Jayco bought by Thor

[dblr]

Thor Announces Acquisition of Jayco for $576M | RV Business

Another good private owned company bought out, they say current management will stay and operate independently but they also bought DRV awhile ago and some say they have declined some in quality, guess it is a wait and see.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by dblr

Thor Announces Acquisition of Jayco for $576M | RV Business

Another good private owned company bought out, they say current management will stay and operate independently but they also bought DRV awhile ago and some say they have declined some in quality, guess it is a wait and see.

Current management will stay.....at least for a week or two.

Then they will combine all the customer service, and customer service contacts, under the ownerrelations@keystonerv department, as they have done with Dutchmen mfg and a host of others. One thing about F.R., well Rockwood in my experience, is you can actually talk with someone at the factory and get parts or get something resolved. When you're dealing with Thor/Keystone you won't do any of that. You will not get them to send so much as a screw without it going through a dealer. No matter what question you ask the response is always, "please contact your local dealer".

Holding companies, Thor, Forest River, none of it is ultimately any good for the consumer. You have two entities controlling what? 85% of the market and they're supplied by one supplier, which controls 60% of that market (Drew / LCI) and add in Dometic bought out Atwood. Its just a matter of time before this entire industry implodes.

Over on the Jayco boards the Jayaid drinkers are hanging themselves.

[lgray]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Current management will stay.....at least for a week or two.

Then they will combine all the customer service, and customer service contacts, under the ownerrelations@keystonerv department, as they have done with Dutchmen mfg and a host of others. One thing about F.R., well Rockwood in my experience, is you can actually talk with someone at the factory and get parts or get something resolved. When you're dealing with Thor/Keystone you won't do any of that. You will not get them to send so much as a screw without it going through a dealer. No matter what question you ask the response is always, "please contact your local dealer".

Holding companies, Thor, Forest River, none of it is ultimately any good for the consumer. You have two entities controlling what? 85% of the market and they're supplied by one supplier, which controls 60% of that market (Drew / LCI) and add in Dometic bought out Atwood. Its just a matter of time before this entire industry implodes.

Over on the Jayco boards the Jayaid drinkers are hanging themselves.

Well Said!

[Oakman]

I have the best of both companies, I own a CC Silverback but I have stock in Thor Industries (THO).

[Mr Havercamp]

Greg at RV Daily Report gets it right as per usual.

http://http://rvdailyreport.com/opin...stay-the-same/

[Mr Havercamp]

Opinion: The more things change, expect them to stay the same | RV Daily Report

????

[selkirk awards]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Current management will stay.....at least for a week or two.

Then they will combine all the customer service, and customer service contacts, under the ownerrelations@keystonerv department, as they have done with Dutchmen mfg and a host of others. One thing about F.R., well Rockwood in my experience, is you can actually talk with someone at the factory and get parts or get something resolved. When you're dealing with Thor/Keystone you won't do any of that. You will not get them to send so much as a screw without it going through a dealer. No matter what question you ask the response is always, "please contact your local dealer".

Holding companies, Thor, Forest River, none of it is ultimately any good for the consumer. You have two entities controlling what? 85% of the market and they're supplied by one supplier, which controls 60% of that market (Drew / LCI) and add in Dometic bought out Atwood. Its just a matter of time before this entire industry implodes.

Over on the Jayco boards the Jayaid drinkers are hanging themselves.

I just tried to purchase a new light cover lost in the wind but was told FR no longer sells parts see your dealer.

[Skyliner]

My neighbor has a brand new Jayco 5th wheel. I'll be honest, I don't see any major quality advantage with Jayco over other campers anymore. It looks as cheaply built as most other campers.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by TonyD

My neighbor has a brand new Jayco 5th wheel. I'll be honest, I don't see any major quality advantage with Jayco over other campers anymore. It looks as cheaply built as most other campers.

The Jayco above average quality myth is just that. Jayco has their own cult like following of kool aid drinkers, who for whatever reason defends the manufacturer while the Jayco product falls apart around them. There is a whole sub group on this forum also who will defend FR to the death. However when someone posts up documented undeniable proof of a FR shortcoming, they clam up and disappear in the hopes that the thread dies. Its actually fun to watch take place and happens on every manufacturer specific forum.

Jayco may have had something different back in the 70's or earlier and into the 80's but those days are long gone.

[ilmor]

I don't think it's a bad thing. Look back at automotive history and how many American auto manufacturers there were. Now we have two, Ford and GM, and they are good products.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by ilmor

I don't think it's a bad thing. Look back at automotive history and how many American auto manufacturers there were. Now we have two, Ford and GM, and they are good products.

It may not be lol. Carnegie, Frick,Rockefeller,Vanderbilt,JP Morgan,Liegl,Martin Lol

[poppytoymaker]

Maybe we need the Japanese and the Koreans to join the RV market to see improvements in American products

[lgray]

While consolidation in the manufactures is of concern, the consolidation/monopolization in dealerships is probably a bigger issue. For many it is OK that the industry builds them on the cheap, but when there is no competition in the dealership space, we will all be paying much more for the same arguably poor quality.

[itat]

They all build brands with a range in quality of parts and workmanship. The difference will be in their customer support after sales. RV dealers are independent and often give poor customer service at very high prices, so refusing to deal directly with consumers for parts would not be a good thing for consumers unless they get better control of the dealer network.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by ilmor

I don't think it's a bad thing. Look back at automotive history and how many American auto manufacturers there were. Now we have two, Ford and GM, and they are good products.

And since you mentioned it, I will not dispute the good product claims but have you bought one recently and noticed the price? Have you bought any parts lately that are only had at the dealer. Try a plastic headlight assembly for a 2015 to the tune of $872. I find it hard to believe that one headlight costs 2% of the total cost of the vehicle but since the only place that has it is the manufacturer you pay the price.....or do without.

Competition is a good thing. To these RV companies its a bad thing. How do you get around it? You buy up the competition but keep the names and brands. That way the average dummy thinks there is competition, while you produce the same cruddy products across the board and the only thing you make different is decals .

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by itat

They all build brands with a range in quality of parts and workmanship.

Do you actually believe that? From what I have seen the top of the line class A is put together no better or with any better materials or components than my 20K Rockwood.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by poppytoymaker

Maybe we need the Japanese and the Koreans to join the RV market to see improvements in American products

The possibility of this happening, is slim to none.
Only super small and lightweight RVS would be worth importing across the Pacific.
How many European RVs do you see for sale here?

[itat]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Do you actually believe that? From what I have seen the top of the line class A is put together no better or with any better materials or components than my 20K Rockwood.

Yes, I do. Do you really believe that a "top of the line Class A" is not built with better quality (parts and workmanship) than your $20K Rockwood? I seriously doubt that anyone would buy a $200K+ MH with the same quality expectations as our Rockwoods.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by itat

Yes, I do. Do you really believe that a "top of the line Class A" is not built with better quality (parts and workmanship) than your $20K Rockwood? I seriously doubt that anyone would buy a $200K+ MH with the same quality expectations as our Rockwoods.

Not only do I believe it. I have seen it and repaired it. Fiberboard, mdf, stripped and undersized fasteners, sloppy electrical connections, cheap components in general. The better quality stops at the line between chassis and house. You may have some nice marble tile, or some better fabrics, but the construction in general leaves a lot to be desired. Hundreds if not thousands of posts on this very forum about build quality issues on them confirms it. Looks are one thing, what is behind the looks is another story altogether.

[schrederman]

Originally Posted by bikendan

The possibility of this happening, is slim to none.
Only super small and lightweight RVS would be worth importing across the Pacific.
How many European RVs do you see for sale here?

Perhaps they learned from the late 60s when the foreign care were assembled overseas. Now some components are made abroad and some are made here, with final assembly, here. Containers packed with components arrive at ports daily and are shipped by rail and truck to Toyota, Nissan, etc... and my son's new Toyota pickup was assembled, and mostly built, in San Antonio. I don't think of this as a stretch... I'm surprised it's not happening already...