Are you ready to get a real camper?

[centex_popup]

I went to an RV show in houston over the weekend, and while walking through the acres and acres of rv's I was approached by many salesmen.  One salesman came close to walking on the fighting side of me.  He asked me if I currently owned an rv and I said yeah I own an 01 Coleman Niagara, to which he stated ARE YOU READY TO GET A REAL CAMPER?  

 :swear: when he saw the look on my face, he backed down form his question, and said what I mean is are you ready for a hard sided camper?  

Can you believe that guy...

[flyfisherman]

The RV industry is in desperate times and the commissioned sales force are practicing desperate sales measures ... whatever it takes to get your attention. Now you have to give credit where credit is due - that salesman got your attention.

The way things look today I'm a thinkin' there will be less RV manufacturers in business this date next year.



Fly

[GeneF]

The RV industry is in desperate times and the commissioned sales force are practicing desperate sales measures ... whatever it takes to get your attention.
Fly

Fly

Note sure how much I would agree with you on the "desperte sales measures" at least in the area of price.

DW and I went to the Tampa Show and really didn't see any great price discounts in the TT area.  Didn't bother with the 5vers.

I had expected to see a lot of discounting but while there was some, I wouldn't have said they were great show prices.

[centex_popup]

Fly

Note sure how much I would agree with you on the "desperte sales measures" at least in the area of price.

DW and I went to the Tampa Show and really didn't see any great price discounts in the TT area.  Didn't bother with the 5vers.

I had expected to see a lot of discounting but while there was some, I wouldn't have said they were great show prices.

GeneF,  
I have to agree with you, the prices on the campers were not what we expected.  They were just as high as last years prices.  No barn burner of a deal to speak of.  However the most crouded area of the show was definitely the isle with the pop ups.   :usflag:

[CajunCamper]

Boy nothing ruffles my feathers faster than a fast talking salesperson that doesn't understand the wants and needs of consumers and that most of us that are in pop ups are in them by choice.

I never understood why some salespeople think that insulting a prospective buyer from the beginning is a good tactic.

As far a the price is concerned, it's almost as if no one wants to be the first to lower their price, or to admit that their business is off, we all know it is.

I own a company that prints the vinyls you see on billboards as well as banners and mesh fence wraps. My business has been good actually, the economy in Louisiana is one of the top economies in the country right now for many reasons, but that's another story. This past October when the wheels really seemed to fall off of the economy, I reduced my prices. Not because business was off, but because I have clients all over the country many in parts of the country harder hit than others. We contacted all of them and told them that in an effort to support them in a slow economy, we were reducing their prices substantually to do what we could to help them through this crunch.

I cut my profit margin way back and guess what. Not only have they begun to order more from me but word has spread and I am picking up new customers that I never had. You see I wasn't their only supplier, but now I have become in many cases their preferred supplier.

I just hope these RV manufacturers realize what they need to do to survive before it's too late for them.

CajunCamper

[haroldPE]

Too late - numerous are already gone.  That is why Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Indiana have over 15% unemployment.  

The way things look today I'm a thinkin' there will be less RV manufacturers in business this date next year.
 

[PM3579]

I know that some sales people can get under your skin and they certainly get your attention, but you should'nt look at them with distain but rather an opprotunity for fun. Next time a sales person really gets your knickers in a wad, play them,string them along, him & haw, the longer you take the more they squirm. The real fun starts when they send in the closer, this guy smells blood and after 10 or 15 min's he'll foam at the mouth, he'll even get nervous, watch him he may even walk around in circles. Rember you are'nt buying any thing from them, this is just one fun aspect of the show, but who know's they may make you an offer you can't refuse after you have turned the tables on them. DW and I grew up in the car businees, both father's and both of us worked in dealerships, the 4 of us at the same Buick dealership at the same time at one point . Rude and high pressure salesmen can be fun. :usflag:

[AZsix]

Many salespeople consider pop ups as a way to "get started" in rv'ing. When we were looking and I mentioned that I was considering a pup they told me that it was a cheap way to get into a trailer and then I could trade up in a year or two. I was buying into that way of thinking too before we got our pup and started camping in it and discovered what a wonderful and fulfilling experience camping in a pup can be. For many a pup is not a starting point but a destination.

[wavery]

I'm glad that I'm not an RV salesman (or any other kind of salesman) in these trying times.  I would certainly hope that I wouldn't unintentionally offend a potential buyer but if I did, I would hope that they wouldn't play me, for punishment. Losing a sale is punishment enough, I'd think.

At least these guys are out there trying to produce. So many people have given up in this economy and depending on the rest of us to feed & house them. If you asked the guy what he was doing last year, he'd probably tell you that he was in banking and never sold anything in his life.  Chances are, that person isn't very comfortable doing what they are doing.

[Camping Coxes]

There was an RV place near us we stopped by to check out.  When I specifically asked him about hybrids, he said, "No one wants to mess with those pieces of junk.  People only want the nicer stuff around here."  Mind you, he wasn't selling diesel pushers or anything and his "around here" is not the bucks up part of OC.  But I noticed when I drove by a few weeks ago, the lot is now a parking lot.  Maybe if the dealers didn't dismiss the lower-end trailers, they might sell a few more because more people would be able to afford them.  Sell five trailers at 15K vs one at 25K - you do the math.

[PM3579]

Wavery I didn't mean to imply that you should play all sales people at will. They do infact have a tough job, and alot of them work very hard for very little gain. The best of sales people can make a mistake, and offend a client.These are not the folks I was refering to. I was refering to the sharks who prey on people with big dreams, and lack self control, because these sharks  have no problem turning a client upside down in payments. You know like a bank writing a loan for 125% of the value of your house. Its wrong and they know it. Admittedly I am jaded, from the time I was 5yrs old till the time I was 30, I grew up or was in the car business. My father taught me something many years ago, "weather you are buying or selling, treat the other person with respect and honesty, lie to me or try to take advantage of me and I will turn the tables on you." Sales people have sales tactics, we as consumers should have consumer tactics as well. Life is to short not to have fun no matter which side of the table your on. :usflag:

[AustinBoston]

DW and I went to the Tampa Show and really didn't see any great price discounts in the TT area.  Didn't bother with the 5vers.

I had expected to see a lot of discounting but while there was some, I wouldn't have said they were great show prices.

Personally, I don't think RV manufacturers (and in some cases, dealers) have much room to give.  There are so many manufacturers (and in some areas, dealers - I have at least 10 RV dealers within 15 miles), and the industry has been shrinking for a long time, so competition has been fierce for a while.

Unfortunately, that means 1) Anybody who offers a real bargain is loosing money on the deal and 2) There will be fewer manufacturers when the dust settles.  That is really sad, because in my opinion, there are no really bad RV manufacturers today.  Good companies with good people will be gone forever.  

Austin

[perterra]

Next time a sales person really gets your knickers in a wad, play them,string them along, him & haw, the longer you take the more they squirm. The real fun starts when they send in the closer, this guy smells blood and after 10 or 15 min's he'll foam at the mouth, he'll even get nervous, watch him he may even walk around in circles. Rember you are'nt buying any thing from them, this is just one fun aspect of the show, but who know's they may make you an offer you can't refuse after you have turned the tables on them. DW and I grew up in the car businees, both father's and both of us worked in dealerships, the 4 of us at the same Buick dealership at the same time at one point . Rude and high pressure salesmen can be fun. :usflag:

Ehhh, no thanks, that sounds like its right up there with a proctologist visit; doesnt sound like a fun way to spend a day to me.

[tyrrionn]

Wife and I went to the RV show in St. Louis last month and saw lots of "sale" prices, many marked down numerous times, but none of them really LOOKED like bargain prices.  We do enjoy looking at the high end campers even though we'll probably never want one.  We're on our 2nd pop-up and are still happy as ever!

[fdtd]

5 years ago when I was looking for our pup, I went to the one dealer and inquired about pups and he replied "how used to roughing it are you?"  I told him sleeping bag on the ground, he replied ok this will be like the mariot to you.  He was not trring to be rude, but wanted me to understand that pups do not have the marble tile treatment...
we are still in the pup and love it...although I may goto the dark side at some point in the future