Ohio-based travel trailer and motor coach giant Airstream Inc. announced that it had acquired Bend company Nest Caravans LLC. The sale price was not disclosed.

Robert Johans, CEO of Nest Caravans, said the production of the company’s towable trailers, which had been handled by Bend-based manufacturer Composite Approach, will be leaving Bend as Airstream takes over production and sales for the travel trailers. The trailers were initially expected to start at $35,000, according to The Bulletin’s archives.

Nest Caravans was founded in Bend in 2013. Late in the spring of 2015, the company debuted its prototype trailer, known as the Jay/1S. The 17-foot trailer is made using solid-body fiberglass, which results in the product being up to 500 pounds lighter than similarly sized trailers.

“We’re really shaking up the lightweight trailer market,” Johans said Thursday.

Johans said much of the time since the prototype debuted last spring has been devoted to marketing, and the company has targeted more affluent consumers. He added that Airstream reached out in late 2015, just as the company was looking to begin production.

“We’re a brand-new startup,” Johans said.

He said Airstream’s size and track record made it a good fit for Nest Caravans. With Airstream’s network of dealers, Johans anticipates the trailers being sold in more than 50 dealerships across the country.

For Airstream, the acquisition is an opportunity to expand its product offerings, according to a news release issued April 1. The company, formally founded in 1931, is a subsidiary of the Indiana-based Thor Industries Inc., which produces a variety of recreational vehicles through its nine subsidiaries.

In addition to its line of touring coaches, Airstream produces a variety of travel trailers, but the acquisition of Nest will allow the company to add a light and modern-looking model to its repertoire, according to the release.

“It’s the premier travel trailer company in the country,” Johans said, referring to Airstream.

Going forward, Johans, who had operated Nest Caravans by himself, said he will be staying on as an adviser for the company, and commuting to Ohio periodically. However, he left the door open for production to return to Central Oregon in the future, if Airstream opens a manufacturing plant in the area.

“It’s a Central Oregon success story,” Johans said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com