8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    Form 8-K


                           Current Report Pursuant to
                             Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934




        Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): April 17, 2000
                                                         -----------------




                            COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
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             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)




                                     Indiana
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                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)





                1-7160                                     35-1101097
- ---------------------------------        - -------------------------------------
       (Commission File Number)          (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)



2831 Dexter Drive, Elkhart, Indiana                      46514
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)               (Zip Code)



                                 (219) 262-0123
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              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)






ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

                  On April 17, 2000 the Company filed a press release confirming
receipt of an unsolicited merger proposal from Thor Industries, Inc.



ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

                  (a)      EXHIBITS

                  Exhibit
                  Number            Description

                  99.1              April  17,  2000  Press  Release  confirming
                                    receipt of unsolicited merger proposal  from
                                    Thor Industries, Inc.





                                   SIGNATURES

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                             COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.



                                             By:  /s/ Richard M. Lavers
                                                ________________________________
                                                 Richard M. Lavers
                                                 General Counsel & Secretary



Dated: April 19, 2000

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



       COACHMEN CONFIRMS RECEIPT OF MERGER PROPOSAL FROM THOR INDUSTRIES

ELKHART,  Ind., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Coachmen Industries,  Inc. (NYSE: COA -
news) today  confirmed that it has received an unsolicited  merger proposal from
Thor Industries,  Inc. (NYSE: THO - news), to acquire all outstanding  shares of
Coachmen for $289.6  million,  or $18 per Coachmen  share,  to consist of 60% in
cash and 40% in Thor stock.

Coachmen's  board of directors will review the Thor merger proposal at a special
meeting in the near future.  Coachmen urged its  shareholders  to take no action
prior to its board's consideration of the proposal. Coachmen said that its board
one month ago rejected a similar merger proposal from Thor at a price of $17 per
Coachmen share, consisting of 50% in cash and 50% in Thor stock.

Coachmen  Industries,   Inc.  is  one  of  the  nation's  leading  producers  of
recreational vehicles. The Company also is the largest producer of modular homes
in the U.S., with five different  locations operating under the widely respected
name of All American  Homes.  The Company is publicly  held with stock listed on
the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the COA symbol.