Does it mean that the best deal is one where the customer spends the absolute least amount of money he can? Is the best deal the one where the customer compromises what he really wants so he can get 
something else for a couple thousand dollars less? Is the best deal one where the customer sacrifices quality in order to save a few bucks? I guess it all depends on your own definition of a good deal.
Let me venture forth a definition that I think works pretty well: the best deal is the one in which the customer gets exactly the fifthwheel he wants while getting the most value for his dollar.
That's all fine and good you say, but how do I go about doing that? Well, I have a suggestion. Think creatively. Do things a little differently.
The usual method of buying an R.V. is to go to a dealer's lot, select an R.V., write a check, and take it home. There is nothing wrong with buying this way, except that it is expensive. Why? Well lets take a stroll onto the local dealer's lot and find out.
As we walk through the lot, we see quite a few units. All of these RVs you see are owned by the dealer, and in order to buy all of these RVs, the dealer had to borrow money from the bank. The bank, as any good business must, makes a profit on this loan in the form of
 Tom and Diane Jones picking up and learning about their new fifthwheel on a snowy Indiana morning. |
Of course the dealer has to have a place to store and show all of these RVs, and he does that by paying for that ground you are walking on in the form of rent. A lot of rent. That too is included in the price of your fifthwheel.
In order to show a nice selection of units, the dealer is forced to have millions of dollars in inventory on that lot. If you think about it, you will see that he really has his neck stuck out by holding on to so much valuable property, which for the most part is sitting exposed (not in a nice safe, locked building) whenever he is gone. How does he cover that risk? Through insurance. Another cost that is transferred to you, the consumer, in the final price of the deal.
Lastly you will notice that all of the fifthweels you are looking at are actually there, physically, and they had to get there somehow. How? By being shipped out from the factory, a cost known as
 Tom and Diane with their new Americana. |
Those are quite a few costs that a dealer must overcome in order to make a profit. What does thinking creatively have to do with all this? Well what if you figure out a way to buy a fifthwheel with out incurring all of these costs. Then you could have a fifthwheel with more options at the same price it would cost you with fewer options at the dealer, or you could just plain save money. In other words, you would get more value for your dollar--you'd get a good deal.
Guess what? We think creatively too! Our customers order their fifthweels directly from us, therefore avoiding excessive rent, inventory carrying costs, insurance, and freight charges. But doing something differently than everybody else, even when you evaluate the situation and it just seems like a better way, can be a scary
 The Brownings getting ready for new adventures. |
Hey, lets go to Indiana... Indiana is a little cold in December, but that didn't stop Tom and Diane Jones from coming out to pick up their new Americana GS Model Fifthwheel at the service center near the factory in Indiana. Being that they drove down from Montana, they probably thought Indiana was warm country! Tom and Diane had ordered their fifthwheel from Russ in October for a December Delivery. To do this they first sent a deposit check to reserve their place on the factory's production line. They chose their colors and options, and then met Russ in Indiana to pick up their new fifthwheel before heading down to real warm country -- Florida.
How do you find Americana? Many of our customers are finding us on the World Wide Web at www.americanarv.com, where they can see pictures of some Americana models as well as specifications, floorplans, etc.
 The Browning's new Triple Slide. |
Russ then sends them back more detailed information, including the hour long video of the product and how it was made. Tom and Diane liked the detailed information they received and after a few phone conversations with Russ, decided it was time to take a look at the real thing. To do this, they traveled to Elkhart, where they met Russ at the service center, looked at a coach, asked a few final questions (by this time they were very well educated on the product and on RVs in general), and put down a deposit on their new Fifthwheel. When their Fifthwheel was built, they went back to the Indiana service center to pick it up (saving freight charges in the process), and after being thoroughly trained on their new coach, headed for Florida.
We have been involved in the Recreational Vehicle industry for over 30 years. Russ began Holiday Equipment Corporation in 1970
 Bob Brwoning and his ingeneuosly rigged computer desk. |
So that is what we do. We work with each customer individually to make sure he ends up with the RV he wants and is happy with the end results, both in product and in value. What this style of business means for us is lower overhead, fewer headaches, and the opportunity to provide a more personal approach to each customer. What it means for you, the customer, is a better value and the opportunity to work closely with friendly people, knowledgeable in the industry.
