TheNew Cortes trailer

[baldy]

Any observations, pro/con, about the Cortes trailer. Company just announced they are producing and taking orders. Leary about being a new product buyer.

[Jon Vermilye]

There have been a couple of well discussed threads here:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...any-94773.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ers-94798.html

Haven't heard a thing since...

[CalCop]

I checked their website and nothing much has changed.
They’ve added a base price, but no gallery of pictures. BTW the
website is very sloppy, certainly not the product of a quality company.

[baldy]

Thanks for links to threads, had not see them.
Also agree website is hap hazard at best.
Apparently they are selling dealerships by county in each state. Almost seems like a Ponzi scheme.

[CalCop]

To my way of thinking unless they have produced an actual trailer, its all just smoke and mirrors.
I hope people don't get burned on this.

[Kimmyb]

Am I missing the air conditioner? I’ve sent two emails asking the company about ac and they have been unresponsive. I guess that means they don’t come with air conditioning??

[Glenn Baglo]

They need to build a trailer to mount AC on.

[Flydog]

Gonna be tough to compete thru a dealer network.

[vintageracer]

You should be leery about any new fiberglass or any other trailer manufacturer in the RV end of the trailer manufacturing business. The RV industries history is littered with companies that no longer exist. Many of which made off with their customer's money.

Having said that SOMEBODY has to be first!

Is that somebody YOU????

Personally "I" would rather be first in line rather than fifth in line as its a pretty safe bet these newbies will do everything they can to build a better product in the first couple of trailers for all to see.

Will it be their best effort?

Probably not however that's normal for any new product being brought to market. They will find better/cheaper ways to build it through experience and Dollars to Donuts the design will also change for the better. Even big ole Airstream/THOR royally screwed up the introduction of the then new Airstream Nest. One would think they would know better. After all it is THOR so maybe not!

If you can pay a minimal deposit to be first go ahead IF you like the product and the concept. By minimal deposit I mean whatever you can afford to lose. Any more than $500 and I would walk away. As the first customer you do not need to finance their business with a big deposit.

Let some other sucker do that!

As a major point of concern would be that you need to have product to sell and ship BEFORE you have a dealer network. Sounds like the cart before the horse! Already thinking BIG before they are even considered SMALL!

[baldy]

Previous to my 06/06 post I had talker to the only two “dealers” listed on web site. Asked many questions and was promised a reply by both . Nothing yet. My interest is waning quickly.
Also in one of the aforementioned thread links the CEO of Cortes bragged as to how much money a dealer could make per sale. That didn’t sit to well as a buyer.
Thanks again for the sage comments.

[Dave Fish]

Just saw this article.

https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-preview-...avel-trailers/

Sorry, a $39,000 Casita just doesn't interest me,

[CalCop]

Me thinks they’ve lost their mind

[John in Santa Cruz]

and that blue one has no water fittings, no furnace or water heater, no battery compartment, and no propane tanks.

[CalCop]

It’s amazing what computers can generate these days

[thrifty bill]

Six months since the first thread and still no real trailers. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

[New Orleans John]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Six months since the first thread and still no real trailers.

Their 'bread & butter' is FRP boats, as seen in upper part of picture. They are transferring their expertise & VIP tools 'Vacuum Infusion Process' used on their hulls to this potential new 'sideline'. They are taking their sweet time getting their prototype's modules & components 'just right'. Besides, with Covid, you can't rush building RVs, most of the stuff the industry needs is on back order.

[Jon in AZ]

I doubt anyone here is surprised they are still in the R&D phase. I think you'll find a lot of the skepticism comes from statements made by the owner in the earlier threads. They were made in the midst of the pandemic- so that cannot be used as an excuse, and many of us felt- based on experience watching other start-ups- that their timeline was wildly unrealistic. That of course calls into question the financial viability of the project, since time is money.

I believe we would all wish the venture to succeed. Innovation benefits everyone.

[thrifty bill]

"the pandemic" is the standard go to excuse right now. Yet the established molded FG makers are still running strong, and the Cortes CEO (not me) promised finished trailers by now.

Hopefully Cortes will make it. More choice and competition makes the industry STRONGER!

+10 Earlier comments from the CEO were less than heart warming. Posted staged pictures of unfinished trailers in full camping mode, as if they were already a real product.

Remember the 25 footer that was going to be ready for January 2021 RV show?

Cortes Camper is owned by US Lighting Group, their stock is "available" for 21 cents a share.

https://in.finance.yahoo.com/quote/USLG/