RV consumers apparently like to stay with a good thing when they find it — or so it would seem from the brands that repeated as the No. 1 sellers in 2010 in their respective categories.
Repeat top-selling brands included the Keystone Montana fifth-wheel, Jayco’s Jay Flight travel trailer, Tiffin’s Phaeton diesel-powered Class A motorhome, Forest River’s Georgetown gas Class A and Winnebago View’s diesel minimotorhome. The only two first-time leaders were the Coachmen gas Class C motorhome and the Forest River Rockwood folding camping trailer.
The Montana led the pack for the 10th consecutive year with 9.4% of retail fifth-wheel sales while Jayco Inc.’s Jay Flight snagged 6.4% of the travel trailer market, according to Statistical Surveys Inc., the Grand Rapids, Mich., company that tracks RV industry retail sales.
In the motorized market, Tiffin Motor Home Inc.’s Phaeton was the best-selling diesel motorhome with 13.2% share, Forest River Inc.’s Georgetown was the top-selling gas Class A, with 13.9% share, and Winnebago Industries Inc.’s View was the No. 1 Class C diesel on the market with 21.9% share.
Other 2010 market share leaders were Class B, Winnebago’s ERA (16.6%; Class C gas, Forest River Inc.’s Coachmen (17.6%); folding camping trailers, Forest River’s Rockwood (7.3%); and park models, Breckenridge (17.6%).
Winnebago View
Winnebago View
Keystone President Bob Martin said the Montana has staying power for several reasons with customer loyalty being high on the list.
”Loyalty is important,” said Martin, whose Goshen, Ind., company hosts about 100 Montana owners at a rally each fall at the nearby Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds. Many of them have bought five or six Montanas over the years.
”Members of the Montana Owners Club are incredibly loyal,” he added. ”After they buy a Montana, they just won’t buy anything else. Montana is user friendly and loaded with features with quality that no one else can match.”
Jerry Williamson, Tiffin national sales manager, said that while the Paeton was developed as an entry-level motorhome, over the years it has evolved into a mid-priced coach in the ‘’sweet spot” of the diesel market.
”We improved the product as far as amenities and styling every year,” said Williamson, who noted that most RVs creep up in price as consumers ask for more features and amenities. ”We ‘mother-hen’ the Phaeton very closely. We have the best feature package that is offered in the mid-range price point.”
Roger Martin, Winnebago Industries Inc. vice president of sales and marketing, said a deal with Daimler AG, Mercedes Benz’ parent company, gave Winnebago Industries a two-year head start in developing the Winnebago View along with sister-brand Itasca Navion on the high mileage Sprinter cab chassis, previously offered only in a B-van configuration.
”That’s the primary reason that the product has been so successful,” Martin said. ” It was unique in the industry for two or three years before folks starting copying the idea.
”The View essentially created the segment of the fuel-efficient, stylish units based on the Sprinter,” noted Martin. ” I also credit the dealer organization we have. They really grasped this concept and did an excellent job selling it.”
Sid Johnson, Jayco Inc. marketing director, noted that the Jay Flight has changed during the six years it has led the travel trailer market.
”Initially, Jay Flight was positioned as a lower-end entry-level product that offered a great deal of value for the price,” Johnson said. ”It’s still somewhat that today, except that it has been steadily improved over the years from the standpoint of features.”
That, he said, appeals to younger buyers with families who have come to expect more than their Baby Boomer parents. ”It’s a heavy number from first-time buyers with a heavier than normal incidence of college education,” Johnson said. ”I’m not sure what all that says, except in terms of Jayco’s strategy, that product has become not only our bread-and-butter, but provides the foundation of our entire travel trailer strategy.”
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