Brand “Pecking Order”?

[cmac7203]

Dos FR have price point brands? Like in the old days, a car from General Motors could be a Chevrolet or a Cadillac. Between then there was Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick. The amenities differed and “quality” (I use the term very loosely) improved as you went up the brand price point scale. Does that exist in FR? Who is entry level? Top? Etc.

[Kimber45]

Keysone's web site clearly shows 3 different levels, I don't know why forest river doesn't break them up. Clearly there are differences from a 15k aluminum tt to a 50k travel trailer. Interior finish and options and amenities.

[youroo]

There is No "Official Pecking Order" but use the Term "Price Point/Starter/Lower/Cheaper/Tin/Coach/Upscale or many other WORDs and Hold on to Your Hat! Youroo!!

[cmac7203]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

Keysone's web site clearly shows 3 different levels, I don't know why forest river doesn't break them up. Clearly there are differences from a 15k aluminum tt to a 50k travel trailer. Interior finish and options and amenities.

Makes it a challenge!

[keith52]

Berkshire is the top "pecker"

[AquaMan]

Originally Posted by keith52

Berkshire is the top "pecker"

I'm thinking you forgot about Charleston and Dynamax.

[tomkatb]

We spent a year picking out an RV.

My head was spinning for a long time.

In fifth wheels it goes from $25,000 to $250,000.

After a while you will get how to grade them relative to your needs. Dramamine helps.

[cavie]

on the TT side it seems to me the higher the price the lower the quality. Sounds stupid but.........

[AquaMan]

One thing to remember is that quality can't always be seen on the surface. Many of the brands also overlap in the "quality pecking order" with special editions and available options. Always look for build quality and not price to determine your own personal pecking order.

[Cowracer]

OK...My take.

Price is the only "pecking order".

Because of marketing agreements, they have difference brands selling identical campers. Say they sign a exclusive sales contract for a dealer in a city for selling Rockwoods. They may agree to not allow another dealership to sell Rockwoods within 60 miles of them. So what they do is offer the same exact deal to another dealer in that area to sell only Flagstaffs. They get better market penetration, yet still comply with the agreements. The only diff between Rockwood and Flagstaff are decals. It's not like the old GM days where they hoped a Chevy guy would move up to a Pontiac, then a Buick then top out with a Caddy. The range of units in each brand means there will be TONS of overlap. A higher-end camper in a middle-of-the-road brand can be far nicer and more expensive than a low-end unit in a 'prestige' brand.

Type of construction plays into it to. "Stick and tin" units are usually on the more 'budget' side of things. Once you start noticing things, you can pretty much tell where in the pecking order a unit is just by looking at the outside of it.

Further muddying the waters is that there are the FR 'house' brands that are sold under the FR name, and there are some other brands that were bought by FR like Coacheman, Dynamax and Palomino. They were complete stand-alone brands before FR brought them into the fold, so its hard to say where they 'fit' in the pecking order.

With all that being said, there are "prestige" brands in the FR lineup. In type-a, Charleston followed by Berkshire seem to be the top dogs. In c-class, Dynamax is the king. In 5ers, Riverstone followed by Cedar Creek. In Bumper-pulls, Rockwood Signature and Flagstaff Classic seem to be the top brands. These are my opinions. Your view may be different.

Tim

[tomkatb]

Head spinning?

In Cedar creek for instance they have three models. Silverback, Cedar Creek Hathaway, then Cedar Creek Champagne.

And then the pricing thing is wild. Discounts are 20-40% plus or minus off the retail price.

You have to understand
suspension or lack there of
tires C or G tires?
wheels size and pressure rating
floor construction luan or marine plywood
Shell covering laminate of fiberglass or aluminum
insulation
wall construction
appliances sizes
water heater size and type
furniture
beds many bad
windows
hitches cheap to expensive

The list goes on and on. With infinite floor plans.

Model numbers make sense only relative to the product line sort of.

Patience and persistence. In a few months you will know what you want. And who has it. Then you have to pick a dealer.

We did the PDI and paid for ours Saturday. Time for the fun part. It was getting difficult to get the DW in the truck to go looking. She was done.

Jeff Couches RV nation was very easy to deal with. Today I am happy.

[cmac7203]

Thanks for the scoop everyone. We have a 26’ BH Wildwood X-lite and we are now empty next. We want to hit the road in a nice and comfy couples coach that is higher in quality and amenities than what we have now. Seems like there is what we have...then Airstream...and not anything in between.

[njfishing]

Seems like on the Hybrid and smaller travel trailer side, the Surveyor is regarded as the higher end brand compared to the Forest River Roo...

[BandJCarm]

I wonder what would happen to quality if there was massive consolidation within Forest River?

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by cmac7203

Dos FR have price point brands? Like in the old days, a car from General Motors could be a Chevrolet or a Cadillac. Between then there was Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick. The amenities differed and “quality” (I use the term very loosely) improved as you went up the brand price point scale. Does that exist in FR? Who is entry level? Top? Etc.

It goes like this:

1. My trailer
2. Everything else.