What would you suggest?
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
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