Once was/today/future

[Ralph L. Fullenwider]

Once was:

Bluebird Wanderlodge: Starting in the 60's with a few other Manufacturers,
a vision was perceived of the RV Industry becoming the gold rush of
yesteryear. Bluebird, Newell, Barth and a couple of others went into
competition for a market share of this boon. Bluebird Wanderlodge soon out
distanced the others with innovation and "quality." Thus became the
undisputed leaders in the industry of whom all others tried to copy. This
went on through the mid 80's and started to become more and more
competitive at the end of the 80's and gearing up for the 90's and beyond.
The eldest of Bird's are still on the road, running strong,, who knew. Life
was good.

Today:

Technology has caught up, and the RV industry, as a whole, are on a more
level playing field. Cutting costs, but keeping the quality is a constant
struggle in todays market. Some cut costs by lay off's, others by cutting
employee benefits, yet others were using materials that were, perhaps not
up to the standards of old, yet making the lighter weight materials "look"
to be on a par with the higher end RV's. But there again the same
technology is available to all and RV's are being built to the customer
needs of more room via slides. Who cares if they work, they have more room.
Innovation and foresight has given way to employing the "canned" technology
made for everyone. Thus, quality tends to slip to the way side, as the
coaches are not expected to last over the 10 year period anyway. Yes, we
had better look like our competitors out on the road, in the campground,
like stamped out models, one after the other. The RV industry is sliding on
the back side of the curve of the long ago "gold rush." I often wonder what
happened to the forward thinking, planning and invention of the systems
going into todays RV's. What happened to "those who dared" to be different.
What happened to "if I build quality, not quantity" "they will come and
buy?" thinking? Now days it seems like just another remote button to be
pushed to make this happen or that happen.

Future:

Who knows really? We can all speculate, arm chair guess and banter back and
forth. But to what end really? The industry is going to go forth or slide
back to the "once was" No matter what we input, todays technology is going
to dictate what is to be. One thing that is a known as of today, of the
"old" leaders in the Rv industry, Bluebird and Newell are still there and
others have come on strong to capture the market share. The old saying,
nothing lasts forever, may have truth, but darn, those 60's Birds are still
on the road today, who knew.

Let us not allow our passions to get us carried away to the point of
pointing fingers, name calling or shouting matches. It matters not a whit.
What does matter is that we are here to help one another with fixes, parts
finds or up grades, and that we share them. THAT, makes us stronger and
quite frankly gives us "bragging" rights," while we still respect those
whom have made other choices, as is their right, and each having been in
the Birds in the past, have gone through the "once was" and remembers the
days of invention, innovation and takes the time to share those days with
us all.

George, stick around, many of us still need to "get knowed up" on many of
those systems you fought to get running and how you did it. That is your
job, you know and to be truthful, all things being equal, you like that job
too.

Toleration is one of the things that makes us all human. That can happen
and still not lose the passion we have for our ideals or compromise our
individual integrity.

Lets talk upgrades, fixes and parts everyone. The future has not been
written on all the other things as yet.

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm