Welcome to the RV Shenanigans Podcast from Millers in Motion, where we embark on adventures and share tales from life on the road. Join us as we explore the joys and challenges of RV living and discover the beauty of traveling this amazing country.
Episode Title:
Creating a new RV Brand from the Ground Up, plus Jeremiah’s Journey to Alliance RV
Episode Description:
Thanks to our Title sponsor of the Podcast Liquified!
This week we sit down with Jeremiah Dumka VP of Sales for Alliance RV! We chat about his unique journey in the RV industry. We also dive into what it take to create n all new Brand (Alliance Valor) and some of the decisions that effect what the consumer actually sees at the end of the day. Plus we have a few Listener questions!
Sponsor Links:
Liquified Tank Treatments
· 32oz Bottle - https://amzn.to/430ysj7
· 16oz Bottle - https://amzn.to/49KZIVe
· Drop In Pods - https://amzn.to/3SZA0VT
Alliance RV
Connect with Us:
www.RVShenanigansPodcast.com / www.millersinmotion.com
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rv-shenanigans-from-millers-in-motion/id1715469051
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Leave us a review and let us know you’re your thoughts on the show!
Thank you for joining us on the RV Shenanigans Podcast. Until next time, happy trails and safe travels!
Welcome to the RV Shenanigans Podcast from Millers in Motion, where we embark on adventures and share tales from life on the road. Join us as we explore the joys and challenges of RV living and discover the beauty of traveling this amazing country.
Episode Title:
Creating a new RV Brand from the Ground Up, plus Jeremiah’s Journey to Alliance RV
Episode Description:
Thanks to our Title sponsor of the Podcast Liquified!
This week we sit down with Jeremiah Dumka VP of Sales for Alliance RV! We chat about his unique journey in the RV industry. We also dive into what it take to create n all new Brand (Alliance Valor) and some of the decisions that effect what the consumer actually sees at the end of the day. Plus we have a few Listener questions!
Sponsor Links:
Liquified Tank Treatments
· 32oz Bottle - https://amzn.to/430ysj7
· 16oz Bottle - https://amzn.to/49KZIVe
· Drop In Pods - https://amzn.to/3SZA0VT
Alliance RV
Connect with Us:
www.RVShenanigansPodcast.com / www.millersinmotion.com
Stay Updated: Make sure to subscribe to the RV Shenanigans Podcast on
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rv-shenanigans-from-millers-in-motion/id1715469051
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7jQfEBhjLa8PdvbSx7Amtv?si=ac0680288e5c4d75
or your preferred podcast platform: https://rvshenanigans.buzzsprout.com/share
Leave us a review and let us know you’re your thoughts on the show!
Thank you for joining us on the RV Shenanigans Podcast. Until next time, happy trails and safe travels!
Yes, welcome back to the RV shenanigans podcast brought to you by liquefied. If you are watching this on YouTube, I'm sorry for my awful dance moves, and if you are listening to this on your favorite podcast platform, you just missed some really, really bad dancing. Welcome back to the show. Lauren is not here at the moment. We recorded a bunch of shows in Florida. We talked a little bit about this at the beginning of the last episode with Harold and Cindy from One Strange Adventure. But we've added some things. We've changed our format just a little tweak. Here and there We've added a sponsor, a title sponsor in liquefied, the team from Matt's RV Reviews product that we use for our black tank onboard, our Alliance Valor, and we wanted to introduce a little bit of like a kind of current segments. We realized that the show took place back in January. It's March now and we still have a few more weeks of shows coming out. So we really wanted to bring a little bit of a segment to kind of catch everybody up and be a little current through the podcast. Our videos are actually pretty current. They're only about two weeks behind on the normal videos on the Saturday release.
Speaker 2:So, frame flex let's briefly before we dive into our show coming up. Let's talk about frame flex. So I want to clear a few things up, because we've been asked this question a lot right now and it's a very popular topic in our vspace right now and so I can tell you we don't have a lot of intentions of making a frame flex video, mainly because we don't have it and I can't speak to it from a personal level, and I've always said that we're going to be authentically us and we're going to be truthful and I can't speak to it because we don't have it. Now I say this when I say we don't have it all frames flex, okay. So it's important to understand that any frame that you have does flex and what we're talking about, the frame flex issue, is that some frames are flexing in excess and causing damage. Now that is a very loaded question and there's a lot of great videos out there and I'll link a few of them down below Big truck, big RV, josh the RV nerd and even RV miles have done some great topics and talk about this issue in depth. I don't know enough about it to speak about it, just to be completely truthful and honest with you. So it's not a topic that we're necessarily going to touch base on a whole lot Now. With that being said, I know that there is a reason why you're not seeing a lot of alliance RVs with some of these issues, and so we are going to be up there in a few weeks and I do fully intend on kind of asking that question and if there's something there to be said in detail, we will definitely record a podcast or shoot a video over that as well. So if you have questions about that whole topic, please feel free to ask us. We are very much so an open book, but I just don't. I'll be willing to talk about it freely, but sometimes these videos touch a lot more people than just a couple of questions in the comments or even an email and that kind of stuff. So our last coach was not affected by frame flex. We did have a issue with some of the things in our aluminum framing that was around the lipid frame, but that was a pretty common issue for that style of RV and we eventually did get it fixed before we sold it. So, with that being said, we have a fun show for you.
Speaker 2:Today. We sat down back at the Florida RV Super Show with our friend Jeremiah Dumka. Jeremiah is the vice president of sales for Alliance RV, and he and I have a very similar sense of humor, you're going to notice this theme with the Alliance guys, and it's why we like working with them so much, but he used to be the general manager over Paradigm and Valor. Now he still technically does those job duties, but he also took on pretty much all of the sales for Alliance RV. So now, with that being said, he doesn't actually sell RVs. He does, but not to end users. Now, if you catch him at a show, he'll talk about RVs and those types of things, but for the most part, he'd works directly with the dealerships and kind of helps with how they order and then all those types of things. One of the really interesting things that Jeremiah has done, though, is he actually was brought in to help create what is now the Valor line, and so the Valor line, before Jeremiah got to Alliance, didn't exist, and now it's, you know, one of the most popular toy hauler brands out there in the RV market. So, with no more further ado, we are going to dive over into our interview with Jeremiah, and Lauren will magically appear and we'll teleport back to Florida. Wish to begin just teleport back to Florida for the fun of it, but we're going to take a quick break and then we'll jump back into it over in Florida.
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Speaker 2:One of my favorite features is actually this easy measure pour spout. Because it's designed this way, you don't have to bring in other cups or measuring devices of any kind. Dump what you need in for your sized tank, put the cap back on and you're done. To learn more about Liquefied RV Black Tank Treatment, you can visit LiquefiedRVcom. Do us a favor. Please support the brands that support us, because they enable us to be able to bring you the podcast and the regular videos. To purchase Liquefied Black Tank Treatment, please see the link down below. All right, buddy, you're ready to deep dive into the life of Jeremiah?
Speaker 1:Oh, let's go. How far deep do you want to go, baby?
Speaker 2:This is where we get along with Jeremiah. In case you're curious, anybody out there? Ok, so what initially got you into the RV industry?
Speaker 1:OK, so back in 2002, I started in the RV industry. When I got my first job it was at a place called Kenro, which is still today a company building. I would say they own a lot of the window space they build windows for. I don't know what their market share is, but they were required after I left there by Lyppard Components. But I started out as a shipping manager there, worked there for two and a half years and in doing so ended up moving to Keystone RV on the production side of things, went over there, worked two years in routing at Keystone RV, then went to Forest River, worked there for the better part of seven years, started off in production. Forest River had a great program for continuing education and as long as I worked there for a year they paid 100% for educational purposes. If you got or actually it was 125% if you got.
Speaker 1:A or better in the classes.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's phenomenal.
Speaker 1:It was, and it really encouraged me to get better grades.
Speaker 3:That's a good point. It was a little bonus.
Speaker 2:Amazing how money incentivized people, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Exactly exactly Before that. It wasn't that great, but then at that point in time so finished out. They gave me an opportunity in sales. My first sales experience was at Forest River. Started out as a trainee.
Speaker 1:They developed a product called the Trilogy. It was made by Dynamax, which is a Super C manufacturer. They took a lot of their design cues from the Super C, implemented them in the fifth wheel and I shortly thereafter got a territory, worked there in the sales role for three years, went to Keystone, was there for roughly seven. In that time I got my first product management position. Was working at Fusion Impact, got a product manager role, was there doing that for several years and then got the nod from Cole and Ryan talking about an interesting company trying to get back to the basics we're saying all the right things and ended up coming over, hired me as a general manager to help aid in the paradigm, which was already semi-in the design process. They had a couple floor plans that they had done, but then predominantly to start up a Toyota line which is now known as a Valor. Slash our home, yeah, slash your home.
Speaker 3:That's correct. I'm going to be honest I didn't expect that much. You have had your hand in the industry for a long time in a variety of roles. That is cool.
Speaker 2:I was going to say you look like maybe late 30s, early 40s. Am I close there? You are, yep, early 40s. You just gave me the resume of a 65-year-old.
Speaker 3:I know Exactly.
Speaker 1:I really yeah, my DNA in the industry is, honestly I've had two jobs outside as an adult without being in the RV industry.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 1:I think it's gave me a very well-rounded approach.
Speaker 3:Being able to work with production sales.
Speaker 1:It's definitely been beneficial. But, yeah, I spent just as much time in the sales end as I have on the production side of things.
Speaker 3:And I think that the average person likes to see that out of their management and their leadership teams of these big companies is knowing that you started, worked for your education, worked your way through companies and through roles.
Speaker 2:Yeah absolutely so just out of curiosity, when you were talking with Ryan and Cully, what about alliance was kind of the thing you went I got to go do that.
Speaker 1:I think a lot of the stuff that we're doing now. They were trying to get back to the basics, be more retail-facing, the service approach, being able to get in tune with that end consumer and take care of them. Like I felt a genuine. Their conversations with me were very genuine on hey look, we want to make sure our customers are taken care of. Our support after the sale is going to be second to none. And then on my side of the fence, it was like you know, it's a new, it's exciting. I feel like another stamp on the industry coming over and starting something instead of just a keystone. Great, great opportunity. Love, where I was at. Love the company but it wasn't.
Speaker 1:I didn't incubate it from the beginning and having the opportunity to not only, you know, come over and help with with paradigm, but start a toy hauler from the ground up, from inception. Right, I mean, we incubated that through COVID and it was like man, this is awesome. Even coming up with a name like you wouldn't believe how many names have been used in this industry. By the way, it is insanely hard to come up with something. I remember sitting through a Rolodex and we had named Ab me, steve, coley, ryan. We're like trying to figure out what we're going to call this thing, and it's got to be a little edgy, but it took. I mean, it was like, oh, this is a perfect name, look it up. It's got to be trademarked or been used, of course, but yeah, so that was the exciting part about coming over here.
Speaker 2:Very cool. So let's dive into Valor a little bit deeper, because it was kind of your first big project with the company. So how, how do you even start to designing a whole new line Like where, I mean, you just go, oh yeah, a toy hauler. That's easy. I just got to put a garage in the back of one of these fifth wheels and everything's fine.
Speaker 1:Man, I wish it was that easy it might be, but don't tell anyone it's job security. Good thing we're not broadcasting this isn't live by the way, is it no?
Speaker 2:Live-ish like light.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know it was being in the toy hauler space for seven plus years prior to coming over to Alliance. You start getting into, you know idea in the need of the end consumer. And our approach to the Valor was hey, how do we differentiate, how do we prevent some of the problems that customers have experienced in the past? And you know, if you look at our features and what the content that we put in early on in the Valor, we took those complaints or those features that were lackluster and just shot some steroids in them. And what I mean by that. Like, if you look at it, we were the industry's first weather resistant ramp door.
Speaker 2:There was, believe it or not, your patio doors are not supposed to be out in the rain. I was going to say which is an absolutely ridiculous thing, Like I just assumed they were, and then we were talking to somebody prior to meeting you and they said like, oh yeah, you can't leave those down, Cause if they, if water pools on them too much, the paint's going to start to peel off the other side and all kinds of things start to happen. I'm like then why does it exist? Like why me? Even it's just a ramp at that point, why make it a patio?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I totally agree.
Speaker 3:It's really cool to hear that everybody says customer driven. You know the feedback, this and that, but even from the get go you integrated that. So, there's like proof in the pudding.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Yeah, right out the gate we identified that Um. Another thing was we were getting into, uh again, problem preventing. We started talking to the end consumers. We were talking to our suppliers and one of our largest suppliers we were talking through things with and you're like, how can we enhance the customer's experience? And they were like well, one of the major problems that we have, we field over a quarter million calls a year due to low voltage.
Speaker 1:We're like really, and you think about it, like when you have low voltage, your slide mech doesn't work, your landing gear doesn't work, but the end consumer, they don't understand, right, they hear the clicking of the motor and it's just not actuating, but they're hearing it and they're thinking it's broke. So we were like, well, that seems like a pretty easy fix. Solar's become pretty popular. Let's make a solar panel standard on every single one of our rigs. So we were the first manufacturer to go a standard solar um on our rigs. And it was because of that. And then we started to take in that deep dive, taking it a little further, and it's like, well, if we're going to put like our very first valor that we built, we put a hundred amp hour solar or a hundred watt solar panel on the roof and we were like this is just battery maintenance.
Speaker 2:That's all we want that thing to be for it's a trickle charge to the battery, like you would do if you were going to store something longterm like a truck or something.
Speaker 1:Correct and it was like that makes so much sense. I mean, these guys are parking their rigs not everybody full times, right? They park these things for long amounts of time and then they go out there and how awful is that experience when you can't get your unit on your truck, when you're having to charge or jump your batteries, so it's like it starts your camping trip on the wrong foot it starts your camping trip on the wrong foot.
Speaker 1:So then we took it and we were like you know, it was a good idea and we felt like it was going to be again problem preventing, like, hey, if these guys, if their batteries fully charged all the time, how much is that going to better their experience? So then we took it even further and it was like, well, if we're going to put a hundred watt panel on the roof, why don't we go that extra yard Right?
Speaker 1:And then we, we ended up and where we landed was 640 Watts a solar on the roof 40 amp charge controller where the industry's first fifth wheel manufacturer, toy hauler or not to go, standard 100 amp hour lithium ion battery. Thank you, by the way, you're absolutely welcome.
Speaker 2:Not that I'm going to leave it in there much longer, but um, but at least it gets better than what I could have it's a good starting point.
Speaker 3:It's a great starting point. I love it.
Speaker 1:And the nice thing about that is is hey, you can always add more, right, right, I mean, a hundred amp hour. Get you through the gate is putting on an excellent battery, um, and giving the customers a great experience, and you're solving that problem and you're solving that problem.
Speaker 1:And then we took it another step further and we were like, okay, well, we've got this awesome solar panel package. Let's let's be known as the masters of 12 volt. Yeah, how many things can we put in this thing that are 12 volt, 12 volt. So we went from the TVs to the, you know, our bedroom TV or garage TV, uh, 12 volt power stereo lights, um sofa fridge. Yeah, we were the first USB port.
Speaker 2:Oh, those are always told about my bed.
Speaker 1:No, those are 12 volt and ours is only kidding, it's like a clown car.
Speaker 3:How many?
Speaker 2:can we put in here If nobody talks? About it we don't know.
Speaker 1:We win, yeah, we win, but uh yeah, so that was kind of the evolution. Some of the things, the backstory on how we got to where we are, um, and all of it, like I said in the back of our minds, was with the customer experience in mind. Sure.
Speaker 2:So, cully, when we had him on earlier yesterday in podcast land, that's more like three weeks ago, um, he kept talking about do the right thing, kind of. The staples of of alliance are be right, do the right thing, customer driven feedback, what. So I was hoping that we could kind of dive in a little deeper what customer driven feedback means, cause it sounds like this pretty package of something that sometimes sales people say right, but for you guys and I've noticed this firsthand to yesterday actually, cause I told you, um that you guys truly do listen and those changes get implemented rather quickly in some scenarios yeah, Absolutely, and that is a great question.
Speaker 1:And I think that, uh, you know, our products are ever evolving, right? I mean we, literally, when we're at these shows, we're listening to customers, we're taking in their feedback and it's truly taken into consideration. I mean I remember, I mean just even your hand in the product development process. I mean you came in, we were talking about you. You took that ladder I'll never forget. You came back. We had that ladder. You know there were some reservations on our end about this ladder. You came back, you were at the factory, picked up your unit, went and stated to campus or you came back and you're like man, this ladder is the best freaking ladder I've ever used.
Speaker 2:So what are you talking about? What are you talking about? Just for a frame of reference, because they can't read my mind and I didn't film any of this, but, um, so typical ladder on a toy hauler folds up on the side and comes off, and, for whatever reason, you decided to put a Lippert one on ours, which is actually a kind of a mounting block system. The ladder is one of those telescopes being ladders.
Speaker 2:I don't know what the actual official length is. It feels like it's at least 15 feet tall. It could be less or more, but not by much and then there's two hooks you hook it in and then, yeah, that's what you use to get up on your roof. The thing I like so much about it versus other ladders is those ladders stop at the roof line and you only get the little hook for about six inches-ish, and then that's it. This one assuming you're in a reasonably level and your back end is not super high up or anything picks up past the roof line by feet and on a big fifth wheel and a person my size that being able to get up and down and actually touch something that's secured to the coach, that tall, just gave me a little more peace of mind getting on and off the roof of the coach. So that's what we're talking about.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely. But those are the types of things that happen. I mean, you look at the 44 that you guys purchased back. What six months ago? How long?
Speaker 2:ago Roughly yeah.
Speaker 1:August. So look at the 44 that's here at the show. I mean there's ever-evolving our products are.
Speaker 3:There are a lot of big changes in it.
Speaker 1:There is.
Speaker 3:And it's not just little things, is what I'm trying to say. Like you guys moved the toilet, you changed the pantry, you changed the lights, you changed colors, and this is mere months ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah no.
Speaker 1:And sometimes it can be a little frustrating not frustrating, but it can be a little difficult to navigate but it's like if there's a better way to do it. We're nimble, we're a nimble company, we're small, we're efficient, we can change on a dime, and so that's one of the things, like when we're here, we're listening, we got our ears at the ground and I think that our our end consumers have had just as much a part in the product development processes we have. I mean, if you take a look at some of the stuff that Bill does online and our social media platforms, oh, constantly, I mean we're literally, we put it all out there. We let our laundry hang out and air.
Speaker 3:And I'm not convinced he sleeps. I am not either.
Speaker 1:I don't. I think he's an alien.
Speaker 3:He is always there.
Speaker 1:He's a different breed. God bless him. But it's pretty cool to see that Like we've literally we internally. You know, we don't always know what the best thing is- the best feature is, but it means if you listen, if you put your ear to the ground and listen, the customers are going to tell you what they want.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And I think that that's been a huge part of our success, both at these shows, both that in in the industry. Our success has been listening to our customers, them having a voice, them being able to call into the factory. It's awesome to see like these customers, these consumers, coming in and they know who we are, or they know who what we're about, and they're taking a deep dive in our company.
Speaker 2:Right. So just out of curiosity, just in your time with the company, and whether or not it doesn't matter which model we're talking about, it could be Delta for all the care. But what? What was probably the biggest change you've made based on customer feedback?
Speaker 1:Oh, biggest change. Did I stump them, did I do? No, there's just so much that we, you know, I would say okay, getting back and most impact that, I guess. I would. I'll go back to the very first Valor floor plan. I mean because it was like we were putting stuff out there on social media and all these platforms asking customers questions. And you know the 36 V11, it's the industry's staple toy hauler.
Speaker 2:Floor plan tandem axle bad and half Old trusty.
Speaker 1:Old trusty, yep, old faithful. It is the industry's number one selling floor plan, ben year over year. How do you change it? How do you make it better?
Speaker 2:Invert everything. No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I mean, if you, if you have all this stuff everybody built that floor plan, it's been out for so many years how do you take it and navigate it and make it better? Okay, well, we put it like I said we, we put it out there on social media and they, what came about was a lot of really good ideas. Like you, take it into consideration. Like in that floor plan, we flip flop the pantry or actually the refrigerator and the stove, and we did that because they were like man, it would be great to have accessibility to the refrigerator as you're going down the road.
Speaker 1:And we're like wow, that makes a lot of geniuses out there.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was like man, and that's a simple process, and by doing so we we flip flop the refrigerator and the stove and then we put the hutch in, or then it enabled us to have a hutch and a pantry. So we increased our storage space and we gave accessibility to the, the the refrigerator, while customers are out and about and driving it on the road, which was incredible.
Speaker 2:So I'd like to actually talk just briefly about one of our kind of we'll say customer service or not customer service, customer driven features. Is we picked up our coach? I remember texting you after I had gotten over to Elkar campground and I I was just curious cause I couldn't find a second black tank flush on our valor. So if you don't know, toy haulers typically will have two black tanks, one forward, one rear, cause there's two restrooms. And I asked. I said well, how does like, do I need to make sure, if I'm doing like a black tank flush or something, that both valves are open or like what? Where? Where is this water going and how is it going?
Speaker 2:So I know how to operate this thing and you said oh, it just splits. And then I remember asking like why didn't you just put another one back there? Yep, and I think you actually did that.
Speaker 1:We are in the process of implementing no we are in the process of implementing the, the back black tank flush for each one of the tanks, cause it was like and this is actually it was less work for my production team than to run that line from the front of the coach all the way to the or to the back of the coach all the way to the front of the coach. So again it makes sense. A lot of the stuff is the not a trip hazard force? It's actually can be beneficial in the manufacturing process.
Speaker 2:Well, and that was the thing, and the reason why I said, but just make two, was because as a full timer that does this at least once a week, maybe less, yeah, and we, you know, we don't always use that back tank flush, and so it can be more efficient. Plus, you run that waterline all the way back there, you inherently lose water pressure when you do that.
Speaker 2:You also increase your potential for leaks, because every, every inch of tubing you have is an inch more that can leak, and so I'm always about less is more when it comes to water.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, absolutely yeah, and you're not the only person to ask that question, I mean. I'm not kidding you and my tenure in the in the toilet hauler space or even in the in the RV space. It's like that question gets asked all the time but nobody does it. It's like so that was a great feature for us to add and I think it makes total sense. So no-transcript.
Speaker 2:As you've kind of designed Valor and you've kind of moved on, now obviously your VP of sales, what does that mean for you, like how has that role kind of changed what you do with the company going forward, or like from when the promotion happened to now?
Speaker 1:Well, it just add more. No, there's been a lot of things. You know I've been on the sales front. I've been leaning on Absol-A, who's a general manager on the product development front. Eric Bailey has helped exponentially give me some reprieve on Valor specifically. So we're all hands-on-deck company, which is super awesome and incredible to work with a group of guys that were all rolling in the same direction. No one's like, oh, that's not my job or hey.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to do this. So the cohesiveness within the office has been awesome and you know you can leave it on different people, even the sales staff. You know there's some of the guys that want more. We're yearning for more responsibility on that product development front, to where we listen more to them. And then also, you know, with the product development front with Eric, he's got a lot of great ideas. I mean, eric and I are both avid campers. Eric actually owns a Valor and where it made the most sense to put him leaning more on those responsibilities, he's got a 42 or 43 V13, and I think he's about to purchase his second Valor Boy for Don't know, I'll have to go work on him a little bit yeah right, so that the job responsibilities day in and day out.
Speaker 1:Those are probably the two that I've been leaning on the most would be Ab and Eric, but then also getting out there with the sales guys, being more in touch with those guys, spend a little bit more, which has enabled me more time with them, I should say.
Speaker 2:Because you guys have, so essentially you're the head of that sales force from the alliance side and then you kind of have like regional guys if I know correctly. And then obviously you work directly mainly with not just those guys but in conjunction with the dealerships Correct and then just to make sure they have the right, not just the inventories correct and what they need on hand versus special ordering and all that, but that they're, I'm assuming, trained in the product knowledge as well.
Speaker 1:Yes and when that we lean on heavily on our sales guys, which we got an incredible sales team. They were giving us the guys shout outs this morning in the morning meeting Like they're like I mean our guys, we're all hands on deck.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:We are working hard for our customers, both in consumers and our dealer body. So these guys getting out there and training the sales staff up is there's nobody better.
Speaker 2:So I asked this question of Kully yesterday. So I'm going to preface it a little bit by saying we asked him this but we want it. We want it kind of the big as a company. So when I asked this question from you, I'm looking for more of the maybe the sale side or maybe the product design side version of it. But what? What do you guys do at Alliance that tries to you try to do to stand out from the other manufacturers.
Speaker 1:Well, I think that one. If you take a look at a lot of the products here we come out with from a floor plan standpoint, I think we've got a lot of unique floor plans that aren't in the like we've innovated and came out with on our own. Like you, take that 44 v 14. Nobody else makes it Nope. Look at that 375 R D.
Speaker 2:It's one of a kind we could literally less than 40 v 13. Nobody has that one, that's when we were sold on until we talked to Jeremiah and he says, oh, you like that, look at this. And then we said, oh, like that better.
Speaker 1:Well that the 395 DS, the, the all new Avenue 38 D, d, b L.
Speaker 2:You're doing stuff in Delta line. That exactly. I mean it's across the board. I mean you have the old trustees and the standards, but a hundred Yep. But you guys, definitely on the floor plan side, shake it up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then you take a look at our features. Like I said, I mean, we've noted it many times, but listening to our consumers putting the right products in and the light right features, I think has been very impactful for us. Um, and then, if you take a look at um some of the other things that we're doing on the, the customer service side, like every single one, we meet every week on each one of these products. We have a P, our product development meeting, and in that meeting we're bringing our cut of Chris Carlson, the VP of the customer service or our dealer facing side. So Bill handles the service side with the retail public and then Curtis does the dealer. We bring both those guys in these meetings and they're in and they're help making decisions like hey, is this product good? How do we vet this out better? What can we do to again be problem preventing and not problem solving.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which is great. Cause so many what we found, so many, I'm going to say manufacturers, but they just kind of, they're almost like they're chasing the problem. You guys try to jump out in front of it as fast as you possibly can, which, at the end of the day, for us was a big reason of why we were so sold on coming over to the alliance side versus a different manufacturer.
Speaker 3:I'd say it was probably the number one reason.
Speaker 1:honestly, yeah, that's awesome, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:The best experience before and it's been great so far over here.
Speaker 1:Oh, good, good, very happy. So all right you ready for some questions? I don't like this. What are you doing so it's full? Yeah, we're having a good time together. What are we doing here, so full?
Speaker 2:transparency. We gave Bill a little or Bill, sorry, I saw him walk by earlier. We gave Jeremiah some heads up on what we were going to talk about, but he has no clue what's coming now. So this question comes from James from Texas. Got to love my Texans. What's the most difficult thing about choosing features to add or not to add for RV production? So I'm guessing when you get down to the nitty gritty of A or B, oh no, I want both but can't have both situations.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean one of the things like you know, at these shows you're going to hear day in and day out, everybody wants everything, but you also have to be able to afford it, right, I mean?
Speaker 1:that's one of the biggest things I like look, I want to put everything in every single one of our products, but you also have to be in line with one your competition but also be in line with what people are willing to pay for these vehicles, and so I think that's a difficult decision to make.
Speaker 1:You know, we really have to vet things out, and that's where we lean in these social media platforms, and it's one of the things like, if you're here to show, if seven people come in in a day and are like, hey, you need to have this widget, there might be something there, right, so I might need to take a look at it. But then, on the production side of things, it's like how does this impact our quality? You know, one of the things that I think that we do the best at is streamlining streamlining our manufacturing process. If you take a look at what we have on all of our price sheets as far as options, we are the least optioned manufacturer, and we are that way because we put in the most standard features, like and I think that that also, the more repetitious that these guys have day in and day out, the better the quality that these guys can produce.
Speaker 2:So I think that also goes without saying that you guys do a phenomenal job at adding features that are actual, tangible features that users need, and maybe nothing. Sometimes features are put on RVs that look great and they're shiny and flashy but they don't work all that great or they're really just a show and it just drives the cost up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, and in so in even in those taking that a step further. It's not even just the tangible ones that you can see, touch and feel. But you take a look at our Asdil backside walls, our PVC roof membrane. I mean, these are things that are hard to quantify because our panel looks the same as brand XYZ but I'm paying 25% more for that panel. But guess what? Long term it's a better build product.
Speaker 2:I think it lands where, essentially, you're putting money where it really matters and not the other stuff that maybe is just more, or bling Bling, there you go. I was going to say you're not putting lipstick on a yeah, you're just building the better one. That's right, so okay. The second question comes from Lauren. Right there, do you have a personal favorite floor plan? Any models?
Speaker 1:Man, I think I've got one in each lineup. Yeah, definitely I do. I the 44V14, I don't know why it took so long to build that one, but it's definitely my favorite. Valor floor plan, delta, I would say the all new 321. That's pretty cool. That thing is awesome. The new Avenue 30 ADBL is awesome. Really cool floor plan, well designed. And then for Paradigm, I mean it's very new. This is one of one, but that 375 RD I think we did just a little bit different than anything else out there. We've overcome a lot of the objections that you typically get with rear dens and I think it's just a very well designed and just got a good eyeball on it.
Speaker 2:So and I just to add on that, especially with the RD model, there I get hesitant, based on previous experience, when I hear five slides. But you guys did that with zero Schwintek slide systems. That is correct. You have four rack and pinion, all hydraulically driven. Old trusty can pretty much not have tires. Drag it and it'll still go out. And then you guys move to cable slides on your smaller slide boxes like bedrooms and those types of things. That is correct, which we are very appreciative for you got it as we listen.
Speaker 2:As someone that has replaced a lot of Schwintek slide systems, uh-oh. So okay, lauren, do you have anything?
Speaker 3:I'm good I got my questions answered.
Speaker 2:I think that people keep walking by looking at Jeremiah that work over there, so I'm pretty sure they need him back out there.
Speaker 1:It sounds like, or looks like so why is he getting a break? Yeah right, he's just sitting down doing nothing over there.
Speaker 3:Jeremiah is like no, we're going to keep talking.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, I got another hour. That's right. I mean, the show doesn't end until five or six. Let's go.
Speaker 2:So, Jeremiah, thank you so much for all you do for not just the company but all the owners as well. Likewise, Mostly putting up with well, me, Lauren's a treat, I'm the difficult one.
Speaker 1:I know that's very true. Hey, you're not supposed to agree. Come on, man.
Speaker 3:Yes, you are Good job.
Speaker 2:Thank you everybody that's been listening and, if you're out there, a big thanks again to Alliance RV for allowing us to take over a little section and pretty much talk really loud at all those people out there. Jeremiah, thanks again for joining us and we will see you all next week. All right, thanks, guys.