According to the "Lancaster New Era," Sunline launched in 1964, founded by Lewis Martin and a partner. In the 1970s, John Zimmerman and Wayne Lawrence, Sr., joined the company and became part-owners. The manufacturer originally made campers for truck beds.
When the oil crisis hit in the 1970s, Sunline started making lighter trailers; the company added luxury models in 1982. During the 2000s, Sunline built four lines of trailers: Solaris Lite, Solaris, Solaris SR and Advancer. The company's products were recognized by the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association and "Consumer Reports."
In 2004, the "Reading Eagle" reported that an investment group--which included Paul Kozloff, John Whitehall, Bruce Cobb, Joe Bucara and former Sunline president Dale Zimmerman--had bought Sunline's assets. Sunline employed 230 people in 2005 but shuttered a year later. During its 40-year history, the company made 70,000 RVs. It filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, on December 6, 2006, with debts of $4.2 million.
