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): October 18, 2000
                                                         -----------------




                            COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (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  October  18,  2000  the  Company  filed  a  press  release
announcing lower than expected  earnings A copy of the press release is attached
as Exhibit 99.1.



ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

                  (a)      EXHIBITS

                  Exhibit
                  Number            Description
                  ------            -----------

                  99.1              October 18, 2000 Press Release  announcing
                                    lower than expected earnings for third
                                    quarter.





                                   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:  October 18, 2000

EX-99.1

           COACHMEN INDUSTRIES EXPECTS LOWER EARNINGS FOR 3RD QUARTER

ELKHART,  Ind., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Coachmen  Industries,  Inc. (NYSE: COA -
news)  announced  today that third  quarter  earnings may be as much as 10 cents
below analysts' expectations. The company has continued to experience a downturn
in  motorhome   shipments,   which  is  consistent   with  what  some  other  RV
manufacturers have been reporting. While travel trailer shipments remain strong,
other  towable  RV  shipments  are  down  from a  year  ago.  Changing  consumer
perceptions  with regard to volatile gas prices,  increased  interest  rates and
fluctuations  in consumer  confidence have all contributed to lower earnings for
the  quarter.  Earnings  were also  impacted  by higher  costs  associated  with
increased sales incentives, lower production volume and related inefficiencies.

"Company  operations remain profitable and combined with a strengthened  balance
sheet,  and  on-going  actions  in  support  of our  strategic  plan,  we remain
optimistic that performance will improve as market conditions  strengthen," said
James E. Jack, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Coachmen  Industries,   Inc.  is  one  of  the  nation's  leading  producers  of
recreational  vehicles and is the largest  producer of modular homes in the U.S.
Recreational  vehicles comprised 80 percent of Coachmen Industries' sales during
the first half of the year and modular construction represented 20 percent. 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  implementation  of its
enterprise-wide   software,  the  availability  and  pricing  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,  impacts  on  high-cost  discretionary
product  purchases  from  fluctuations  in the  "wealth  effect" and other risks
identified in the Company's SEC filings.