{"id":91,"date":"2018-04-27T10:34:04","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T16:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.interactcp.com\/blog\/bankstonmotorhomescom\/?p=91"},"modified":"2025-12-03T14:26:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T20:26:06","slug":"first-tiffin-dealer-bankston-motor-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interactcp.com\/blog\/bankstonmotorhomescom\/first-tiffin-dealer-bankston-motor-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Bankston Motor Homes: The First Tiffin Dealer and the Legacy That Shaped a Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

When exploring the history of Tiffin Motorhomes, one story stands out above the rest: the partnership with the very first dealership that believed in the brand from day one\u2014Bankston Motorhomes<\/a><\/strong>. Before Tiffin became one of the most respected manufacturers in the industry, there was a dedicated RV dealer in Huntsville, Alabama, who saw its potential and helped influence the early direction of the company.<\/p>\n

Bankston Motorhomes wasn\u2019t just another retailer. It became the first Tiffin dealer<\/strong>, setting a standard of excellence that helped establish the Tiffin reputation for exceptional craftsmanship and customer care. A full historical version of this story appears in the April 2018 issue of Roughing It Smoothly<\/em>, available here:
\u27a1\ufe0fBankston Motor Homes First Tiffin Dealer<\/a><\/p>\n

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How the First Tiffin Dealer Helped Launch a Legacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 1972, as Bob Tiffin prepared to launch Tiffin Motorhomes, he visited dealerships throughout the Southeast to study competitors and learn what customers wanted most. That journey brought him to Huntsville, Alabama, where he met Harrison Bankston<\/strong>, founder of Bankston Motorhomes.<\/p>\n

That meeting became a defining moment. Harrison expressed immediate interest in a motorhome built with an aluminum frame\u2014a game-changing idea in a market dominated by heavier builds. When Harrison confidently told Bob Tiffin:<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf you will build an aluminum-framed motorhome at an attractive price, I can sell all that you build,\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Tiffin knew he had found a dealer who understood customers, innovation, and opportunity.<\/p>\n

Thanks to forward-thinking feedback from Harrison, Tiffin began designing lighter, stronger, more efficient motorhomes\u2014choices that would shape the brand for decades.<\/p>\n

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A Partnership Built on Trust, Quality, and Shared Vision<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From the beginning, Harrison Bankston wasn\u2019t simply selling motorhomes\u2014he was helping to design them. Throughout the early years, he regularly shared customer insights and feature ideas with Tiffin, ensuring motorhomes were built around real family needs and real travel experiences.<\/p>\n

As reflected in the magazine article, Harrison became a personal friend and adviser to Bob Tiffin for more than 45 years. Their shared philosophy\u2014doing whatever it takes to make customers happy\u2014created a bond that shaped both companies.<\/p>\n

By the early 2000s, Bankston Motorhomes had become one of the best RV Tiffin dealers<\/strong> in the country, consistently ranking in Tiffin\u2019s Top 10 Dealers list year after year.<\/p>\n

Today, you can learn more about Bankston\u2019s commitment to customer experience on their About Us page<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A One-of-a-Kind Dealer With a One-of-a-Kind Commitment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the early days, Harrison managed nearly every part of the business himself\u2014sales, management, finance, and service. His work ethic, honesty, and instinct for customer needs formed the culture that still drives Bankston Motorhomes<\/a><\/strong> today.<\/p>\n

Even as the company expanded from its Huntsville roots, adding locations in Florence<\/a><\/strong>, Montgomery<\/a><\/strong>, and Tennessee, the family values and customer-first philosophy never changed.<\/p>\n

Families searching for new or used RVs can view the company\u2019s continually updated inventory here:
\u27a1\ufe0f RVs for Sale<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Shoppers looking for savings can explore monthly deals here:
\u27a1\ufe0f RV Specials<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A Legacy That Lives On Across Generations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bob Tiffin often said that his partnership with Harrison Bankston helped strengthen his company during its earliest and most important years. That same friendship and business collaboration continued across generations, and Bankston Motorhomes remains one of the longest-standing Tiffin dealers in America.<\/p>\n

For readers interested in the broader history and legacy of the dealership\u2014including how it established some of the standards for the RV industry\u2014a related article is available:
\u27a1\ufe0f The Best RV Dealers Since 1970<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The RV industry has changed dramatically since 1970, but the standard set by the first Tiffin dealer continues to inspire confidence, loyalty, and trust. Today, Bankston Motorhomes still reflects the values that Harrison instilled:
hard work, big-picture thinking, and a commitment to treating every customer like family.<\/p>\n

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