Why Dealers Don't Sell TrailManor

[hillbillyhotel]

i have been there, folks pointing at tm , have had people come up to us at the gas station, once at a fast food chain, thought i would never get back on the road, but over time i get the most ? when we are at a nascar track,when we went to kentucky last fall,i know we had a least 10 diff. people come up and ask and some even wanted to take a peak inside, jmo but the factory would be smart to set up at a track, if you want to sell boats you go to the water, so if you want to sell tm why not go to where there are 20000 other people with tt. just my way of thinking.

Yes BlueGrass I think your post hits the mark and is similar to what a friend of mine who is an RV dealer told me.
Many dealers don't want to go to the hassle of a TM demonstration, train their staff and then there is the issue of servicing an RV that is different.
So this may sound odd, but we should appreciate the TM dealers we do have.

If I had not been able to find one used I would not have bought one. They are a very expensive product. Someone has to want a TM first and be willing to spend a lot of cash to get one.

The workmanship on a TM is good, but in my opinion (based on the 3326 I had owned) not to the level of the price the manufacturer demands. At the new prices of a TM, you can buy a very, very nice TT, TH, and at least a good 5ver. All of these will have better ammenities too.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a lightweight, low drag, easy tow TT and don't mind the fact that it folds the TM is literally best in class.

[Lesherp]

Originally Posted by Bluegrass

Had some interesting conversations at the Salt Lake RV show about why dealers don't / won't carry TrailManor trailers. Two dealers had sold them in the past. Two others had not but knew about the product.

You could lump their reasoning into three categories and most expressed all three:

1. TM is very expensive compared to comparably built traditional trailers and that is a showstopper for 95% of potential buyers.
2. TM is a niche product. Actual buyers are typically people who already know about them and come to the dealer looking specifically for a TM. Those buyers are few and far between compared to buyers for traditional trailers.
3. TMs don't move in the volume of other trailers. So if a dealer is making a decision about allocating floor space to a trailer which will move over a TM that will take much longer to sell, it's a no brainer.

One of the dealers noted that the TM dealers who sell the most are small specialty shops, not larger dealers.

Another said that TMs are a PITA to demo - you have to open them up, close them down and explain all that this entails which is often quite confusing to a buyer. Much easier to demo a traditional trailer. You unlock the door and let the people in.

Thought all this was interesting.

Keith

I had not given this much thought but from what I know the dealers comments seem legitimate. I think it is a wonderful product and hope there is enough demand for them to keep TM in business.

1. They are expensive. I always try and buy used high quality items in excellent condition when I shop for anything of significant value.

2. I think they appeal to a small percentage of people for a number of reasons that most everyone here is aware of. My wife found them on line it fit our needs and then we went shopping.

3. Most businesses need a certain volume of sales to justify carrying a product.

I can see how having to dmo a TM for every tire kicker could get tiring and time consuming.

Originally Posted by ng2951

If I had not been able to find one used I would not have bought one. They are a very expensive product. Someone has to want a TM first and be willing to spend a lot of cash to get one.

For me, the annual operating cot of the TM versus a stand up trailer is more than $1,200 per year..

The TM stores in my garage for free.

I can rent a spot in a gravel yard, no cover, no security, for $100 per month.

We too delivery in April 2005. So far we have avoided paying around $8,000.

Purchase price $23,000 minus $8,00 storage savings equals $15,000 in ownership purchase plus operating cost. I have no complaints.

But I have never met any any dealer that markets it like that.

I have a tiny quarter acre lot and that is not big enough for trailer storage.

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

For me, the annual operating cot of the TM versus a stand up trailer is more than $1,200 per year..

The TM stores in my garage for free.

I can rent a spot in a gravel yard, no cover, no security, for $100 per month.

We too delivery in April 2005. So far we have avoided paying around $8,000.

Purchase price $23,000 minus $8,00 storage savings equals $15,000 in ownership purchase plus operating cost. I have no complaints.

But I have never met any any dealer that markets it like that.

I have a tiny quarter acre lot and that is not big enough for trailer storage.

Wayne:
That is precisely the reason why we bought the TM. We also have a small lot and it could not take up critical driveway parking space when not in use. It was also not going to be put in an open spot on a storage lot for the $100 a month. That left canvas pop-up(Not) an A-frame(was not enthused) or the TM. We fell for the TM as soon as we opened and set one up. Our 25/18 also came with the swing hitch which is also unusual for that size and ended up being a big plus for us as far as storing in the garage goes.
Your right though the dealers should market the TM more on the money savings by being able to store it in the garage. Everybody listens more when money savings are involved.

Bob

now that tm is under new owners maybe we will get more dealers that know how and what they are selling. I have had two pop-ups and my 2720 sl is a lot quicker and easier to set up. love tm's

[Lesherp]

Being able to store the TM in the garage was a major factor in my decision to get one also. Paying to store it would add to much expense for for me. I like to take care of the things I own. Storing anything outside with the rain we have here and the sun on it when it isn't raining just doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[T and C]

I had a talk with the folks at Custom RV in Anaheim the other day. They told me a few interesting things:

1. TM sales are doing ok. In fact, they said, "surprisingly well".

2. I have a couple of the older 8 1/2 X 11 brochures. In them they say that the 3023 is "our most popular model". So, I asked them why they no longer make that model. I was told that the rising gas prices in the past few years have caused a market shift to more and more TV's with a 3500 lb tow weight. As a result their sales leaders are now the 2619 and 2720 models.

3. If you want to buy a 3023 or a 3326 TM will take your order and build you one.

Tom

This is an interesting thread primarily because of what's happened in the economy and oil industry that have affected people's thinking when it comes to recreation. We bought our TM new and we bought a big one. What we were buying was the additional engineering that went into the TM design which, I think pays for itself during ownership. There are also many options for both trailers and Class A and Cs that are very price dependent. After about five years of TM ownership, I can say that it's holding up pretty well so lightweight, in this case, did not imply "cheap" construction. Are there things I'd change...yes and I have but most of the items were convenience oriented (yes I'm one of those that think the toilet is OK but I'd make some changes there too).

The question I have is, "if you were the new and improved TM, how would you market the TM to encourage sales and distribution?" What exactly are the value propositions for a TM?

In my case, it was partially the TV (didn't want to spend another 40K replacing the TV) and partially because of the low profile for towing (which I was in fear of). Someone else mentioned garage storage (for smaller units). Roominess?

I think that on thing for TM to pay attention to are the suggestions made here in this forum to keep the TM forward looking and more of a value. As everyone here knows, integrating new ideas is often easier when the unit is being built than after the fact. Some of the more significant mods I've read about here include:

-shower mod so you only need one shower curtain
- shower head holder up at head level
-Privacy curtain between kitchen and bathroom (this allows you to keep the bathroom door open all the time giving you a lot of extra room to mover around in the bathroom area while dressing etc.)
-HD mud flaps for blow outs
-Skid plates for blow outs
-Toilet alternatives
-Sewer hose holder alternatives
-Blue waste unit storage under the TM
-A real AC unit that's quiet and perhaps on a thermostat
-Combined furnace with propane and electric heat
-Removable curtain design
-Better foam on the chairs and sofa
-Window in the ceiling in the bedroom (so you can look up at the stars!)
-Different color outsides
-Specific options or option sets for boondockers vs Full hookup people

I think TM has an interesting marketing situation on their hands....

Phil