Quote:
Originally Posted by WDPatterson
Agreed... They're playing the numbers game. It hasn't escaped me that we're looking at several layers of corporate management and separation in order to alleviate liabilities on the part of the top dog. Think about who owns who, and you get only part of the answer.
Keystone is owned by Thor Industries, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway... Might be some more in the middle. I don't know. But, that amount of separation makes bad things happen. Always do your homework, always leave some room.
|
IMO, even though I believe it's "not right" to sell a trailer that's built to "minimum standards with a tiny bit of safety reserves"... Every manufacturer builds to pretty much the same standards... It's what the buying public will pay for and, in most situations, what they want...
As an example, if you add $1000 in upgrade tires, wheels and axles under a trailer that's built on a BAL NOCO lightweight frame (that then becomes the weakest link), you've added enough increased cost to put the trailer out of the "same size/price market" and you won't sell any of the stronger trailers to the general public.
Even a majority of those who recognize the improved value will opt for the lighter weight, lower price trailer based on "monthly payments and 10% down dollar value"...
JAYCO, about 3 years ago, started installing Goodyear Endurance ST tires on all their trailer lines... That added about $100 to the MSRP. They no longer do that, and Endurance tires are now an "extra cost option" on most of their trailer brands. They found out that they "lost sales to Forest River and Keystone" because the competition trailers "cost less than JAYCO"......
It boils down to "if there's a trailer that's "a dollar cheaper", the vast majority of "uneducated about trailers" public will "run across the street to buy the cheaper one.....
So, no matter what Keystone does to "improve the reserve margins" if it makes the trailer cost more, all they're doing is "limiting their market share"...
FICKLE CONSUMERS !!!!! translated, that means, "blame ourselves".....