Roadtrek Update with CEO, Dane Found
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Gordon has a zoom call with Dane Found, the CEO of Roadtrek (campervan manufacturers) to get an update on the company, dealerships, new models, and future plans.
Link to Roadtrek website: roadtrek.com/
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We have been Roadtrek fans for a long time and want to thank you for a very successful and encouraging interview with the new CEO.
We are glad you enjoyed! Yes, the future does look bright! Thanks for the comment!
Thank you for sharing a different episode of class b camper van. It was interesting and informative , no doubt about it. I enjoy this video. Thank you for sharing. Be safe and be kind!!!
Something different and we appreciated Dane’s time! Glad you enjoyed! 🚐
Thank you for sharing this
Most welcome! Appreciate the comment!
Great interview! Hubby and I look forward to hearing more about the European influenced Roadtrek models, and the Westfalia models. We (and a lot of other people) will be watching 😀. Gordon, you are a great interviewer, and Mikik, you gave a fabulous intro! You 2 are a fabulous team. Hugs to you both!
Wow...appreciate you watching! Hope you are both safe and well! 🚐
Good interview and very informative , thanks Gordon and Dane
Thank you and kudos as well to Dane for his time! Safe travels!
Glad that you were able to get an interview from Dane Found. We visited their Roadtrek facility at Kitchener in the summer of 2017 when we went on our across Canada/USA trip from Vancouver. We were very impressed with the production facility. Hope to do another tour of the new Cambridge facility next year.
Nice...as someone else local noted...we could do a convoy! 😊. Appreciate the comment! Be safe and be well! 🚐
@@hikenrv Yes, a convoy from Vancouver to Roadtrek next year sounds like a lot of fun for next summer. Will update you on more details when this Covid is over.
Great interview and update now that Roadtrek is firmly established in the Rapido Group. Furthermore, very good news for the employees and suppliers to see continued long term success and a healthy order book.Thanks for sharing this opportunity.😁👍
Most welcome, and yes certainly some good news for staff and related vendors!
Good interview. Wish success for RoadTrek!
Thank you and appreciate the comment!
Love that you did this interview. Thank you!
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed!
Helpful and interesting and well done!
Glad you enjoyed! We kept it casual, and very much appreciated Dane’s time. Thanks for watching!
Great interview, glad to hear Roadtrek is doing well and back.
Glad you enjoyed!
Excellent interview THANKS TO ALL involved in getting this arranged.
Mr. Found's experience has made him aware of the challenges facing the team. I wish him all the best.
We bought our 2019 Roadtrek Zion SRT just before the crash of the company BUT have enjoyed it immensely!
Also, I enjoy the new videos of their production line, especially seeing how the Roadtrek looks before things get covered. "So that's what the freshwater tank looks like!" ;-}
Glad you enjoyed! Safe travels! 🚐
Glad you enjoyed the video and the walk through videos of our production line :)
So which model would you two be leaning towards. We like the layout of the Chase. I couldn't tell if these couches are 3 or 4 season. Are they insulated including the Lith batteries? the Roadtrek website doesn't have very good specs etc. Can't see on the specs if you can get a diesel motor option or an extended version.
Now that decision would be tough! We have a Zion now and have been happy with it overall. We like the rear sofa option largely as we can put items under and behind it, and they stay out of the way. The downside is that you cannot put longer items in. Floor plan needs to meet your needs. All of the Promaster models are 20,’9”, except for the SRT at 19’ 7.”. We believe the only diesel option available from them right is now the Agile (Mercedes chassis). We use our van almost all year (once winterized) but our winters are relatively mild. We do find our van gets cold easily with limited insulation, though the furnace works well enough. They may have improved since our model (2018), but we would describe as designed for 3 seasons.
Hi Jeanne-Gord. Glad to see you like the new Chase model. We do not currently have any 4 season models, so the Chase is a 3 season coach. The reason that you can't see on the websites specs if the Chase comes with a diesel motor option or an extended version is that we do not currently offer either on the Chase. Our only diesel motorhomes are our Sprinter chassis models such as the SS Agile. While we may look in the future at offering the Chase or the Play on an extended version, at this time it is only available in the length listed. Hope this helps.
Great job arranging and producing this, Gordon. Thanks so much for sharing this.
We winterized this past weekend.
Hoping we'll see a slow down with fewer people willing to be out in the cool wet that is the PNW.
Thanks Russ. We are hoping the same, though this year our area has a large number of folks who normally would have headed much further south, but with the border closed will winter here. Not too sure how that will impact most of the places we would usually visit. Hope you are all well and wishing you safe travels!
BTW, thanks again for your winterizing video! I watched it again before winterizing our Zion last weekend. This time, I made a detailed list of all the steps.
Your video is/was invaluable!
@@russstamp5965 we also watched again prior to our winterizing!
Great interview Gordon/Dane. Thanks for sharing.
So when you and Miki head east, we wish to convoy :) !
Glad you enjoyed! A good question and we will let you know! Hope all is well and Safe travels! 🚐
Why is there no operational video library for each model....basic stuff for the newbie, step by step......the manuals are cryptic at best......many of us buy used to test the waters....who in their right mind would jump into a high price rig until they know this lifestyle might be for them...buy used you're on your own... as I am finding out.
Not sure what brand or model you have, but RT does have a number of videos under the owner section of their website for their RV’s if applicable. As you noted, manuals are limited. Some of the FB groups may be helpful at times. There is one for Zion and Simplicity owners and likely similar for others. You do often have to search each site for specific items.
This was a very good interview! Being a Roadtek owner since the late 80’s, I guess the new company will probably not go back to the Chevy V8 chassis, but I was hoping he’d talk about using the Ford Transit Chassis as a possible option! I would love to see them bring back the old “Popular” series on that! I’m not a big fan of the Promaster chassis’s at all!
Glad you enjoyed! We loved the Popular series, but suspect much more effort/cost to make. Appreciate the comment!
Hi Roberto. Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately at this time we have no immediate plans to build on the Ford Transit chassis, that doesn't mean we will never build on it, but our focus right now is on the ProMaster models. With regards to the Chevy, although as know many loved the Chevy based models, the cost of the chassis and the limited availability make it very difficult to build on so we will not be bringing this chassis back into our line up.
@@RoadtrekMotorhomes Thank you so much for your reply sir! I’m so glad you rescued my fave RV Brand, and am looking forward to future models being released!
@@RoadtrekMotorhomes Thats exactly what Jac Hanemaayer was told, "its too small to build all the amenities you want from a class A into a van." Somehow he became very successful in proving them wrong. Roadtrek lost that vision years ago and thats what caused them to fail. Now they are doing away with the only company still making vans? Wow! Another bad decision. Good luck with your sprinters and whatever they call them nowadays. Im sticking to my "Real" Roadtrek, 1992 RT Independent.
No mention of the Chevy vans being deleted...could they be thinking of building a Westfalia on the Chevy's? Safari Condo also stopped with their Chevy's as well.
We believe they made the decision to only build on either the Pro-master or Mercedes chassis early in their re-start. We always liked the Chevy models. No idea of what the Westfalia models may be based on...sounds like still several years off. Thanks for watching!
Hi Stephen, at this time we have no plans to bring back or start any new motorhomes on the Chevy chassis. This is due to the cost and availability from the chassis OEM.
I'm surprised that Mr Found is not aware of the Simplicity, which is pretty much the RT lower price model that they had for years. The Play is just basically the Simplicity. (which I own)
We thought it was similar as well. They did decide to not produce the Simplicity early in their restart and perhaps with the hot market, Dane (once in place) and others reconsidered. It does have everything you need! Thanks for the comment. Safe travels!
Hi, Mr. Found is aware of the Simplicity, although the vans have some similarities with the non-painted ground effects, they also have a very different rear layout and have some features that the Simplicity did not have such as an outside shower.
Thanks for organizing this useful interview. It's good to have this update and I must say I look at the future of Roadtrek with greater optimism.
I hear that the camping sites in BC are quite full with snowbirds going out west. How are you finding things?
Glad you enjoyed Marc! We have heard that many private campsites, especially on Vancouver Island are fully booked with snowbirds now as well. We did see a number of of large RV’s heading to the ferry last week. Not too sure how that may impact our travels, but undoubtedly everything will be busier!
Great video sure wish the Chev chassis will be brought back. V8 and body on frame nothing rides better
Thanks Pat...suspect lots of folks would agree with you. Appreciate the comment!
Hi Pat M, we know there are a lot of Chevy fans out there but unfortunately due to cost and chassis availability we have no plans at this time in bringing back motorhomes built on the Chevy chassis.
Am I the only one who sees the writing on the wall? RT is doing away with Chevrolet? Chevrolet, the only manufacturer still making vans. RT became successful because of vans. What is so hard to understand here? RT deviated away from vans and focused on sprinters and other platforms; this is why they failed. They forgot what made them Roadtrek in the first place. And yes, vans are still manufactured in this day and age. Just because Ford and Dodge have sipped the koolaid, it doesn't mean Chevy will. Jac Hanemaayer had a dream to fit all the amenities of a Class A into a van. What happened to that dream??? I saw the writing on the wall years ago when RV Lifestyle would interview Jim Hammell; this man had a Model of a ship on his desk, not a Roadtrek. Common sense tells me Roadtrek was never his passion like it was to many people. He was so disconnected with company its a joke. I'm sorry but Roadtrek died years ago; good new is the "van life" has become bigger than ever. Too bad Roadtrek is not capitalizing on this. Good luck with your sprinters and whatever they call them nowadays
A number of people enjoyed the classic style vans based on the Chevy platform, but as you noted, that platform no longer seems to be used by many.
why can the European RVs be practical and have a reasonable price tag....its like medications the American consumer is taken as easy pickens.
One of our viewers often shares links to some of the European models...and perhaps to your point...often nicely designed and more reasonable pricing.