Why No RV Shows/Dealers?

[librarianocnj]

Actually Casita does have a dealer. They just happens to be in Japan. They also do RV shows over there.

[bpfick]

Comparing an RV industry that potentially makes upwards of 200,000 units a year and tries to sell them through a dealership network with the FGRV group which combined barely makes <1% that number of units seems a bit odd.

Mom and pop indeed.

[Joy A]

Fiberglass trailers are made, for the most part, to your specifications. Example: Scamp will sell you an empty trailer if you want, or a fully loaded one or one anywhere in between. In other words, they are personalized to what you want.

You won't see that on a lot at an RV Dealer.

[Mr Lynn]

I have wondered whether, with the high demand creating waiting lists for MFG (molded fiberglass) trailers, it would not be possible for a manufacturer like Casita (to name just one) to add more capacity and ramp production up to a higher level. If you can sell 700 a year (to quote a number I heard somewhere), why not 1,400? Or 14,000?

In another thread it was suggested that the very nature of fiberglass molding, requiring a lot of hands-on work, militated against high-volume production. Is this true, even in the age of robotics? If so, then one reason for small, factory-direct companies is that MFG campers are a product that requires craftsmanship more than a production line.

Does anyone here know how the MFG boat industry works? Are they also limited to the small, factory-direct business model? On the face of it, I would expect a lot of parallels.

/Mr Lynn

[bpfick]

In chatting with some members of the family, and yes, these are largely small family owned businesses, this matter comes up.

First, there seems to be some certain size of the business, a certain number of employees that classifies a business and places it under a certain set of laws. Let's say it is 50. If that is so, both Casita and Evelands (Scamp) are just at that number and are quite unwilling, for a host of reasons perhaps, to take the next step.

It may well be that the next step would require new facilities and capital investment that may not be deemed wise. The businesses are a success and stable from all appearances. Family owned businesses sometimes do not wish to be any bigger. There is family life, church, and other quality of life interests that getting any larger isn't always seen as a goal to be achieved.

The long waiting lists aren't always so. During times of sudden economic downturns, these backlogs disappear quickly. Small, family owned businesses are reticent to layoff people who are their friends and neighbors. It's small town, family business values.

If there is untapped market share that some other company wishes to take from Evelands and Casita? Let them have at it. There's probably room but there are no assurances of success. Look how many name plates have come and gone. Just some thoughts to ponder. It's easy to project as an outsider upon another family's busines model. We cannot always be sure we're correct in our viewpoints. We are not privy to the inner workings and thoughs and we're not entitled to be.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by TomandCallie

What would FGRV owners do if the FG manufacturers didn't have the other RV service departments available to prop them up with their warranty (and other) service?

They would do the same thing a car owner who does not like to have their cars serviced at the dealer does. Take it to an independent repair shop

There are **lots** of RV repair shops around that do not sell any trailers.

[minke]

There is a nearby Bigfoot (I really want to say Largefoot) dealer who seems to inventory one travel trailer and four or six campers most of the time. I never asked but presumed that where I live the market for campers is larger than for trailers.

[WaltP]

What are you calling a camper?

[minke]

Originally Posted by WaltP

What are you calling a camper?

e.g. Truck Campers - Bigfoot RV - Truck Campers & Travel Trailers

[WaltP]

Thanks. I wasn't familiar with that terminology. A lot of non-RVers call our trailers campers.

Walt

[bpfick]

Originally Posted by WaltP

Thanks. I wasn't familiar with that terminology. A lot of non-RVers call our trailers campers.

Walt

Walt, What are you calling an RV?

[WaltP]

Originally Posted by bpfick

Walt, What are you calling an RV?

I guess any upgrade from a tent I can think of that is road worthy. Not sure there's an official definition.

Walt

[bpfick]

Originally Posted by WaltP

I guess any upgrade from a tent I can think of that is road worthy. Not sure there's an official definition.

Walt

I agree. What I was getting at, I suppose, is the calling only motorhomes RV's. That too is a somtimes thing we hear. The terms are pretty fluid. Some places tent trailers are called pop ups and other places fold-down trailers. Never did seem to be a uniform term for those either.

[Jon in AZ]

Kingdom: Land vehicle
Phylum: Highway vehicle
Class: Recreational vehicle
Order: Towable recreational vehicle
Family: Travel trailer
Genus: Molded fiberglass travel trailer
Species: Scamp 13
Sub-species: Standard Layout 1
Common name: Camper

A rare bird indeed!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by bpfick

In chatting with some members of the family, and yes, these are largely small family owned businesses, this matter comes up.

First, there seems to be some certain size of the business, a certain number of employees that classifies a business and places it under a certain set of laws. Let's say it is 50. If that is so, both Casita and Evelands (Scamp) are just at that number and are quite unwilling, for a host of reasons perhaps, to take the next step.

It may well be that the next step would require new facilities and capital investment that may not be deemed wise. The businesses are a success and stable from all appearances. Family owned businesses sometimes do not wish to be any bigger. There is family life, church, and other quality of life interests that getting any larger isn't always seen as a goal to be achieved.

The long waiting lists aren't always so. During times of sudden economic downturns, these backlogs disappear quickly. Small, family owned businesses are reticent to layoff people who are their friends and neighbors. It's small town, family business values.

If there is untapped market share that some other company wishes to take from Evelands and Casita? Let them have at it. There's probably room but there are no assurances of success. Look how many name plates have come and gone. Just some thoughts to ponder. It's easy to project as an outsider upon another family's busines model. We cannot always be sure we're correct in our viewpoints. We are not privy to the inner workings and thoughs and we're not entitled to be.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Kingdom: Land vehicle
Phylum: Highway vehicle
Class: Recreational vehicle
Order: Towable recreational vehicle
Family: Travel trailer
Genus: Molded fiberglass travel trailer
Species: Scamp 13
Sub species: Standard Layout 1
Common name: Camper

A rare bird indeed!

That's who we need on this forum - Carolus Linnaeus of travel trailers!

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

That's who we need on this forum - Carolus Linnaeus of travel trailers!

Well done!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by TomandCallie

Kind of begs the question: why do RV manufacturers have dealers at all? Why don't they all just sell direct? What would FGRV owners do if the FG manufacturers didn't have the other RV service departments available to prop them up with their warranty (and other) service?

I'm wondering, after a day's reflection, whether the real question is why the big players haven't ventured into all-molded fiberglass construction. The dealer distribution model requires significant economies of scale to create margin for middlemen. I'm wondering whether it's even possible or practical to mass produce a moderately-priced, mass-market, all-molded fiberglass trailer. I'm wondering if enough people would recognize the value in a smaller-yet-more-expensive fiberglass trailer sitting on a lot full of conventional trailers. I'm wondering whether the big players have already considered, and rejected, the concept.

Currently, the Airstream division of Thor Industries is preparing to roll out the Nest, a molded fiberglass design created by FGRV member and veteran rehabber Robert Johans. It will be distributed through Airstream dealers, presumably. But it looks to be high-end, limited production, and expensive.

The good news is I may be able to walk into an Airstream dealer or an RV show to look at one. The bad news is I won't be able to afford one!

[Paul O.]

What Robert Johans did could be considered a business model in its own right. Develop something of value, build prototypes and sell out. This has been done in other industries all along. I hope he got a great deal from Airstream.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

That's who we need on this forum - Carolus Linnaeus of travel trailers!

I debated whether to latinize all the classifications, as in Ovum Scampae, but decided not to be a snob…