.Return Address
PROXY SERVICES
51 MERCEDES WAY
EDGEWOOD, NY  11717
 .Text
                            COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.


                                                                     May 1, 2000

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

The Annual Meeting of Coachmen Industries  stockholders is only a few days away.
Your Board of Directors has unanimously  recommended that  stockholders vote FOR
the election of the Board's  nominees and FOR the approval of the Company's 2000
Omnibus Stock Incentive Program.

              LEADING SHAREHOLDER ADVISORY SERVICE RECOMMENDS "FOR"

You  should be aware  that  Institutional  Shareholder  Services,  the  nation's
leading voting advisory  service,  has recommended  that its clients,  including
institutional  investors,  mutual  funds  and other  fiduciaries,  vote FOR both
proposals.

                         COACHMEN ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION

As you know,  Coachmen is the  leading  manufacturer  of modular  housing in the
United States.  Today,  your Company  announced it had entered into a definitive
agreement to acquire Mod-U-Kraf Homes for $11.75 per share, or approximately $10
million.  We believe that  Mod-U-Kraf  is a perfect  complement  to our existing
modular housing  business and that the acquisition is a significant  step in our
strategic plan to build shareholder value.

                            PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!

Your Board is committed to protecting and enhancing the value of your investment
in Coachmen.  In that regard, we urge you to support the Board in its efforts to
build  long-term  value by voting FOR both  proposals.  REJECT  the  last-minute
campaign by Thor Industries, which is seeking to acquire your company at what we
believe is a bargain-basement  price. Your Board of Directors carefully reviewed
the Thor proposal in conjunction with its financial advisor, Donaldson, Lufkin &
Jenrette  Securities  Corporation.  The Board  concluded  that the Thor offer is
inadequate  and  does  not  reflect  the  inherent  value  of  Coachmen  nor the
significant  growth  potential  of the  company's  core RV and  modular  housing
businesses.

                   TIME IS SHORT, AND YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!

The Annual Meeting is only a few days away.  Your Board  strongly  believes that
Coachmen's strategic business plan will generate superior value for all Coachmen
shareholders.  Don't allow Thor




to reap the benefit of Coachmen's  potential  for  significant  growth--at  your
expense.  Whether or not you have  already  done so, we urge you to vote  today.
Since time is short, we have  established a method which will enable you to vote
by toll-free ProxyGram. Please follow the simple steps listed below.

If you have any questions or need assistance in the  last-minute  voting of your
shares,  please call  Innisfree M&A  Incorporated,  which is assisting us in the
solicitation of proxies, toll-free at 888-750-5834.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire C. Skinner
Chairman

        TOLL-FREE PROXYGRAM OPERATORS WHO ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE COMPANY
                       ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST YOU NOW!!!

                                  INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Call Toll-Free 1-877-880-9547, anytime, day or night.

2.  Tell the operator that you wish to send a collect ProxyGram to
    ID No. 8972, Coachmen Industries, Inc.

3.  State your name, address and telephone number.

4.  State the bank or broker at which your shares are held and your
    control number as shown below:

                           Name:              (NA.1)
                           Broker:            (Broker)
                           Control number:    (ControlNum)
                           Number of shares:  (NumShares)

5.  Give the operator your voting preferences, using the proxy text below.

COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.                                                  PROXY
P.O. Box 3300
Elkhart, Indiana  46515

           This Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of Directors

         The undersigned  hereby appoints Claire C. Skinner and Keith D. Corson,
and each of them,  as his  proxies,  each with full  power of  substitution,  to
REPRESENT AND TO VOTE,  AS DESIGNATED  BELOW,  ALL OF THE  UNDERSIGNED'S  Common
Stock of Coachmen  Industries,  Inc. at the Annual  Meeting of  shareholders  of
Coachmen  Industries,  Inc.  to be held on May 4,  2000  and at any  adjournment
thereof, with the same authority as if the undersigned were personally present.




1.  ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    (  ) FOR all nominees listed            (  ) WITHHOLD AUTHORITY to
         below (except as marked to              vote for all nominees
         the contrary below)                     listed below

              Claire C. Skinner, Keith D. Corson, Thomas H. Corson,
             Geoffrey B. Bloom, Robert J. Deputy, Donald W. Hudler,
               William P. Johnson, Philip G. Lux, Edwin W. Miller,
                               Frederick M. Miller

INSTRUCTIONS:  To withhold authority to vote for any individual
nominee(s), please give that nominee(s) name to the operator.

2.  PROPOSAL TO APPROVE THE 2000 OMNIBUS STOCK INCENTIVE PROGRAM

    (  ) FOR                    (  ) AGAINST                        (  ) ABSTAIN

3.  In their  discretion,  the  Proxies are  authorized  to vote upon such other
    business as may properly come before the meeting.

This proxy when properly  executed  will be voted in the manner  directed by the
undersigned  shareholder.  If no direction is made, this proxy will be voted FOR
Proposals 1 and 2.

THE  UNDERSIGNED  HEREBY  REVOKES ANY PROXY  HERETOFORE  GIVEN AND  ACKNOWLEDGES
RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE AND PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING.

(If the  stock is  registered  in the name of more  than one  person,  the proxy
should be signed  by all  named  holders.  If  signing  as  attorney,  executor,
administrator,  trustee,  guardian,  corporate official,  etc., please give full
title as such.)