AUG 12-18 2018 - Goshen, Indiana - FROG International

[doc73]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

In every tour I took (4 different plants over the years) the factories were working at making campers. A 5 year old would need to be supervised carefully to prevent injury from moving campers, and walking between work stations as the men and women go about their duties.

Even if it was allowed (which I doubt), it would not be a good idea. Perhaps if you let your needs be known, someone would be happy to keep him entertained while you were on the tour. We typically have several age appropriate movies in the camper.

Herk

Thank you both for the help.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by spock123

I have took tours at other RV plants and they were working at the time but I have took tours at Cedar Creek and the line was closed each time but still with a 5 year old you still have to watch them

I am not surprised the Cedar Creek plant was shutdown. Most of the campers at the International Rally were Cedar Creeks or their variants like the Silverback.

The Cedar Creek technicians were the largest group at the rally, by far.

[spock123]

I was there once before and the plant wasn't working but I have toured the Wildcat factory and the Bighorn factory when they were working.

[keith52]

Cedar Creek works 5:30 a.m. to 2:00. Tours are usually at 2:00.

[SlowrideHD]

I went on the Cedar Creek factory tour at Goshen and then went back the next day and watched them put roofs on from the 2nd story office catwalk. That was very interesting. Watched them for an hour I suppose. About a dozen in the line and I got to see them do roofs from start to finish. 2 or 3 people working at each camper as they moved them down the line about every 20 minutes or less.

[spock123]

Cedar Creek keeps coming out with new models and one or two I like, maybe next year I’ll trade or not. It’s hard to trade one that nothing is wrong with and one that you have made some expensive mods on.

[MasterBlaster]

We attended for the first time this year. We had just as much opportunity as anyone else to register. I think if it isn't broke don't fix it.

[RVBuff]

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster

We attended for the first time this year. We had just as much opportunity as anyone else to register. I think if it isn't broke don't fix it.

X2

[spock123]

I would sure like to go again but I have a feeling that unless your finger is on the button you may get left out I asked this question before and didn’t get a answer but how many no shows were not there. I don’t know about a lot of people but I’m retired now and have nothing to do and if I didn’t get a spot and a no show happened I could be in Goshen in two days or less.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by spock123

I would sure like to go again but I have a feeling that unless your finger is on the button you may get left out I asked this question before and didn’t get a answer but how many no shows were not there. I don’t know about a lot of people but I’m retired now and have nothing to do and if I didn’t get a spot and a no show happened I could be in Goshen in two days or less.

I do know we had at least one "Show; but Stupid". A FROG member had registered with a Forest River product, but had traded it over a month prior to buy a Thor product, then drove up to the gate looking for admittance and service. Obviously, he was turned away.

It takes a few weeks to order in parts and schedule the appropriate vendor/division technicians to service each arriving rig. There ARE nearly 800 rigs that need to be serviced in 7 days. Most folks can't get service from their DEALER in 7 weeks!

I was there, and I was mad as heck that that ignorant person (whose wife TOLD him to call Bob about the rally when they traded for an SoB) prevented another person from the waiting list getting a spot and receiving needed service.

There has to be a cut off date when the logistics of providing service and registration services just can not be handled.

I am sure Bob has more to add; this was just from my perspective.

[spock123]

I’m sure everyone doesn’t just go to get free work

[Cowracer]

Originally Posted by spock123

I would sure like to go again but I have a feeling that unless your finger is on the button you may get left out

It took just over a full day to sell out Goshen last year. While that number might make FrogBobs head swim, It proved that you hardly had to sit there with your finger on the button to get in. There was plenty of time for people to get reserved, provided they didn't tarry too much.

What DID sell out quick was the tours. That sucks for those who wanted to go on them, the only possible way to treat them is 'first come, first serve'. You don't see a major band holding out a thousand tickets to a concert specifically for people who have never been to one of their concerts, do you? The logistics of trying to do it any other way would be a killer to everyone involved.

Tim

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by spock123

I’m sure everyone doesn’t just go to get free work

You would be shocked to learn then that many (and I do mean many) folks pull out as soon as their maintenance items are done. Sort of defeats the idea of a Rally, but them's the facts.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

It took just over a full day to sell out Goshen last year. While that number might make FrogBobs head swim, It proved that you hardly had to sit there with your finger on the button to get in. There was plenty of time for people to get reserved, provided they didn't tarry too much.

What DID sell out quick was the tours. That sucks for those who wanted to go on them, the only possible way to treat them is 'first come, first serve'. You don't see a major band holding out a thousand tickets to a concert specifically for people who have never been to one of their concerts, do you? The logistics of trying to do it any other way would be a killer to everyone involved.

Tim

No last year it took three days for the rally to sell out and this year less than a day. I think next year the rally will sell out in about a hour. A lot more campers being built nowadays. I had a little trouble getting on the website and next year if that should happen to me I’ll be left out

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by spock123

No last year it took three days for the rally to sell out and this year less than a day. I think next year the rally will sell out in about a hour. A lot more campers being built nowadays. I had a little trouble getting on the website and next year if that should happen to me I’ll be left out

Seems every FROG rally has been a short time sell out and all but the International rally do not have "included" maintenance. You are correct, the rallies have been very popular.

I do know there have been discussions about how to be more fair about registrations. The problem is they are just not workable. I know Bob looked at trying to allot a certain number of spaces for first time attenders, but the shopping cart software will not allow it without hand parsing each registration, then having to tell folks they are not coming and having to process a refund (which has a credit card fee for FROG on both transactions - the charge and the refund).

I do know he is looking at registration during multiple days, say 200 each week for a month but I don't know if that would even be feasible since it reduces the time that the maintainers have to integrate the service and parts acquisition for the late registrants. It could also result in tour ticket scalping from the first group of registrants.

The "first come first served" system seems to still be the most fair.

[Witch Doctor]

It's all fair now, as far as trips, they had a board full of tickets that people were trying to sell, I know of a person that bought two for the Brown bag for 160.00 bucks, his wife decided she didn't want to go, he put them on the board nobody bought them, he eat 160.00 bucks in his bag. I saw tour tickets for almost any side trip, so people still have a chance, I think they have it organized quite well in my opinion, my hats off to Forest River, now if they can only do something with the food.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

It's all fair now, as far as trips, they had a board full of tickets that people were trying to sell, I know of a person that bought two for the Brown bag for 160.00 bucks, his wife decided she didn't want to go, he put them on the board nobody bought them, he eat 160.00 bucks in his bag. I saw tour tickets for almost any side trip, so people still have a chance, I think they have it organized quite well in my opinion, my hats off to Forest River, now if they can only do something with the food.

Not having been there in 2016 (but heard the horror stories), I have to say the food in 2017 was not all that bad! Remember they are serving over 2000 meals at a sitting and everyone (except the technicians) wants to eat at the same time, they want it hot, and cooked to their liking, etc.

I doubt there is a restaurant anywhere that could handle that and please everyone.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

Not having been there in 2016 (but heard the horror stories), I have to say the food in 2017 was not all that bad! Remember they are serving over 2000 meals at a sitting and everyone (except the technicians) wants to eat at the same time, they want it hot, and cooked to their liking, etc.



I doubt there is a restaurant anywhere that could handle that and please everyone.

About the closest thing would be a army mess hall

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by spock123

About the closest thing would be a army mess hall

Been there; done THAT.

Two choices of food there; Eat, or Not.
Complaining gets you KP.

And come to think of it, even there you were serving continuously over the course of several hours, one (maybe 2) serving lines, and the cooks loaded your tray. If there was more than a thousand troops to be served there were usually 2 (or more) cook tents or mess halls.

[spock123]

Yea I remember those days in boot camp in the Army, in the mess hall there was no talking, if your mouth was open there better be food going in. Just put the food in your mouth and chew it on the way out the door