Getting rid of their popups

[Preacher]

I was at Sunbelt RV in Belton, TX a couple of days ago and was told that they are going out of the popup business.  They still have several 04 Fleetwood/Coleman popups.  These are new and would still have factory warranty on them.

Thought I'd let y'all know just in case someone in the Central Texas area was looking for a good deal on a new popup.  I asked why they were getting out of the business and was told that they had to "turn" a lot of them to make a profit and the popup business had slowed down to practically nothing.  Because of the closeness of cost, on the larger popups, people are buying the hybrid TT over popups.

I bought my first two popups from them and even though have a TT now, I could not help but feel a little sadness.  They do have a website //www.Sunbeltrv.com where they have their prices, but as I was told that was their beginning price.

Hope this might help someone out there who is looking.  If you call ask for Dwayne Greene (salesman) or Al Oltimeir (owner).  Both are really good guys and they do NOT high pressure sell!  Tell 'em the preacher from Troy told you about them.

P.S.  Dave if this is the wrong place for this, my apologies, please feel free to move it to the right "catagory".

[fritz_monroe]

This seems to be the way things are moving right now.  Days RV in Joppa MD used to carry pop ups and no longer have them.  I can see their reasoning, but there will always be a certain group that wants a pop up.  Hopefully pop ups aren't going to disappear from the landscape.  The reason we are buying one is we still want to camp, not play in the woods and return to our mobile hotel at night.

[wynot]

I suspect the dealership I worked at will drop popups (if they haven't already) as well.

It probably has very little to do with profit, popups have a decent markup (despite what they would tell you).  But a dealership spends very little effort selling hybrids and TTs, and the salespeople find selling those easier than selling a popup.  Plus, there's not a lot of enthusiasm about setting popups up.  A TT on the other hand is competing with a lot of other TTs out there, so the profit margin is smaller.  But there is NO work involved with selling a TT, either the customer likes it or doesn't like it.  So it costs inventory, because you have to carry most floorplans.
 
The normal first-time 'customer' comes in and expects to see a popup priced around $1-3K (new).  When you are getting up there in the $9-12 line - anything else about the same price looks pretty attractive and a lot less work.
 
Just for general info:
Ease of selling:
Popups - medium (customer has to want one)
Hybrids - easy to medium (depends on their feelings about popups)
TT - easy (if the customer truly wants a camper)
5th wheels - VERY difficult (5th wheel buyers are very discerning, and they know exactly what they didn't like about their previous campers)
Class Cs - easy-medium
Class Bs - very difficult (very small market-high price)
Class As - easy - medium

[fritz_monroe]

5th wheels - VERY difficult (5th wheel buyers are very discerning, and they know exactly what they didn't like about their previous campers)

Class Bs - very difficult (very small market-high price)

I can definately see this.  5th Wheels are a limited market to begin with.  After all, not everyone has a truck that can handle one of these.

I've never really understood the entire Class B thing.  I'd much rather have a very small Class C than a Class B.  I guess if you are planning on getting a Class B to use as a second vehicle, it makes sense.

But to each his own.  If they didn't sell at all, they wouldn't be made.

[GeneF]

Just got back from a local small RV show.

They had a new Niagara there.  $14,500.

I talked to the salesman for a few minutes.  I had purchased my old Mesa from him.

I commented that for that price, you could buy a hybrid.  His comment was that hybrid sales were dropping quite a bit and popups were going up.

[wynot]

I can definately see this. 5th Wheels are a limited market to begin with. After all, not everyone has a truck that can handle one of these.
 
I've never really understood the entire Class B thing. I'd much rather have a very small Class C than a Class B. I guess if you are planning on getting a Class B to use as a second vehicle, it makes sense.
 
But to each his own. If they didn't sell at all, they wouldn't be made.

Absolutely right, most folks don't realize just how heavy a 5th wheel can be.    Other than a Scamp, most are over 8,000 lbs, and are now getting close to 30,000 on the top end.
 
5th wheels actually are a fairly decent sized market, but you're dealing with several factors:
- truck size (3/4 ton is with few exceptions the starting point, 1 ton+ being preferable)
- money ($30,000 to $150,000)
- Experienced campers (not often a first time RVer)
- A lot of these are running severely overloaded tow vehicles.
 
5th wheel buyers are generally the same folks who would consider a Class A.  Suprisingly (at least to me), a lot of first timers enter the Class A market.
 
Speaking of the Class Bs, I understand the appeal, although the lack of space would not work for us.  But if you're paying fuel to drive around Alaska from the East Coast, a Class B does a whole lot better than a Class C on fuel.   Maybe 16 mpg vs. 9 mpg.   Doesn't mean you'll still be married at the end of the trip, but...
 
A Class B buyer is generally 1-2 people, extremely organized, and wants something manageable.  Oh, yeah, also has a lot of money for it ($80,000+ is not unusual).  They're loyal buyers though.  Lot of compromises in making something that compact.
 
Side note - Fritz, I was trying to send you an email the other day, please send me a note through this board if you want me to send it to you.  Wynot

[fritz_monroe]

But if you're paying fuel to drive around Alaska from the East Coast, a Class B does a whole lot better than a Class C on fuel. Maybe 16 mpg vs. 9 mpg.

Unless it's one of the ones based on a Sprinter, or would that be a B+?