Say goodbye to mom-n-pop RV parts shops

Jim Shoe wrote:
Its certainly the trend. I miss the old one owner hardware stores. Where you could walk in with a part without knowing what to call it, and the owner could walk to a wall of drawers, open one and hand you the part. The one I used to go to with my Dad when I was a kid was so old that the wood floor was worn down in the middle from all the foot traffic.

Was the hardware store called "Tom's Hardware" Cleveland Ohio..
sounds like it...

Tom let me setup a credit plan... as I was the morning newspaper delivery boy for the neighborhood. Tools... I was 12...

Maybe it's time our government starts enforcing anti trust laws.

Its certainly the trend. I miss the old one owner hardware stores. Where you could walk in with a part without knowing what to call it, and the owner could walk to a wall of drawers, open one and hand you the part. The one I used to go to with my Dad when I was a kid was so old that the wood floor was worn down in the middle from all the foot traffic.

I know that guy, he has done a couple things for me with good results. That is the kind of place I try to use for service. There are many bad reports from the big dealers relating to repairs.

And I do buy parts there even though it might be 10 bucks cheaper on Amazon. I don't like to throw money away, but I also consider the service I get when I go there and where the profit goes. I really don't think the guy is getting rich from those parts.

Doesn't matter if it's a mainstream dealer or mom & pop dealer. Any dealer charges waay more than what you can get parts and accessories for online. We've been buying anything we can online for years, from RV stuff to household stuff and have saved a TON of money. It's just the way things are nowadays. I refuse to buy online from CW tho. You need to do comparison shopping online before committing to a purchase.

The worst case of dealer pricing on an item I've seen was on a 10" whole house water filter housing. The sticker price on the shelf was $200. The identical item at the plumbing wholesaler I go to was $20. Outright gouging and trying to take advantage of unsuspecting customers.

If I want an RV part off the shelf locally because I need it right away, we have an independent RV repair shop close to us that sells parts and accessories. Doesn't matter what it is, his prices are a LOT lower than the local dealers. If he doesn't have the part in stock, he has several wholesalers to get it from, usually by the next day. A few times I've paid him and gone to the wholesaler to pick it up. The best thing about guys like this is that they actually know their stuff technically, unlike many dealers who just want your $$.

dodge guy wrote:
What parts are we talking about? all the parts that are generic to every trailer out there? that is every part in the trailer! they can be bought from anyone, anywhere.

Not true at all. Some "parts" can only be purchased through a dealer, while other parts cannot be bought from the manufacturer and are only sold by distributer to wholesales, not individual retail purchasers. And still, some "parts" can be purchased only in bulk quantities from supply houses.

What parts are we talking about? all the parts that are generic to every trailer out there? that is every part in the trailer! they can be bought from anyone, anywhere.

I don't know much about the background of the articles author, his bio is slim for sure.

But I do know this: If I am a big multi-state RV dealer and buy $100,000 dollars of various parts from a distributor each year versus the "Mom and Pop" store who buys $20.000 of parts from the same distributor...who should get the best price? Your best, biggest customer. Period.

There are economies of scale, reductions in shipping costs and probably other "Earth Flattening" * collaborations going on in computer sharing ordering and so on that the small store hasnt caught on to or cant manage.

Those small enterprises that have kept up with technology, stayed ahead of the curve on using the global marketplace to their advantage have been able to thrive and grow. It's not all doom and gloom for small business. In fact at no time in history has the small businessman had more information, technology and the ability to sell his product globally and compete with the big boys than today.

I really question the logic and premise of the article. To say nothing of it's unbalanced viewpoint.

* See Thomas L. Friedman's book The World is Flat.

If you want to understand how the global economy REALLY works read the above book although it's nearly ten years old it is a very clear-eyed analysis of this subject.

Hardware stores..
Hobby shops...
Furniture.
Car/Truck Dealers.

any Small or specialized Sales/Service...


Big Box Stores are taking over in every market.

in my area.. 2 small new car dealerships has closed. and a local small camper shop has stopped selling New camper trailers. now used trailers and prefab homes.

Nothing new here...the mom & pop business model has been dying a slow death for years. Adapt or die, and that's been the case since the beginning of capitalism. THat local hardware store might have an odd fastener that you can't find anywhere else, but you're going to go down the road to Home Depot to buy a higher quality drill at a lower price than the inferior one at the hardware store. It's not a matter of like or dislike, but just the reality we live in.