PUX Change of name and format

[doonoak]

I was just thinking that I havent received an issue for a few months.  Not too out of the ordinary cause it seems to take soooo damn long to get this magazine.  I found the last one and looked on the address label and noticed that my subscription ran out!!! oh my gosh how could I let that happen...  So I got on line to renew but then I noticed that on the web site they said that the NAME had CHanged!!! and it would no longer be just about po ups?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!   NOw Ive seen everything!!! the one magazine that embodied the pop up life style has gone the  way of the INDUSTRY... SO why bother with the renewal!!!?  wont be long till this forum turns into the  LOVEBOAT on WHEELS discusion forum. with new topics like...HOW to watch tv and still look out your BAYWIndow on your MEGAGAS GUZZLER and see if the campfire needs to have Quarters put in to reup your virtual campfire! IM am Disgusded with this and I wanna know if any one else feels the same way.  And is there any thing else other than this forum that deals excluslivly with JUST Plane jane old popups???

[AustinBoston]

FYI...I believe PUX is shorthand for the Pop-Up-Explorer web site.  PUT is (was) short for what used to be known as Pop-Up-Times.

Austin

[doonoak]

FYI...I believe PUX is shorthand for the Pop-Up-Explorer web site. PUT is (was) short for what used to be known as Pop-Up-Times.
 
Austin

 
Oh your right Austin  Sorry for the corn fussion..

[tlhdoc]

There is still one more issue of PUTs coming out.  Dave told me that the new mag would have as much PU content as PUT does.  It will be a bigger magazine and cover a broader market than PUT did.

[Tim5055]

The biggest problem is that pop up sales are falling quickly.  It was only a few years ago that industry wide close to 50,000 were sold a year.  While the number are not out yet I doubt if they sold 26,000 last year.

So, looking at it that way I think Dave is making a wise business decision.  If he keeps the current level of pop up coverage and adds additional topics he should be able to attract a larger audience.

I'm not to worried about the new name - RV Enthusiast, it's what is between the pages that will keep me subscribing.

[ReconMarine]

"So I got on line to renew but then I noticed that on the web site they said that the NAME had CHanged!!! and it would no longer be just about po ups?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! NOw Ive seen everything!!! the one magazine that embodied the pop up life style has gone the way of the INDUSTRY... SO why bother with the renewal!!!? wont be long till this forum turns into the LOVEBOAT on WHEELS discusion forum. with new topics like...HOW to watch tv and still look out your BAYWIndow on your MEGAGAS GUZZLER and see if the campfire needs to have Quarters put in to reup your virtual campfire! IM am Disgusded with this and I wanna know if any one else feels the same way. And is there any thing else other than this forum that deals excluslivly with JUST Plane jane old popups???"

I TOTALY AGREE!!!!! The reason we ordered the magazine was just for the fact that it covered only the pop up life style. Now we are going to have to put up with things that don't interest us at all. If we wanted a magazine that covered all the other rv's we would go and get one of the other ones that are for sale out there. I understand the thing about pop ups not selling as they once did, but I also bet that if gas prices stay high that their sales will come back.

[TAC]

Visited the Cleveland RV show last weekend and saw**Gasp**lots of PUPs and they were in the front row!

Last year, it was all about hybrids, this year, its either Busses, TTs or PUPs.

Maybe gas prices will help us out a little.

[meriflower1985]

And gas is going up again - at least in my area.  We had a TT and just sold it in November and bought a popup - primarily we didn't want a full size vehicle needed to tow the TT.

I was also disappointed in the direction that PUT is going as there are already magazines that are available to the TT crowd.  Just received February's copy of Camping Life, it has the RV Buyers Guide and includes 11 popups.  Plus I saw quite a few more add's for popups throughout the mag.  So keep on watching for that comeback!  

Nancy

[zamboni]

Maybe a compromise that would also include the Hybriders (but not full RV'ers)...

Pop Out & Up Times

AKA POUT

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

We're getting hammered about the magazine changes by some who don't even subscribe! :eyecrazy:

We plan to keep the same format and any information about other types of RVs will be in the form of add'l pages. We're not replacing pop ups with travel trailers and motorhomes, we're including them.
I still have a pop up in my driveway.
Dave

[Kelly]

We're getting hammered about the magazine changes by some who don't even subscribe! :eyecrazy:

We plan to keep the same format and any information about other types of RVs will be in the form of add'l pages. We're not replacing pop ups with travel trailers and motorhomes, we're including them.
I still have a pop up in my driveway.
Dave

I subscribe ... I even talked to you personally when I renewed!  


It's all in the perception, Dave.  When folks are looking at a rack of camping mags they are going to grab the one that looks like it covers how they camp.  (Everyone thinks their way is best, right?   )  

My concern of what's going to happen is the following ....

PopUp owners (who aren't members here, of course) just aren't going to gravitate toward something that says RV on the cover ... no matter what the content.  They just won't pick it up in the first place.  

People who own TT and motorhomes (bigger RVs) are gonna say "Wow! a new magazine just for RV owners.  I'm gonna buy one of those and check it out!"  They're gonna get it home and say "jeeez ~ this mag sure has a lot of PopUp information in it.  I'm not sure it's quite what I was looking for."

Either way the perception doesn't meet reality and people (especially new subscribers) are going to be upset or disappointed.  

That's my concern ~ it's still your business decision and I'm still a subscriber.

[Azusateach]

We're not replacing pop ups with travel trailers and motorhomes, we're including them.
I still have a pop up in my driveway.
Dave

Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but you've said that you're going to include pop-ups with travel trailers & motorhomes.  Looks like pop-ups are playing second fiddle to the "big boys".  While you might not have intended it that way, it sure comes across as such.  Your publication is the only one that caters exclusively to pop-ups, and that venue is now gone.

I haven't ever heard you state the purpose of the magazine.  Is it supposed to be a money-maker and be your primary source of income?  If so, then good on ya!  If it's just a hobby & our subscription fees are to cover your expenses only, then I think you've sold out to some sort of RV peer pressure, and I say, shame on you!

And, yes, I am a subscribing member.

[tlhdoc]

We're getting hammered about the magazine changes by some who don't even subscribe! :eyecrazy:

Hang in there Dave.

[Zagami]

I posted this on another thread the other day, but it is just as appropriate to this thread and the concerns many of you have expressed here.
 
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I think we have been very candid and open to all the discussions (pro and con) that have appeared on this forum with respect to the changes we will be making to the magazine.

Many of you have written to me personally and I have answered every e-mail with another explanation of what we are doing, and why.

Some of you commenting in this thread have written, and have received responses, prior to this thread appearing on the forum.

I want you to feel free to express your feelings about what we are doing, but once again I want to assure you that there is logic, experience, and clear business thinking behind these changes.

I think we have a small group of readers and participants in this forum who are truly upset about this change, and we respect that. Many times it is the vocal minority that will raise their voice in oppostion to change, and there really isn't anything we can do about it. In fact, we appreciate it, because that is the whole purpose of having the ability to communicate with each other through the forum.

All of you provide meaningful content to the forums and are passionate in your concern for the perceived loss of focus on pop-up camping and the enjoyment it brings into your lives. I don't know how many times we can say it, or how many different ways you want us to say it, but the change in the focus and branding of the magazine is required to build a profitable business that will allow us to continue you bringing the enjoyment you have received in print and via the Internet.

If there are those among you who think that you could produce this magazine at a profit, or do a better job than what Dave has tried to delvier over the years, you are certainly welcome to take over the reigns and see if you can do it better. We thought long and hard about these changes and the direction that we felt would allow us to grow a viable business and deliver meaningful content to our faithful readers, subscribers, and participants in the forum.

Quite simply, it can no longer sustain itself as just a hobby. If you would like this hobby, let us know.

I believe we owe the majority of our readers (who do agree with our new direction) a better magazine that includes a lot of what they expect from Pop UP Times and additional information about RVs and camping that are part of the enjoyment that we all enjoy. And that includes Dave and I, who are active campers and have been for over 25 years.

This give and take is actually very enjoyable and it's what makes the forum interesting to our readers and online forum participants.

Feel free to jump in and state your position on the changes. As some have noted, we are not looking back and the decisions we have made came after much thought and conversation with people in the industry, including advertisers and potential advertisers, readers, and through communications with many of you on this thread.

We are not looking back and we are not going back. I would hope that many of our critics will stick around long enough to see what the magazine looks like. In the end, it's your call, but if you leave now and want to come back, that crow can get pretty crusty!

Why not stick it out until you can see what your are criticizing? Heck, you might even like it. Then what do you say?

Enjoy the forum and let's see what others think ... that's why we have this very important section on the web site. This is your place to communicate and you do it quite well and we enjoy everything you contribute ... pro or con.

Thanks for listening,

[zamboni]

I believe we owe the majority of our readers (who do agree with our new direction) a better magazine that includes a lot of what they expect from Pop UP Times and additional information about RVs and camping that are part of the enjoyment that we all enjoy.

Thanks, Bob, for the post.  While I agree with "repositioning" the magazine to more than just pop-ups, I personally fear that the risk is going too far to cater to the "professional RV" entheusiast, who hangs out in his $1 million Marathon RV, or $200K 5th wheel, and must have water & electricity.

That has been our personal turnoff to most magazines; they focus far too much on those who have virtually unlimited means (and time) to do everything.

In general, the popup crowd are those who enjoy camping, but want a step or two above tents.

Those of us with Hybrids (now, I'm speaking personally), often went such just to get another notch ahead; my wife and I have an RV slip, so we did not need to store a camper, nor pop up & down after every trip... so, the convenience of keeping a "properly loaded & set up" rig next to our house won out -- we can camp without the extra time of popping down, driving, up, camping, down, coming home, up, unloading... that we had to do with our fully-loaded Coleman Niagara.

We are still part of the crowd that does NOT care if there is water or electricity at our target campsite.

Unfortunately, most magazines have totally lost focus on this type of camper, and instead migrated to catering to those who cart the entire creature-comforts of home (satellite TV, microwaves, internet, etc) with them and expect those comforts while "camping".