When do brands die or get resurrected?

[Fishsizzle]

Was sitting here thinking about different brands that come and go.

When I was growing up, Terry and Prowler were everywhere. Terry is back now I see.

Dutchman was huge when we were first married some 27 years ago, then died off and now back strong.

I’m no marketing genius, but I guess at sometime in the economy, brands get axed that don’t have a following or have lost their luster, mfg have almost duplicate lines.

I say this as I’m sitting in my Alpine and wondering about the Cougar and Montana lines being more “popular” and thus maybe profitable. I would think as RV sales slow, Alpine might get the axe.

Forgive me as I couldn’t sleep and had someone call in sick for work so I need to go in for a full day. Kinda irritated S now my day is shot. One of the “perks” of owning your own business

[flybouy]

Strictly a guess, but I'm guessing it's a question that a company has paid a marketing research firm to answer. I'm guessing the person that told Ford to bring back Thunderbird got fired and whomever told Chevy to bring back Camaro got a promotion.
Just a guess.

[JRTJH]

I think the "demise of a brand" has to do with way too many factors that a company considers. Some of them are easy to recognize and most of us would comment on them quickly. The underlying reasons we may never know or understand. As an example, "kill a not profitable, not popular brand" this year and introduce a new brand with no "negative recognition" next year. It may take years (or we may never) link the two as "one decision"....

That said, currently Ford has stopped US sales of nearly all its "conventional car" models in favor of SUV/Crossover production. GM is following suit with most of it's brand. Why? Probably to keep what the marketing section believes will be the "consumer demand" for the next few years.....

With that said, when (or if) consumers start demanding small, efficient "people movers" with a quirky, modern look, does anyone believe that Ford will "resurrect" the Pinto? Will Chevrolet bring back the Vega? I'm guessing "brand resurrection" stays with the "iconic successes" rather than the "dismal failures".... And I owned both a Pinto (1970) and a Vega (1971).

[travelin texans]

I think once Thor buys them out, Dutchman as an example, their marketing research tries to figure which had the most recognizable name to bring back.

[wiredgeorge]

One trend not mentioned is that big corporations buy brands such as Thor and Forest River have done and then although the brands stay semi-autonomous,

To the car analogy, GM owned Chevy, Pontiac Olds, Buick and Caddy and used the same platform to market four cars which were basically identical other than minor trim differences; same platform with different brand/model labels. Things got tough in Detroit and Olds was chopped. Why? Perhaps model identity was clouded by the many lines sharing the same basic platform.

Winnebago bought Sunnybrook in the late 2000s. They wanted to get into the travel trailer market space and once Sunnybrook was subsumed, the marque dissapeared and the (what had been) Sunnybrook trailers kept getting produce but labeled as Winnebagos. Owners claimed quality dropped when this happened. Same factory, same workers, WHY? When a corporate culture changes, it does seem to me it will affect the product. Thor bought up Keystone in 2001; I have a 2002 Cougar and quality seems pretty much better than post purchase models; maybe just wishful thinking?

[JRTJH]

Speaking of Dutchman, the "Dutch have a reputation for being extremely thrifty" (politically correct way of saying, "obsessively cheap")…

Dutchman was introduced in the early 80's as "same quality for thousands less". What they didn't say was "what quality".. Was it the 6" quality frame rails when everyone else was using 8" rails? Was it the 1/8" luan when everyone else was using 3/16"? Was it the "entry level appliances" when everyone else was using "mid line appliances"? Or was it a combination of all the above (plus many more) that could put the Dutchman line at the bottom of the entry level trailer brands, and move them up to mid level by adding a "19" color TV as standard equipment" ???

Dutchman succeeded and (unfortunately for all of us) changed the mantra away from quality trailers, built with pride and moved the industry to "mass buying, bare minimum component strength, luan as an acceptable replacement for plywood, OSB in place of marine plywood floors and "0 too thin" (0.20 ga aluminum siding) in place of the industry 0.28 ga standard.

There was a time before Dutchman (BD) when true 2x4's not 1.5x2 7/8" were used as floor joists.

If anyone remembers the Fleetwood "1776 Americana" motorhomes (sold only in red, white and blue décor) for thousands less than every other motorhome, they were the "motorhome with a price every American can afford" just as Dutchman was the "introduction of entry level affordability for the masses"...

[Gobirds38]

When I was growing up it was Holiday Rambler...

[chuckster57]

We had an ideal TT with the propane light above the dinette.

I wonder if those wings help stabilize the ride on those Shasta’s.

[flybouy]

I recall my cousin in the early 70's had a small 'canned had" trailer with propane light inside and I think one outside by the door. The brand was "Tag Along". I remember lot's of "teal" colors.

[roadglide]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

We had an ideal TT with the propane light above the dinette.

I wonder if those wings help stabilize the ride on those Shasta’s.

Mom has 63 Shasta 16 ft self contained signal axel rear entry trailer with minor damage im thinking of restoring . In Quartzsite the retros where everywhere with a high price tag .

[rjrelander]

If I remember correctly, we had a late 70s model Mobile Traveler truck bed camper. We took that thing all the way from Minnesota to Alaska and back in 82 for my dad's retirement trip. Don't see truck bed campers much anymore, especially after everyone went to extended cabs. Never thought about it at the time but we were probably way over on payload with everything in the bed of the F150. Never blew any tires or had any other problems that I recall. Probably just really lucky.

[Mikendebbie]

When I was a kid we had Holidays - a ‘66 23’ Traveler and a ‘70 25’ Rambler. I don’t remember anything ever going wrong with the trailers - we seemed to have issues with the tow vehicles every trip...Pontiacs and Chevys.

Holidays were heavy and had aluminum framing with smooth (not fluted) aluminum skin. My eyes seem to be drawn to them as I can spot them sitting out in a pasture or near a house as we travel. They were high quality units until the mid 90s.

[Fishsizzle]

Holiday Rambler was top of the line for many years. They are back, but in the motorhome biz.

We had a Monaco 5th wheel in 98 or so. It was a Lakota. Just below their McKenzie line. It was pretty nice triple slide which was a big deal back then.,

Here in town Beaver Coaches were king. They are still respected up to the ones that share Monaco platforms and bodies when Beaver was bought by Monaco.

The HW will NEVER set foot in a Dutchman because she has always thought they were “frugally “ built aka cheap.

[Fishsizzle]

And I was thinking the old adage “everything old is new again”

If your target market say is my age, back when Terry and Dutchman. were the big names, then bring them back to meet the buyers at the time.

It’s like I tell people about what cars will increase in value. Which car did you drool over as a kid? When you push 50 mid life crisis and some cash in your pocket and you will seek out those cars.

For me last 10 years have seen Porsche 911, Ferrari 308 and Lamborghini Countach go through the roof. Much like all the muscle cars did and few years back. Now, no offense, but your 55,56,57 Chevys are starting to fade out. Cars will stop holding the imagination when their generation of people are not around to enjoy them.

[wiredgeorge]

Holiday Rambler didn't disappear but was bought by REV Group. They own 29 brands and in the RV line own quite a few; mostly motor homes but also Lance Camper (I owned a Lance truck top at one time). Fleetwood, Monaco, American Coach and of course HR.
https://www.revgroup.com/rev-group-b...-manufacturers

[Fishsizzle]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Holiday Rambler didn't disappear but was bought by REV Group. They own 29 brands and in the RV line own quite a few; mostly motor homes but also Lance Camper (I owned a Lance truck top at one time). Fleetwood, Monaco, American Coach and of course HR.
https://www.revgroup.com/rev-group-b...-manufacturers

I’ll agree they are back, maybe never went away on paper.. But I’m not sure there any Holiday Ramblers in the “Great Recession” when we lost some of the big names in RV manufacturing? I could be wrong as I’m mostly remembering our Beaver Coach plant when Monaco bought up everything and then went into chapter 7 BR and just “ceased to exist” as they put it. Alive in name only for a few years.