Cortes Campers, new company?

[Defenestrator]

Dug a bit more on US Lighting Group. Those are particularly ambitious plans from a company that's only got about $100K cash, $300K assets, and $2.5M in liabilities.

I really like the idea of someone other than just Oliver making a fiberglass and aluminum trailer with good insulation and no wood and I hope it goes well, but I definitely wouldn't suggest putting down a deposit on one of these ahead of time.

[ACZ06]

Lighter and stronger sounds like a recipe for success. Associated with building boats also seems like the product will be solid, unlike many travel trailers out there. My Casita floor is rotted and needs replaced. It seems like the industry standard is sub par. Maybe this company can raise the bar.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by ACZ06

Lighter and stronger sounds like a recipe for success. Associated with building boats also seems like the product will be solid, unlike many travel trailers out there. My Casita floor is rotted and needs replaced. It seems like the industry standard is sub par. Maybe this company can raise the bar.

Not without a good business plan and ample finances. A good product design is not enough. They need to be well run AND have solid/strong financial backing.

Right now, its more of just a website with grand plans.

As far as your point on Casita floor, there are many threads on repairing Casita floor. Its fixable. Casita has improved their floor design over the years.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by ACZ06

I think the Cortes name comes from them planning on doing to the the RV manufacturers the same as Cortes did when he landed in Mexico. I googled it and found a YouTube video of someone interviewing Physicist Michio Kaku and they asked him what would happen if aliens landed, he responded by saying it would be the same as when Cortes landed in Mexico. That's what I'm guessing they got the name from...

Exactly. They're using the near-extermination of a people as a metaphor for what they're going to do to the RV industry. They can go about their advertising any way they want, but it all seems pretty mean spirited to me. Let's call them the black plague of the RV industry. It killed millions of people, and that's something they want to be associated with. Of course that type advertising does draw certain people, as we've all seen in recent times.

[steve dunham]

A $40,000 17 ft fiberglass trailer would have limited appeal even among fiberglass enthusiasts. They appear to be trying to carve out a very small piece out of a very small pie . Our Casita when new cost under $20,000 with multiple options and 6 years later when we sold it , everything looked / worked as good as day one . Would a trailer at twice the price done any better?
With Casita , Scamp , Escape , Bigfoot running at full production with long wait times it is an opportunity to jump into the market and cut a fat hog
The list of FG trailer mfgs that have failed is far far longer than those that have succeeded
I wish them good luck but their price point , lack of marketing skills and non existent financial backing don’t instill confidence

[ACZ06]

Time will only tell. I somewhat look at them as almost Tesla of the RV industry. New and innivative. Most of the industry is garbage. And, even the higher end seems to be poorly built. I am having some optimism that this company has their ducks in a row to have a buisiness model to suceed. The marketing and name doesnt bother me..

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by ACZ06

Most of the industry is garbage. And, even the higher end seems to be poorly built. .

There are many 30 to 40 year old Scamps & Casitas still running the roads so they must be doing somethings right but I do agree that the quality of RVs need improvement across the whole market .
Finding a quality level that people are willing to pay for is the issue
Bentley makes a great auto but how many people can afford one

[Donna D.]

What the entire industry needs to work on is better appliances! Quieter roof air conditioners, refrigerators that work in HOT climates and furnaces that don't sound like a 747 taking off when the fan kicks on. Doesn't matter the build type/quality if they all continue using crappy appliances.

[ACZ06]

I agree there are a lot of scamps and casitas on the road. And i am sure many like mine need repairs. And i even hear about the amount of mold in travel trailers due to the wood. I can see Oliver has stepped up their game. Just looks like they made a casita but better. I even see the airstream vids of the problems after a year or 2. So do i buy the same old low quality? Or take a shot at the new company that seems to have a high quality product?.. no wood and light weight sparks my attention. Price. Well if its the last travel trailer i buy because its solid and quality, i dont have a problem spending more.

[Donna D.]

Anyone who owns any brand of travel trailer that gets mold and rot isn't doing proper (perhaps ANY) maintenance. Sounds like spending thousand more just not to do maintenance is kinda.... lazy IMHO.

[ACZ06]

Donna.. please explain routine maintenance? I seen videos of completely rotted OSB floors. Plywood. 2 x 4s. My friends travel trailer also had mold. I will respect the travel trailer company. I bought a used casita and will do repairs or sell. Its not about being lazy. It is about having a good product that will not have mold in it.. we have toilets.. showers.. tanks.. my friends camper had so much mold ot was scary. I told my wife i would look into oirs just to be safe. Is anyone on the forums afraid of encountering mold and breathing it in?

[Donna D.]

Maintenance includes stopping every leak when it occurs. Delayed maintenance is the death of any travel trailer or building or motor vehicle or airplane. I check the caulking on all vents every time I wash my trailer. While butyl lasts a very long time under window frames, it doesn't last forever. Preventative maintenance may include replacing before it actually 'needs' it. Using the proper caulk, when needed is important. Leaks don't stop by blobbing MORE silicone on top of old. In fact, silicone shouldn't be used at ALL on the exterior of all-molded-towables. But it is, because it's cheap and readily available. Anyone owning a trailer (of any build type) is smart to educate themselves on the Care and Feeding of their trailer.

[ACZ06]

Thanks for the reply. Seems like you almost need some handyman skills...lol.. very useful..

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by ACZ06

Thanks for the reply. Seems like you almost need some handyman skills...lol.. very useful..

Anthony, do you work for Cortes?

[ShelbyM]

i don't think most folks have too many complaints about the basic construction of our FGRV. The shells are pretty durable, especially relative to other types of trailer. I don't see a market for something so much more expensive that has only shell construction to differentiate it. As Donna said, most problems are with appliances and systems that haven't been improved in 30 years. I'd happily pay more for auto grade wheel bearings that could go 100,000+ miles w/o service. Other stuff like that. Also, the name and story are so clueless and offensive, you have to wonder if it's a bad joke. I don't see much hope for this.

[ShelbyM]

ACZ06, the sooner you get to work on your trailer, the sooner you'll be able to go camping. Search and you can find plenty of threads about how to repair your floor.

[thrifty bill]

Sure, the somewhat crappy appliances inside campers come from the same small group of suppliers that build for everyone. So thats a given. But the quality of molded FG is incredible. Go to a vintage trailer show sometime, and talk to owners to find out the work they did to restore their traditional trailers. Talked to an Airstream owner that spent MONTHS just polishing the outside of his trailer.

Meanwhile, cleaning and polishing my Trillium was a one day job, less than one day really., more like an afternoon.

The number of molded FG trailers that have survived several decades is really amazing. Scamp, Casita, Boler, Trillium, Hunter Compact, and more, have all survived. Sure, frames may have been undersized, and stuff wears out, but really, quality is incredible.

I recall the brochure on Hunter Compact, being towed by a Chevy Vega. For sure the Compact is a lot more reliable than that Vega. Restore a 45 year old stick built trailer, and then restore a similar age molded FG.

[steve dunham]

The quality of FG trailers may be a step above stick built trailers but that’s not much of a compliment . Poor construction techniques, low quality parts , built in design flaws ,and poor workmanship seems to be the accepted industry standard .
Doing routine / normal maintenance on a trailer is part of ownership and should be expected. Having to correct for poor factory installation methods and sloppy workmanship is not part of the bargain
IE : Having to repair cabinets that were put together with staples and fell apart spreading stuff all over the floor or having to repair a plumbing drain pipe leak because someone failed to glue a pipe joint is not normal maintenance in my book.
Washing , waxing , painting , cleaning , caulk repairs ,winterizing , bearings , tires , filling propane tanks , sanitizing, checking window seals / drains , A/C filters , sewer valves ETC ETC is.

We’ve owned 3 fiberglass trailer and everyone leaked
( Windows , roof , walls , access doors , range vents ,
furnace vents , exterior outlets / lights , etc )

[ACZ06]

Steve. Do you think the Cortes Camper lineup looks promising to up the quality standards? What are your thoughts??

[WaltP]

I've had 5 fiberglass trailers. One of them had a window leak after 13 years.

Walt

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The quality of FG trailers may be a step above stick built trailers but that’s not much of a compliment . Poor construction techniques, low quality parts , built in design flaws ,and poor workmanship seems to be the accepted industry standard .
Doing routine / normal maintenance on a trailer is part of ownership and should be expected. Having to correct for poor factory installation methods and sloppy workmanship is not part of the bargain
IE : Having to repair cabinets that were put together with staples and fell apart spreading stuff all over the floor or having to repair a plumbing drain pipe leak because someone failed to glue a pipe joint is not normal maintenance in my book.
Washing , waxing , painting , cleaning , caulk repairs ,winterizing , bearings , tires , filling propane tanks , sanitizing, checking window seals / drains , A/C filters , sewer valves ETC ETC is.

We’ve owned 3 fiberglass trailer and everyone leaked
( Windows , roof , walls , access doors , range vents ,
furnace vents , exterior outlets / lights , etc )