TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

06-22-2006, 12:36 PM

I have always enjoyed good relationships with dealers .... lawn & garden equipment, cars, trucks, RVs, appliances & etc. I have found those relationships important in resolving both warranty claims and non warranty issues amicably. I happen to be one of those people who is willing to pay more to have and maintain those relationships.

This has served me well for years. Many is the time I have had a questionable situation that proably should not have been covered without cost, but was. Why? Long term relationships have value for both me and the vendor.

This brings me to an observation: Based on several months of reading posts in this forum, it seems obvious to me that there is tremendous brand loyalty (Trailmanor) but not dealer loyalty. Two notable exceptions seem to be Cheasapeake RV & Dinuba RV. A few favorable and not so favorable reports on other dealers in the posts but not quite like the two I've named.

The dilema for me is that with the weak dealer network, my closest opportunities to build a relatationship with a dealer is 4-6 hours away if I rule out the Detroit metro area dealer based on YWorrydog's posts. Hard to build solid relationships at those distances. With an RV this is especially important because I need the dealer to handle maintenance and repairs (no time or inclination to do myself). Unlike most, if not all of you, I have no mechanical skills, and no desire to develop them. My RV is for leisure, and maintaining it is not something I enjoy.

So when I see a great deal (3124KS @ Caribou RV) and see that they have basically phased out Trailmanor plus they are so far away that no real opportunity for a solid relationship exists, it is no deal for me. Kind of like going to the big box store (lowes or home depot) to buy an appliance instead of going to the local appliance store who usually offers great service and charges the same price in most cases.

Furthermore, whether meant this way or not, it has been clearly implied that you can't trust an ordinary RV dealer to work on your TM. This concept baffles because most of the TM is std issue RV, but I assume (yes, I know what *** u me means)TM owners know whereof they speak. Further baffles me because with rare exception I have found RV dealers to be a hard working honest lot who deliver more value than they receive in income.

This lack of dealers dilema has actually kept me from purchasing a trialmanor. You see, I want a great product and great service. I'm really not willing to compromise. I'll probably stop to talk to Danny's in Coloma, WI and/or Mentor & Posts in Ohio. But this is not convenient. I can only hope the dealer is so good that distance does not become an issue.

Sorry for the long post and for venting my frustration. Wishing all of you safe and happy camping (or should I say TMing).

06-22-2006, 12:36 PM	#1
Grouse Guest Posts: n/a	Dealer support? I have always enjoyed good relationships with dealers .... lawn & garden equipment, cars, trucks, RVs, appliances & etc. I have found those relationships important in resolving both warranty claims and non warranty issues amicably. I happen to be one of those people who is willing to pay more to have and maintain those relationships. This has served me well for years. Many is the time I have had a questionable situation that proably should not have been covered without cost, but was. Why? Long term relationships have value for both me and the vendor. This brings me to an observation: Based on several months of reading posts in this forum, it seems obvious to me that there is tremendous brand loyalty (Trailmanor) but not dealer loyalty. Two notable exceptions seem to be Cheasapeake RV & Dinuba RV. A few favorable and not so favorable reports on other dealers in the posts but not quite like the two I've named. The dilema for me is that with the weak dealer network, my closest opportunities to build a relatationship with a dealer is 4-6 hours away if I rule out the Detroit metro area dealer based on YWorrydog's posts. Hard to build solid relationships at those distances. With an RV this is especially important because I need the dealer to handle maintenance and repairs (no time or inclination to do myself). Unlike most, if not all of you, I have no mechanical skills, and no desire to develop them. My RV is for leisure, and maintaining it is not something I enjoy. So when I see a great deal (3124KS @ Caribou RV) and see that they have basically phased out Trailmanor plus they are so far away that no real opportunity for a solid relationship exists, it is no deal for me. Kind of like going to the big box store (lowes or home depot) to buy an appliance instead of going to the local appliance store who usually offers great service and charges the same price in most cases. Furthermore, whether meant this way or not, it has been clearly implied that you can't trust an ordinary RV dealer to work on your TM. This concept baffles because most of the TM is std issue RV, but I assume (yes, I know what *** u me means)TM owners know whereof they speak. Further baffles me because with rare exception I have found RV dealers to be a hard working honest lot who deliver more value than they receive in income. This lack of dealers dilema has actually kept me from purchasing a trialmanor. You see, I want a great product and great service. I'm really not willing to compromise. I'll probably stop to talk to Danny's in Coloma, WI and/or Mentor & Posts in Ohio. But this is not convenient. I can only hope the dealer is so good that distance does not become an issue. Sorry for the long post and for venting my frustration. Wishing all of you safe and happy camping (or should I say TMing).