Expense/(Benefit)                                   (306)         (2,852)

Net Income/(Loss)                                       (590)         (4,940)
Earning/(Loss) Per Share -
     Basic & Diluted                                   (0.04)          (0.31)

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding
     Basic                                            16,040          15,746
     Diluted                                          16,040          15,746



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Coachmen Industries, Inc. Reports First Quarter
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May 2, 2002


                            COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
                      CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                                 (IN THOUSANDS)
                                   (UNAUDITED)


ASSETS                                            3/31/02            12/31/01
CURRENT ASSETS
   Cash and temporary cash investments         $   40,219          $     28,416
   Marketable securities                           12,265                12,180
   Accounts receivable                             37,766                23,756
   Inventories                                     75,924                80,477
   Prepaid expenses and other                       8,491                 9,059
   Deferred income taxes                            7,393                 7,319
                                               ---------------    --------------
      Total Current Assets                        182,058               161,207

Property & equipment, net                          79,170                80,233
Goodwill and other, net                            18,954                18,954
Other                                              27,182                28,166
                                               ---------------    --------------

      Total Assets                             $  307,364          $    288,560
                                               ===============    ==============


LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY              3/31/02            12/31/01
CURRENT LIABILITIES
   Current portion of long-term debt           $       918         $        917
   Accounts payable, trade                          33,179               18,944
   Accrued income taxes                                550                  494
   Other accruals                                   43,750               38,846
                                               ---------------    --------------
      Total Current Liabilities                     78,397               59,201

Long-term debt                                      10,986               11,001
Deferred income taxes                                1,257                1,257
Other                                                8,624                8,461
                                               ---------------    --------------
Total liabilities                                   99,264               79,920
Shareholder's Equity                               208,100              208,640
                                               ---------------    --------------

   Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity  $   307,364         $    288,560
                                               ===============    ==============


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Coachmen Industries, Inc. Reports First Quarter
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                            COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
                 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                 (IN THOUSANDS)
                                   (UNAUDITED)

                                                         THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                              MARCH 31,
                                                         2002           2001
                                                     ----------     -----------


CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS                           $   11,340       $  15,737

CASH FLOW FROM/(USED IN) ACQUISITION
 & INVESTING ACTIVITIES                                    797          (9,221)

Net Borrowings                                             (14)          8,833
Issuance/Purchase of Stock                                 482              54
Dividends                                                 (802)           (788)
                                                     ----------     -----------
   CASH FLOW FROM/(USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES          (334)          8,099

INCREASE IN CASH AND TEMPORARY CASH INVESTMENTS         11,803          14,615

Beginning of Period Cash and Temporary
 Cash Investments                                       28,416           2,614
                                                     ----------     -----------

ENDING CASH AND TEMPORARY CASH INVESTMENTS          $   40,219       $  17,229
                                                     ==========     ===========




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