Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #50 – August 29, 2019, 09:20:19 pm The issue is that nobody will pay for a quality coach. Look at how few Foretravel sells or the bus converters. The market for trailers is even worse. The issue for FT is that they could not spread the emissions costs over so few units so they went with Spartan. That makes them like everyone else. There are still quality manufactures out there if you look for them but the bulk of the people just use them a couple times a year or for a short summer. So why put the money into it. 2007 destroyed a lot of companies as it was a credit crisis and anything that used credit in their business model was suspect. I remember posting on RV.net that Country Coach would go bankrupt and Monaco was one hurricane away from it. I was roundly criticized but I was right. The weight of warranty costs finally caught up to a number of manufactures and the reduced sales really made it hurt. We always have economic cycles so that is what happens all the time but not to the extent of 2007 Quote Selected 4 Likes
Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #51 – August 30, 2019, 07:21:01 am In 2004, while wintering in Florida, I went to work for a small dealership selling Newmar coaches and Cardinal 5th wheels. In 2005 that dealer was no more. Like John just mentioned, 98% of all RV sold today are owned by 3 major companies. Production was increased, quality suffered or was non existent while looking at the bottom line. Let the buyer beware and let's save even more money by letting the buyer deal with the lack of quality and suffer through waiting months to get their newly purchase dream repaired. Result: buyers are doing more research and now the industry will reap the practices of the past! Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #52 – August 30, 2019, 10:24:25 am Quote from: John S – August 29, 2019, 09:20:19 pmThe issue for FT is that they could not spread the emissions costs over so few units so they went with Spartan. That makes them like everyone else. The chassis that Spartan make for the Foretravel IH45 is made to Foretravel specs and is just used for the IH45. No one else can use this chassis. The different between the one Foretravel made and the one Spartan now makes is the Spartan one is bolted together where the Foretravel was welded. Quote Selected
Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #53 – August 30, 2019, 12:28:20 pm Quote from: John S – August 29, 2019, 09:20:19 pm.......... 2007 destroyed a lot of companies as it was a credit crisis and anything that used credit in their business model was suspect. I remember posting on RV.net that Country Coach would go bankrupt and Monaco was one hurricane away from it. I was roundly criticized but I was right. The weight of warranty costs finally caught up to a number of manufactures and the reduced sales really made it hurt. We always have economic cycles so that is what happens all the time but not to the extent of 2007What fueled the last 3-5 years of record RV sales and massive amount of mergers&acquisitions of manufacturers...........it was all credit. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #54 – August 30, 2019, 04:28:30 pm Quote from: krush – August 30, 2019, 12:28:20 pmWhat fueled the last 3-5 years of record RV sales and massive amount of mergers&acquisitions of manufacturers...........it was all credit.easy credit plus pent up demand from a wave of baby boomers realizing that they could retire after the recovery from the great recession and their 401K really appreciated due to the market comeback. it looks like the crest of that wave arrived in about 2015 because that was the highest demand year in the rv industry, since then, its dropped 10-15% per year. RV sales is a leading economic indicator. the economy is going to tighten, it just a matter of when. Quote Selected
Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #55 – August 30, 2019, 10:23:40 pm That may be true but I doubt anyone willlook that closely. The retarded us the big thing and on their 37 it seems like every other spartan Quote Selected
Re: FOT new sales plan Reply #56 – August 30, 2019, 10:28:48 pm Seen the boom and bust many times. Old news Quote Selected
Topic: FOT new sales plan