COACHMEN INDUSTRIES PROPOSES TO ACQUIRE KANBUILD

          ACQUISITION FURTHERS STRATEGIC PLAN TO GROW MODULAR SEGMENT

ELKHART,  Ind., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Coachmen  Industries,  Inc. (NYSE: COA -
news),  a leading full line producer of  recreational  vehicles and the nation's
largest producer of modular housing, and KanBuild,  Inc., a quality manufacturer
of modular buildings  located in the Central Midwest,  announced today that they
have signed a Proposal to  Purchase  KanBuild,  Inc.  The  Proposal  would allow
Coachmen to acquire all the outstanding  common and preferred stock of KanBuild,
subject to the approval of both boards,  customary due  diligence,  entry into a
Definitive Purchase Agreement and satisfaction of other conditions.

KanBuild,  founded in 1989,  is a privately  held  company that  specializes  in
customized  construction of modular buildings for residential,  multi-family and
commercial uses.  KanBuild designs are  contemporary,  functional and attuned to
the most progressive  trends in the building  industry.  The company,  with 1999
sales of $28  million,  has plants  located  in Osage  City,  Kansas;  Loveland,
Colorado; and is building a new, larger plant in Millikin, Colorado.

"This acquisition  strengthens our position in modular construction and fits our
strategic  plan to expand this core  business  of  Coachmen,"  stated  Claire C.
Skinner, Chairman, CEO and President at Coachmen. "The KanBuild acquisition will
be the third  expansion by Coachmen of its modular  business this year." In June
Coachmen acquired all of the outstanding  shares of Mod-U-Kraf,  Inc., a modular
home and special products manufacturer  headquartered in Rocky Mount,  Virginia.
In October Coachmen  completed its acquisition of Miller Building Systems,  Inc.
Miller, based in Elkhart,  Indiana, is one of the nation's premier manufacturers
of commercial  modular  buildings.

"Joining  Coachmen will afford  KanBuild the  opportunity to continue its growth
and implement its strategic plan. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to
become part of the  Coachmen  team given the  company's  financial  strength and
commitment to modular  housing growth,  its customers and employees,"  commented
John Samples,  KanBuild's  President.  Under the agreement,  KanBuild's  current
management  team will remain in place, as will the company's  approximately  360
employees.





Coachmen Industries, Inc. is one of the nation's leading full-line manufacturers
of  recreational  vehicles  and  modular  construction.  Coachmen  is one of the
industry's  best-known  brand names of RVs and All  American  Homes,  one of the
company's modular subsidiaries,  is America's leading producer of modular homes.
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 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 and other risks identified in the Company's SEC filings.