Parkliner Shut Down - Fiberglass RV
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Old 12-24-2018, 08:58 AM   #1
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Name: John
Trailer: 2016 Parkliner
Virginia
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Parkliner Shut Down

I see Parkliner's website is no more. Liberty has dropped the name from its website totally.

I was afraid of that.
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Old 12-24-2018, 09:43 AM   #2
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Wisconsin
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Yep, while they do still have the picture of ours at Snow Canyon everything else seems to be deleted.
Sad for them, I still have no regrets. The 2014 is a nice product with a history of bad leadership.
RIP
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Old 12-24-2018, 09:50 AM   #3
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Unfortunate but certainly not unexpected !!
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Old 12-24-2018, 10:41 AM   #4
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The Parkliner was a nice size with clever space utilization. I think if they had stayed with the original single hull design, focused on production efficiency and cost/quality control, and kept the price in the $20-25K range, they had a chance.

Long-term survival requires developing additional models. An 18' Parkliner with the same clever packaging and longways bed(s) in the $25-30K range... That would have made more sense to me than the costly redesign of the old model.

Now we can only wish.
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Old 12-24-2018, 10:42 AM   #5
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Well, we were not getting much support from them anyway.
What do you think will happen to our resale value?
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Old 12-24-2018, 10:45 AM   #6
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Sad to see anyone have to close the doors what ever the reason.
Competition has become keen in this style and price range rv
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Old 12-24-2018, 11:11 AM   #7
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Parkliner Shut Down

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne Collins View Post
Well, we were not getting much support from them anyway.

What do you think will happen to our resale value?
Not much I expect. As you say, you do not really need manufacturer support to maintain a used molded trailer. A few things- the door hinges, for example- could be problematic, but I'm not aware of many other proprietary components.
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Old 12-24-2018, 11:50 AM   #8
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Well, we were not getting much support from them anyway.
What do you think will happen to our resale value?
I think the resale will go up and then follow the trends of all the other orphans which is to maintain a high demand.
The price increase from the new owners might even enhance the value perception.


I think the buyers should have kept the original design and size with something close to the original pricing structure. At least until they got the brand established and started to show a profit.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



NEXT??...
Nest? Not that Airstream can't afford it, but do the bean counters have the patience for the shakedown?
Quality is nice, but price is a real motivator, it takes time, volume and patience to develop the right blend of both.
Nest has a 20% advantage in style and quality with a 100% disadvantage in price, that's quite a lot to overcome.


A few people still buy luxury brands with the same quality and components as lesser offerings from the same company, and pay a large premium for a few frills.
I wear a Timex, its no TAG Heuer but it is accurate and "keeps on ticking".
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Old 12-24-2018, 12:11 PM   #9
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Name: Robert
Trailer: 2018 Parkliner
Utah
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Parkliner shutdown

Well, that comes as a shock as the quality of my new model is very good. I had to make several little modifications like shelves, cabinet door supports, storage sections, and containers on the rear bumper for sewage hoses. That doesn't seem unusual. I can't wait to get it out again in southern Utah.
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Old 12-24-2018, 01:22 PM   #10
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Parkliner travel trailers

I was told they are moving the manufacturing plant to Indiana, and may start production back sometime mid next year.
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Old 12-24-2018, 01:29 PM   #11
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Parkliner Shut Down

I wouldn't worry overly, Bob. It just means you will have a rare and unique trailer, especially since you have one of the redesigned units. Unlike autos, very little parts content is unique, and the shell itself is repairable by anyone with fiberglass skills in the unlikely event it becomes damaged. Consider yourself blessed to own a slice of egg history!
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Old 12-24-2018, 03:08 PM   #12
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<sniped>Quality is nice, but price is a real motivator,<sniped>

At $49,900, if I remember right, I would rather opt for an Oliver. More RV for the $$.
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Old 12-24-2018, 03:38 PM   #13
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Trailer: no longer looking at Parkliner,04 Honda Odyssey
Pennsylvania
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The Olivers are quite nice. Different from the very nice Parkliner. But Oliver apparently has a better business plan. I was so close to putting some cash down on a Parkliner last year. Dunno if I ever would have seen my down payment or Parkliner ever again!
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Old 12-24-2018, 04:04 PM   #14
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When making a major purchase like a trailer, especially if a deposit is required, I would look up the Better Business Bureau rating.
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Old 12-25-2018, 08:28 AM   #15
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I spent several hours at their original warehouse on 2 occasions while I had some maintenance done. All the guys putting the Parkliner together worked hard and seemed to know what they were doing.

The problem was their process was terribly inefficient with no quality control. My best guess was they needed to complete assembly in about 1/2 the time it was taking them, plus reduce build problems to near 0, to turn a decent profit.

I know Tom Bass helped them a lot on the quality control side, but I don't think so much on the production side.

I have no idea how well the new management did at addressing these problems, but I do know you lose money every time a new RV leaves the warehouse with quality problems. Good quality control is a money maker.

I'm kind of surprised that fiberglass boat manufacturers haven't started building fiberglass trailers. They already have much of the necessary experience.
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Old 12-25-2018, 12:03 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Huck View Post
I spent several hours at their original warehouse on 2 occasions while I had some maintenance done. All the guys putting the Parkliner together worked hard and seemed to know what they were doing.

The problem was their process was terribly inefficient with no quality control. My best guess was they needed to complete assembly in about 1/2 the time it was taking them, plus reduce build problems to near 0, to turn a decent profit.

I know Tom Bass helped them a lot on the quality control side, but I don't think so much on the production side.

I have no idea how well the new management did at addressing these problems, but I do know you lose money every time a new RV leaves the warehouse with quality problems. Good quality control is a money maker.

I'm kind of surprised that fiberglass boat manufacturers haven't started building fiberglass trailers. They already have much of the necessary experience.
You mean, like former boat maker Alan Smoak and the Li'l Snoozy!
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Old 12-25-2018, 12:29 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Huck View Post
I spent several hours at their original warehouse on 2 occasions while I had some maintenance done. All the guys putting the Parkliner together worked hard and seemed to know what they were doing.

The problem was their process was terribly inefficient with no quality control. My best guess was they needed to complete assembly in about 1/2 the time it was taking them, plus reduce build problems to near 0, to turn a decent profit.

I know Tom Bass helped them a lot on the quality control side, but I don't think so much on the production side.

I have no idea how well the new management did at addressing these problems, but I do know you lose money every time a new RV leaves the warehouse with quality problems. Good quality control is a money maker.

I'm kind of surprised that fiberglass boat manufacturers haven't started building fiberglass trailers. They already have much of the necessary experience.
My wish would be for a fiberglass trailer that matched the quality of the fiberglass on a boat . I’ve seen fiberglass on trailers where the gel coat is thicker than the fiberglass backing and the total wall thickness is about a 1/16th of an inch . I’ve actually poked my finger through the fiberglass while applying a coat of wax on my FG trailer .
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Old 12-25-2018, 06:21 PM   #18
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My wish would be for a fiberglass trailer that matched the quality of the fiberglass on a boat . I’ve seen fiberglass on trailers where the gel coat is thicker than the fiberglass backing and the total wall thickness is about a 1/16th of an inch . I’ve actually poked my finger through the fiberglass while applying a coat of wax on my FG trailer .

The problem then becomes weight. While a trailer built like my boat would be almost bulletproof it would also be one really heavy trailer.
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Old 12-25-2018, 06:45 PM   #19
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The problem then becomes weight. While a trailer built like my boat would be almost bulletproof it would also be one really heavy trailer.

But, you'd bust through those waves.
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Old 12-25-2018, 07:08 PM   #20
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The problem then becomes weight. While a trailer built like my boat would be almost bulletproof it would also be one really heavy trailer.
The added weight is only a problem if your vehicle is incapable of towing it .
I would rather have a slightly heavier trailer than spend my time patching holes in the fiberglass but to each their own .
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