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Old 07-27-2009, 09:48 PM   #1
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How do RVs get delivered?

I was just thinking. You go down the road and see an RV dealer --- Airstream or SOB. There's a bunch of rigs there. How do they get there from the factory? I have never seen them on a flat bed truck or train for that matter. Anyone know how these things get to where they are?
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Old 07-27-2009, 10:23 PM   #2
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Most are just towed from the plant to the dealer.
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Old 07-27-2009, 10:31 PM   #3
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We'd like to volunteer for that job!

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Old 07-27-2009, 10:32 PM   #4
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So when I see a new Airstream on the road, it might just be a factory delivery instead of some lucky owner?
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Old 07-27-2009, 10:54 PM   #5
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Very interesting, never thought about it, but there are so many at so many dealers.
Does make you wonder.
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Old 07-27-2009, 11:09 PM   #6
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I live close to a couple of trailer plants, Fleetwood and Nash.
I quite often saw two or three trailers at a time hauled off on flatbeds.
At least I did until the economy tanked. Nash is still in business, Fleetwood is gone.
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Old 07-28-2009, 04:52 AM   #7
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Most trailers, except the really small ones are towed to dealers by private individuals who lease their services to a transport company.
I have been doing this part time for the last ten years. (not for airstream)
and have been in every state except of course Hawaii and a lot of Canada.
check out www.rvtransport.com for an explanation of how it works.

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Old 07-28-2009, 04:59 AM   #8
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We were in West YellowStone last spring. We met two couples who were ferrying two motor homes to Alaska from the factory in North Carolina. They had 11 days to get to final stop in Ancorage, the drivers picked the route. They got paid on the delivery and reimbursed for fuel and any repairs, plus a one way plane ticket home. Any days over the allowed amount they paid as if they were renting the rig. Do not remember the company.

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Old 07-28-2009, 05:21 AM   #9
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Come on folks. A giant 2 story tall stork does the duty.

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Old 07-28-2009, 05:23 AM   #10
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As I understand it, dealers can either choose to have them delivered by towing or delivered by truck. The dealer we bought out trailer from insisted that they be flat-bed truck delivered to minimize wear and tear during the long trip from the Bigfoot factory to the Chicago area. I would presume that Airstream dealers have a similar choice.

Usually when trailers are towed from the factory to a dealership, they're towed by a commercial entity who have signs on the doors of the truck advertising their towing service. Whether that's a requirement or they do it for advertising probably varies from state to state, but you see a lot of them on I-80 running west from Elkhart, Indiana especially in the spring when the dealers are stocking up.

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Old 08-01-2009, 03:04 AM   #11
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i was at the mother ship on thursday. i was told that almost all are towed except sometimes the smaller ones get multiples towed on a flatbed trailer.
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Old 08-01-2009, 07:02 AM   #12
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Anything over 28' long will typically be towed. Shorter than that they CAN be hauled on a truck (except 5th wheels) but most are still towed. There are a few trucks called "haul and tow" that have a 25' flatbed with dovetail and ramps that "haul" one camper and "tow" another behind the truck. Usually this is done when there are two campers going to the same dealer that will fit on and behind the truck. Campers can't be hauled on a regular semi truck flatbed because they would then be over the legal limit of 13'6" in height. A few FEMA campers were sent by train to Louisiana but for regular shipping it is not practical simply because of shipping logistics.

The company I drive for has about 1000 drivers delivering campers, boats, horse trailers, mobile cell phone towers, motor homes, delivery trucks (UPS, Frito Lay, etc.). Some drivers are full time like myself and others are "just every once in a while". Anyone interested in driving can look at the recruiting page of Horizon Transport Inc. .

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Old 08-01-2009, 07:33 AM   #13
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FYI in case you were thinking of asking to pick your new one up at the factory...they don't. I tried.

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Old 08-01-2009, 07:58 AM   #14
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They are towed to us from the factory.

If you get two small ones coming at the same time, sometimes they put them on a flat bed.

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Old 08-01-2009, 08:08 AM   #15
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Thats Too Bad....

Quote:
Originally Posted by jcanavera View Post
FYI in case you were thinking of asking to pick your new one up at the factory...they don't. I tried.

Jack
That is too bad.

Factory delivery is a great way to bring the purchaser into the AS fold so to speak. Building brand loyalty by immersion is done by many companies. European automobile manufacturers have had overseas delivery programs for years. John Deere here in the US has a Gold Key Program that lets the buyer watch his/her JD purchase being assembled.

Imagine working through your local dealer to spec out "Your New Airstream" , then travel to the Mother Ship to see the end result of your planning. The AS Customer Service Concierge meets the new buyer, tours the factory with them, lets them apply the AS badging (symbolic cutting of the umbillical), then signs the discharge papers. Ths Concierge hands the new owners a travel package with pre-planned route coordinates, maybe a pair of show tickets at some venue along the way, and the happy couple (assuming they have not noticed some shotty workmanship at this point) is off on the path of AS ownership.


The selling dealer contacts the new owners on an agreed upon date to schedule a "Preliminary Shake Down Inspection" at the selling dealership. Here the new owners meet the service and parts departments, and get acquainted with (hopefully) the people who will assist them in service and repair of their baby.

Oh well just a thought.

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Old 08-01-2009, 08:23 AM   #16
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Come on folks!

Soldermedic was so close, but we all know that

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Old 08-01-2009, 08:33 AM   #17
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When I was a kid, my dad sold monitors, prowlers, etc. A salesman of his used to drive all the way to Elkhart, pick up the trailer, FILL IT WITH PARTS, and then drive home. Imagine the shipping he saved on the parts.
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Old 08-01-2009, 09:32 AM   #18
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I'm with ArtStream on this.... delivered by a giant pink flamingo.
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Old 08-01-2009, 09:58 AM   #19
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I believe in olden days there were no dealers and you had to go to the factory.

Since the late 1960's, the Enterprise beams them to the dealer. Helps pay for all those Federation starships.

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Old 08-01-2009, 12:52 PM   #20
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Quote:
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When I was a kid, my dad sold monitors, prowlers, etc. A salesman of his used to drive all the way to Elkhart, pick up the trailer, FILL IT WITH PARTS, and then drive home. Imagine the shipping he saved on the parts.

Your story made me think of the Airstream dealership in Houston where I bought mine in 1987, they used to have their trailers loaded down with parts when they were delivered out of Jackson Center.
I wonder if Jackson Center still delivers parts that way to dealers?
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