* Motorhomes shipments decline 6.5 pct* Backlog, inventory also down* Shares rise after profit beatOct 13 (Reuters) - Winnebago Industries Inc’s profit topped Wall Street expectations sending its shares up, but the largest U.S. motorhome maker warned of ebbing consumer confidence amid an uncertain economy.Shares of the largest U.S. motorhome maker rose as much as 11 percent to $8.50 in early trading. An increase in prices of its recreational vehicles (RVs) partly helped offset the lower demand.”While we experienced improved market conditions in the first half of fiscal 2011, we were disappointed to see the negative effects caused by falling consumer confidence throughout the remainder of the year,” CEO Randy Potts said in a statement.Sales of Winnebago’s luxury motor homes are heavily dependent on discretionary spending by consumers. A fragile economy and slow jobs growth have dampened consumer confidence in recent months.Forest City, Iowa-based Winnebago, which sells its motor homes under the Winnebago, Itasca and ERA brands, said motor home deliveries during the quarter fell 6.5 percent to 1,088 units. Dealer inventory fell 4.2 percent.Backlog at the quarter-end fell 10 percent to $74.7 million.The company’s fourth-quarter net income was $3.5 million, or 12 cents a share, down from $4.9 million, or 17 cents a share, a year ago.Revenue rose 6 percent to $130.5 million due to price increases.Analysts were expecting a profit of 4 cents a share on revenue of $116.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.Last month, Winnebago’s rival Thor Industries Inc posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit but said sales of motorhomes fell 10 percent.Winnebago also competes with Navistar International’s Monaco brand of RVs.RV shipments in 2011 are expected to total 247,500 units, up 2.1 percent, according to a forecast by industry analyst and director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan, Richard Curtin.Curtin said RV sales are expected to face continued challenges because of slow growth in jobs, incomes and credit market, and continued weakness in the housing market.Shipments are expected to fall 2 percent in 2012 to 242,400 units, according to Curtin.Winnebago’s shares were trading up 4 percent at $7.96 on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. They have lost almost 40 percent of their value in the last six months.