Why aren't Truck Campers popular in W. Pa.?
I don't get it. With all the hunters, fisherman and unlimited destinations, why aren't TC's very popular in Western Pa.? Heck you can't even find a dealer with a decent inventory within 5 hours....
Forum Discussion
I don't think truck campers are popular any place until you get into Colorado, at least that is our experience. Until popularity rises, I don't think dealers are going to make the investment and in our experience, even shopping the dealers that do exist is dreadful. Phone calls don't get answered, no response to emails. That's not all dealers of course, but the bottom of the barrel in business sense seems to fall to truck campers.
Then there is the lag between order and delivery. Many TC manufacturers are so small that six month waits are commonplace. I think a good many folks would come into the marketplace if availability was greater, which is what you are saying. Sort of a chicken and egg issue there. People aren't going to buy what they seldom see and until they buy, dealers are not going to carry more models.
In the end, buying new, we drove 300 miles after negotiating online and the only other dealer we considered was over 600 miles away! That came about following a frustrating series of phone calls that were not returned and emails that weren't answered.
That about sums it up. Manufacturers with very limited output and "dealers" that should be dressed in clown suits. If you want a truck camper, you are really going to have to work at it unless you are in the West. :(
Then there is the lag between order and delivery. Many TC manufacturers are so small that six month waits are commonplace. I think a good many folks would come into the marketplace if availability was greater, which is what you are saying. Sort of a chicken and egg issue there. People aren't going to buy what they seldom see and until they buy, dealers are not going to carry more models.
In the end, buying new, we drove 300 miles after negotiating online and the only other dealer we considered was over 600 miles away! That came about following a frustrating series of phone calls that were not returned and emails that weren't answered.
That about sums it up. Manufacturers with very limited output and "dealers" that should be dressed in clown suits. If you want a truck camper, you are really going to have to work at it unless you are in the West. :(
