FOT new sales plan

Topic: FOT new sales plan (Read 2701 times) previous topic - next topic

FOT new sales plan

August 07, 2019, 02:58:06 pm

According to a senior associate at MOT, FOT is no longer selling new coaches from the factory and instead sales can only be transacted by Motorhome specialists in TX and an undisclosed dealership in FL.

Re: Unconfirmed MOT rumor re FOT sales plan

Reply #1 – August 07, 2019, 03:07:38 pm

Quote from: Fiddler – August 07, 2019, 02:58:06 pm

According to a senior associate at MOT, FOT is no longer selling new coaches from the factory and instead sales can only be transacted by Motorhome specialists in TX and an undisclosed dealership in FL.

Sib, I wonder it that is Featherlite? Remember when we all met to see the new '03 Foretravel with 3 slides? They sure knew how to throw a party. lol

Re: Unconfirmed MOT rumor re FOT sales plan

Reply #2 – August 07, 2019, 03:08:10 pm

FOT website of available new coaches seems to confirm. New coaches are available at Motorhome Specialists and RV One dealerships in Orlando and Tampa.

Re: Unconfirmed MOT rumor re FOT sales plan

Reply #3 – August 07, 2019, 03:09:10 pm

Nope, sounds like they're trying to increase distribution. Tampa and Orlando should be good markets. Get finished coaches out of Nacogdoches and still deliver custom rigs at the factory.

Re: Unconfirmed MOT rumor re FOT sales plan

Reply #4 – August 07, 2019, 03:10:05 pm

Quote from: Fiddler – August 07, 2019, 02:58:06 pm

According to a senior associate at MOT, FOT is no longer selling new coaches from the factory and instead sales can only be transacted by Motorhome specialists in TX and an undisclosed dealership in FL.

https://www.rvone.com/tamparv/Motorhomes/1

Re: Unconfirmed MOT rumor re FOT sales plan

Reply #5 – August 07, 2019, 03:32:46 pm

I talked with FT and the information is that the group that bought out motorhome Specialists is going to be selling all of their new coaches and the factory will no longer be selling New or Used Coaches. It will take a month or so before this is all implemented. There is no sale of the company just a different way of selling the coaches.

On reflection and in discussion with the other moderators we will leave the topic open but change the title.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #6 – August 07, 2019, 11:56:45 pm

I am not sure if MOT would let you test drive one prior to purchase but I had a customer that was buying a new Super C at Motorhome specialists in TX and they would not let him test drive it.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #7 – August 08, 2019, 12:15:53 am

Zero vehicle sales without a test drive, on the customer write up form was "test drive?" The customers paid more if they liked the drive..

Taken differently the coach must drive poorly?

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #8 – August 08, 2019, 12:20:34 am

MOT will let you test drive any coach, salesman drives down the road to a gas station and lets you drive it back to MOT. You can drive it anywhere you want, but think most do just the 5 mile round trip.
Its on HY 59 so you can get it up to speed. You normally make your u turn at the Foretravel Factory so you can see all the coaches you want, but can't afford. Mel, their top salesman told me he often has had prospective customers that have never driven anything bigger than a minivan before jumping in a 45 footer. Personally I would have to have a xanax prescription to be a salesman there.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #9 – August 08, 2019, 12:23:19 am

Drive any coach on a rough road NOT the salesman's route. Trust me on this. You need a hill also. I set up many demo routes for test drives

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #10 – August 08, 2019, 08:35:00 am

So, you're saying with most pre-owned motorhome sellers it's not like with used car lots, where they take a picture of your driver license and then toss you the key?

Glad we bought our coach from Forum members (John & Genni Kerbs) who let us drive it all we wanted, and then some!

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #11 – August 08, 2019, 08:51:14 am

I test drove a Prevost once but did not buy it. I test drove my FT before my first purchase in TN on the interstate and back roads took it anywhere I wanted to go. Never test drove my other two FT as there was no need.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #12 – August 08, 2019, 09:09:55 am

I am confused! Are you folks telling me that Foretravel no longer sells Foretravels?

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #13 – August 08, 2019, 10:08:51 am

Quote from: Horace B. Cupp – August 08, 2019, 09:09:55 am

I am confused! Are you folks telling me that Foretravel no longer sells Foretravels?

It sounds like they are going the route of most RV manufacturers - they produce them, others sell them. Only a handful beyond that have a factory pick-up option for an ordered coach, but they charge extra for that option.

There are very few manufacturers that are "factory direct" anymore. Foretravel even experimented with going to dealers back in the mid 2000's so this won't be their first venture into that business model.

MHSRV is no longer an independent company owned by the O'Banion family, although they are still involved with that dealership location. The were the first RV dealership acquired by RV Retail, LLC, the same company that bought RVOne, ExploreUSA, and more recently Tom's Camperland (which are now RVOne stores).

The principals of RV Retailer, LLC are former Autonation executives, the CEO having been with Autonation from its startup through its growth.

RV Retailer LLC Acquires Motor Home Specialist - News Archives

RV Retailer, LLC Announces Expansion into Arizona and South Carolina

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #14 – August 08, 2019, 10:22:15 am

Details seem to be emerging. From what I have been able to discern, Foretravel appears to be moving to a third party sales model for new product.
There is still one sales representative active at Foretravel, primarily selling their used and consignment inventory, it is not clear if that is a temporary or longer term strategy.
Tyle is still at Foretravel in another capacity, likely having to do with the dealer management. The very nice and talented lady salesperson is on maternity leave at this time (Kristin?) I am sure that the details will emerge over time, likely the best source being Lyle's article in the Motorcader.
Rumor has it that their was a decrease in the IC-37 price (under $500K) which is rumored to have spurred some sales (Yeah!!!) Whatever route to market their choose I surely hope they do well. Great people and product, and having the factory still around to provide parts and support to our primarily 15-30 year old coaches is amazing.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #15 – August 08, 2019, 10:26:05 am

If you pull up RV One in Florida you can see the Foretravels and the prices.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #16 – August 08, 2019, 10:26:52 am

Does this mean an end to the customer choosing the options and floor plan they want on the coach being built for them?

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #17 – August 08, 2019, 10:28:09 am

Does this mean an end to the customer choosing the options and floor plan they want on the coach being built for them?

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #18 – August 08, 2019, 12:32:31 pm

As i experienced first hand long ago Foretravel were an average sales organization. Better to let better people do it.

Foretravel had only factory stores in the 80's when a sales managed the ca store,

This is an art. Not as science. Charlie Myer left and ran marathon and Phil Cornelius worked for Charlie. Now is at Newell.

You have to know how to hold your mouth right

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #19 – August 08, 2019, 12:51:49 pm

It makes sense for FT to go back to using dealers. More dealers equals more visibility. Most people today don't know a Foretravel from a potato.

It makes sense for FT to not be in direct competition with their dealers. They might attract more dealers by not competing with them.

But they need to get into more markets.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #20 – August 08, 2019, 01:44:00 pm

also possible that the Foretravel management will now get completely different feedback from salespeople. If you think about it, the sales guys will probably be showing a customer a larger variety of coaches at the same visit. They ( sales) could be hearing more of " this one has this but the sob has that".

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #21 – August 08, 2019, 02:00:19 pm

Think all that most of us care about is that they stay in business at NAC.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #22 – August 08, 2019, 06:48:14 pm

It doesn't matter what your technical expertise, manufacturing quality is, without a good sales team to market and promote the likelihood of financial success is limited. Learned that one the hard way.

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #23 – August 08, 2019, 09:24:08 pm

If you all will remember back when MOT was selling new Foretravels ---they were their biggest selling dealer by far . Makes sense to me that they would once again be a selling dealer . MOT 's track record alone should speak loudly about that . But you know how the thinking goes at FOT so it's a crap shoot

Brad Metzger

Re: FOT new sales plan

Reply #24 – August 08, 2019, 09:46:44 pm

surprised they did not pick MOT as a dealer. It is pretty stupid not too and they where far and a way the biggest sales dealer they had when they did dealers. I guess they want to put their coaches in North TX and FL now. I do not think they will compare favorably to some of the other coaches on the lot unless the person knows FT. Now that they are the same chassis what sets them apart from a newmar or Entegra or Tiffen. People will look and see the price and decide that way. They are ok on the IC 37 I would figure but their IH is way too high. I guess time will tell but it does show that they have changed from factory to dealers to factory to dealers in 15 years. That is hard to build a lasting business model that way. At least MOT has been a constant and they should use them as a dealer as well. People could take a factory tour and go across the street and buy a coach. They sold the most when company was using dealer but I guess they do think that way. Who knows the reason or maybe they want to be exclusive but that is short sighted in this market. I remember Lyle saying at a GV that they were going to do the Newell method and that way they were in control. I guess the only thing that is constant is change.

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