Foretravel Motorcoach of Nacogdoches, TX is pleased to announce that it has established a franchise relationship, for selling its Foretravel motorcoaches, with Motor Home Specialist, LP in Alvarado, TX. MHS (Texas RV Dealer, Used RVs for sale, motorhome sales, new RVs (http://www.mhsrv.com)) is the #1 volume selling dealer in the world with one location and Foretravel is proud of this new relationship. The O'Banion family has built one of North America's largest, world class dealerships in a relatively short period of time during a challenging economy for the RV industry. We are looking forward with anticipation to building a growing relationship with Motor Home Specialist.
Without any or even informed info my first thought when I saw this is the factory needed to sell some coaches to a dealer who could pay for them now.
End of year statement stuff. Better sales setup may help them. And the ability to take in high value trades. Trade up by trading down. They sell prevost I see so there is a trade up and trade down structure and their mention of others over allowance trade structure means they are sales orientated. Of course they are going to over allow on trade values. You have to. Just less as they already discounted their price to start with.
"Let me raise my price so I can give more for yours" has been mentioned a few hundred times by me....
Bob
Bob - it's not recent news. The MHSRV deal was announced back in July New Foretravels for sale at Motor Home Specialist (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=18604.0)
I pass by this huge dealership going and coming to the warehouse where we park our coach. The interstate highway location, billboard electronic display and covered front row of maybe 75 Class A is very nice. The dealership is maybe a 1/2 mile wide and deep, with coaches, 100's under cover, and a fleet of golf carts to transit the property.
The new Foretravels are front and center out the showroom door, when they had two, were on either side of the golf cart fleet parking. Recently I have only seen one, from reading the rear ends, that are backed against the service road.
MHS must be doing something right, as they continue to grow, expanding buildings and parking. Their sign says they are the largest dealer in the country. We can wish them all the best with Foretravel in their line up.
MHSRV I believe is the largest RV dealer under one location in the country. They sell more units than anyone else from what I have learned from certain manufacturers.
In addition to selling Foretravels now, Foretravel now has an agreement with MHSRV to produce a "brand" of coach for them specifically. Currently, they are not sure yet what it would be called. But it will probably be on a Freightliner chasis (others are possible) and I think final details are subject to change.
I would also interject that expecting a high level of after sale service based on the way they currently work, is questionable.
Curious where this info is from. Foretravel
does have an agreement with Motor Specialty Vehicles in Jasper, Texas (not to be confused with Motor Home Specialists in Alvarado) to build shells based on a Freightliner chassis, but those are for completion into medical and emergency vehicles, not RVs. Perhaps the similar name is what's causing confusion? Foretravel Assembling 40-Foot Medical Coaches | RV Business (http://www.rvbusiness.com/2013/12/foretravel-assembling-40-foot-medical-coaches/)
Yes Michelle, you are correct on that. This is another contract agreement with Motorhome Specialists in Alvarado.
I just left Foretravel on Monday and this is from where it came.
This indeed, is a large facility. Their service center is spotless. They have hookups when you need to stay there. We had a rally there when they were a Bluebird Wanderlodge dealer, years ago. We had a couple of catered meals at the rally.
If this dealership can sell a goodly number of coaches for Foretravel . this just might be the very thing Foretravel needs to turn the corner toward profitability . The huge financial investment the owners put into a very large hole that was in front of them as they took ownership of the Foretravel Company to save it from total bankruptcy is a very formidable thing to deal with . These guys deserve a return on this high risk investment. Where would we be without their determination to turn this company around so we can keep on receiving the good products and service that we are accustom to seeing and receiving . Getting this company profitable is no small task . My hat is off to them . Brad Metzger
I agree Brad
Brad,
As you know, We went down there and did the Factory tour Monday. Stayed in the park Sat and Sunday at their invite.
We left with so many great visions and thoughts about what they do. They truly make a Handmade product. Each and every department we went to was gracious with their time and attention. Learned that : They make there own wiring(by hand) label wires with their specific part number avery couple inches so it can be repaired easily when needed.
Cabinetry and woodworking are in a class of their own. Paint does 5 coats before final sanding and two more finish coats.
The Chassis guys are very talented and spent a lot of time showing us different configurations.
All in all it was VERY impressive. Tyle was great. Stopped by say hi to Lance on your behalf, he had left earlier due to being sick.
So.....back to your statement, I think you are correct and was told they will add aprox 15 more production workers or there about.
Learned a lot. Would really recommend to anyone a visit.
Ciao,
Sal
Sal; good to hear from you about your visit at the Foretravel facility . You hooked up with some great folks and saw what goes on there . I too get impressed each time I go there . Now you know why. Brad Metzger
Fascinating! So this was mentioned by Tyle on the factory tour, then? I haven't seen any announcement on the FT/FOT/MHSRV websites yet so it must be a new development.
Interesting since reports from the 2013 Grandvention regarding a FT-finished RV on a Freightliner (or Spartan) chassis was not in the cards since the numbers didn't work to make it competitive in that market segment (the Tiffin/Newmar one) yet have it still be a Foretravel. Tennessee Grandvention, September 24-27 (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=18667.msg135570#msg135570) Maybe MHSRV branding it (perhaps they would also be putting up the initial capital for the project?) solves that issue.
Michelle, I do believe it will be a MHSRV brand from my understanding. But as these types of plans develop Im sure anything can change.