The RV Name Game or How to Traumatize Your Customer

[fulltimedaniel]

I have noticed in the past couple of years a trend by RV manufacturers especially Trailer manufacturers of giving really horrible names to their products.

This all reminded me of that George Carlin bit about Baseball vs Football, you know the one...where he intones in a soft and measured tone that Baseball is played in a...field...and then screams that FOOTBALL IS PLAYED ON A GRID IRON.

Well some RV names strike me this way.

Most RV's have pleasant names meant to foster good feelings and images of the outdoors and nature:

Eagle Gulf Stream, Forest River, Mallard (an oldie) Fox, and probably the best of all R Pod. Very cozy and enticing.

Then there is the recent trend to names like these:

Avenger Raptor Violator Warrior et al. These units are usually adorned with slashing, sharp edged and Dark, very Dark graphics that seem more like weapons you'd find on Game of Thrones than anything.

This is a sad turn that may speak to something deeper in our combined social conciseness. Now my guess is that no one chooses an RV based on the outside graphics however I am also sure that the wrong graphics may stop the sale of the offending model given that interiors are a wash.

But this dark and disturbing trend is carried over to the inside as well with blacks and greys and Las Vegas Wh*re house lighting.

I for one will be glad when this trend ceases. Give me the Old Hamms Beer Commercial mythic outdoors any day...Land of Sky Blue Waters...

[fulltimedaniel]

CampbellDaycruiser wrote:
My goodness, I had no idea RVers were so judgemental! I cannot imagine how one so-called adult could seriously harbor negative feelings towards another because of the BRAND NAME of their RV. Amazing what some people will take offense to!

I think you and a few others rather missed my point. It was not judgemental it was posed as a question on a subject that I tried to inject with a bit of humour...thus the George Carlin reference.

If you read my original post carefully I think you might agree that my satire was aimed not at the buyers but at the MANUFACTURERS.

Apparently some folks who took umbrage at my post seem to be in the "..doth protest too loudly" group who seem a bit defensive about either being a toy hauler or owning a unit with one of these names.

I have no bad feelings toward toy haulers or others.

My question and it's deeper meaning is what it says about our sense of self (anthropologically speaking) that names like this actually seem to have appeal in a machine that is meant to convey us to nature (no matter what we take with us and what we do with it)to get away from the cares and tribulations of everyday life.

It was intended as a thoughtful question posed with a bit of humour because I see it essentially as a tracic-comic sort of trend.

[NYCgrrl]

Thanks for that early morn giggle:B.

[noteven]

Just so I have this straight if you're looting and pillaging you would want to be in the "Touring Edition"?

[lawnspecialties]

This was us at Ocean Lakes last year. Look right beside us!. Two Vengeances side by side.

They were a young family with three small children. Obviously just a decoy for something far more sinister.

I'm looking forward to this year's camping. We're planning to loot and pillage several small towns.

[Walaby]

I think it's amazing at the emotions a simple name on a TT generates. The reaction to the "Vengeance" name is ridiculous in my opinion.

Mike

[CavemanCharlie]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:

lawnspecialties wrote:

fulltimedaniel wrote:
I have noticed in the past couple of years a trend by RV manufacturers especially Trailer manufacturers of giving really horrible names to their products.

This all reminded me of that George Carlin bit about Baseball vs Football, you know the one...where he intones in a soft and measured tone that Baseball is played in a...field...and then screams that FOOTBALL IS PLAYED ON A GRID IRON.

Well some RV names strike me this way.

Most RV's have pleasant names meant to foster good feelings and images of the outdoors and nature:

Eagle Gulf Stream, Forest River, Mallard (an oldie) Fox, and probably the best of all R Pod. Very cozy and enticing.

Then there is the recent trend to names like these:

Avenger Raptor Violator Warrior et al. These units are usually adorned with slashing, sharp edged and Dark, very Dark graphics that seem more like weapons you'd find on Game of Thrones than anything.

This is a sad turn that may speak to something deeper in our combined social conciseness. Now my guess is that no one chooses an RV based on the outside graphics however I am also sure that the wrong graphics may stop the sale of the offending model given that interiors are a wash.

But this dark and disturbing trend is carried over to the inside as well with blacks and greys and Las Vegas Wh*re house lighting.

I for one will be glad when this trend ceases. Give me the Old Hamms Beer Commercial mythic outdoors any day...Land of Sky Blue Waters...

I have a Vengeance. Its a beautiful camper that we thoroughly enjoy taking family vacations in.

You guys are a bunch of flakes.

We have hundreds of toy hauling mhs & th's stay with us every year. Most are excellent guests that likely have MCs , SxS, ORVs of many types to explore the countryside. Its true, those who have toys are younger,choose units with names attuned to their life and lifestyle. Weekend Warrior is one we can understand, but 'Vengeance' has undertones not attuned to the lifestyle we strive to portray.
We camp owners face this dillemma constantly, how do we segregate or cannot those with such differing uses and idealogy of Rvs .
We urge acceptance of anothers choice, and to buyers to consider how they may be
percieved with an aggressive named unit. Such a choice could be percieved by others as an extension of that units owners. Think also on the resale value. Where is the used market for a ' Vengeance'
Its the equivalent of having a known breed of dog that is friendly or aggressive.
Our truck is a chevy, unit a cameo. dog an aussie. everyone is a friend.

I hope your kidding. But, in this day and age your probably not.

I never even noticed the names on campers. I usually look at the windows, the size, and guess the floor plan.

After this tread next season I'm going to be looking closer at the names.

[Veebyes]

I thought I was the only one who noticed this dopey model name stuff.

My favourite is "PROWLER". Really? "Cougar" is another. Well I guess it depends which cougar one thinks of.

The model name of my Alpenlite is not much better. "VOYAGER". Seems like a great model name for a cruising trawler but not a land yacht.

[NYCgrrl]

~DJ~ wrote:

ExxWhy wrote:
Oddly enough, sweet little girls playing softball have team names like Vengence, Havoc, Vipers, Storm, Nightmares, Extreme, Blast, Warriors, Thunder, Fury, Force, Phury, Hawks, and Slammers.

I guess we need a safe space in campgrounds now, no aggressive RV names allowed in the snowflake zone.

"Snowflake zone"!! I love it. They could also pass out cupcakes, coloring books and puppy dogs like they did for those so badly affected by the last election!! My TT will soon be on the list. "Boo Hoo, I'm not camping next to an Arctic Fox, they murder innocent little rodents"!!! :B

But but I wasn't offered puppy dogs, coloring books or cupcakes after the election?!
Maybeee they'd already got the memo I'm not easily wooed by the trivial.......

[CapnCampn]

I had an older camper a while ago, and an RV salesman made fun of the name... he said have fun camping in your "FIREBALL" ! I hadn't thought of it as strange until then.

It also reminds me of this:
Inferno on Fire...

[tracyb-oh]

I was at the local camping world today and we were looking around in their back lot of used units and there was a "Tsunami" I had to laugh to myself knowing this thread was going on I had to add it to the list. Why would you name an RV after such a catastrophic event is beyond me.

[noteven]

Truck camper is a "Snowbird" - yep it has

Toyhauler is a "Carriage C-Force Nitro" - cue the pyroteknicks and chainsaw geetar rips when we pull in

The enviro greenies have been on my nerves lately so the newest addition to the fleet is a Roughneck - as in: Roughneck

[RPreeb]

Hmmm... I don't feel the least bit intimidated parked next to a "Vengeance" when I'm in my "Feather". :B

[toedtoes]

I really don't think anyone is taking offense. I think it's just a "I wonder" kind of discussion that happens in the winter. Similar to asking why auto manufacturers name their trucks/SUVs after places (Durango, Dakota, Colorado, Sonoma, Tundra, Outback, etc.).

Think of this like a Seinfeld episode - it's really about nothing, but see how much fun we can have making it into something.

[CampbellDaycrui]

My goodness, I had no idea RVers were so judgemental! I cannot imagine how one so-called adult could seriously harbor negative feelings towards another because of the BRAND NAME of their RV. Amazing what some people will take offense to!

[fred42]

I agree the toy hauler names are ridiculous. I can explain how I ended up with a Vengeance.

It was the only 18' garage open plan toy hauler offered on the East coast. I needed it to haul a boat. With all the features, equipment and quality we have to evaluate in these money pits, the name has to take a back seat.

I have often wondered about this name, it does not fit my personality very well. What am I vengeful about and how am I going to execute my vengeance? Sometimes I think I should just go with it and work with what I have. For example, look at the large black V shaped area under the name.



I could get a large graphic wrap made of the logo for the History Channel's Viking series and put it under the name. What do you think?