Temporary FWC website changes & Important FWC Model Changes . . .

Stan@FourWheel

Explorer
Hello Expedition Portal members and readers

I wanted to send out an important camper model update to all of the potential Four Wheel Campers customers.

Over the past several weeks our staff, design engineers, production managers, and management team have been having some productive & important meetings on where Four Wheel Campers is going this next year, and where we want to be many years down the road.

Over the past 35 years, Four Wheel built their campers with a simple approach. Not too fancy, not too many options available. The basic approach = simplicity, durability, light weight, and low profile.

During the past 7 or 8 years we have been trying to adapt to new customer requests, bad economies, good economies, changing truck sizes, and other many other factors.

Just the past few years we have seen an increasing stress being put on our production department, design team, and the production workers because we have been trying to do too much, and offer TOO many different models, options, and customizations.

To be a successful camper manufactured we don't feel that we will be able to keep offering so many different models and so many custom options for each and every camper.

We have studied our sales numbers very carefully and have decided that it will be in the best interest for our factory, our dealers, and our customers if we discontinue a few of the "lowest" selling and odd-ball models.

For the most part it won't really affect too many people because we still have plenty of other choices for them.

:)

This last year we only sold 4 of the "Hard Top" / Hard Sided Cabover Models.

We only sold 2 of the big 9' foot Keystone Models.

We only sold a handful of the Kestrel Models.

And we only sold 1 of the custom build campers for a "step-side" truck.

So for the moment, we have decided to immediately stop offering the following models . . .

Models No Longer Available:

"Discontinued" -- Hard Top / Hard Sided Cabover Models

(these will be replaced by the Six-Pac campers next year)

"Discontinued" -- 9' Keystone Models

(the Grandby Model will be what customers will replace the Keystone Model with)

"Discontinued" -- Custom Shell Models for the weird "Step-Side Trucks"

(there really is not a market for these anyway)

"Discontinued" -- Kestrel Model (this was a custom version of the Hawk, unpublished for older Access Cab Toyota Tundra trucks)

The Hawk Model or the Fleet Model are still available and will fit the older Access Cab Toyota Tundra trucks.


Here is a list of the current camper models & prices we are currently offering . . .

GRANDBY MODEL = $ 13,795.00

HAWK MODEL = $ 13,595.00

RAVEN MODEL = $ 13,595.00

FLEET MODEL = $ 13,595.00

EAGLE MODEL = $ 13,195.00

FINCH MODEL = $ 13,195.00

EMPTY SHELL MODELS = $ 7,995.00

GRANDBY UTE FLAT BED MODEL = $ 21,595.00

HAWK UTE FLAT BED MODEL = $ 21,195.00

FLEET UTE FLAT BED MODEL = $ 20,595.00


With the Fleet Model, Hawk Model, Grandby Model, or any of the Flat Bed Models, we can still build these (and are still offering these) in the 'Self-Contained" Models. The Front Dinette Self-Contained floor plan is just one of many options you can choose for your new campers.

:)

We are in discussions with a top web designer here in Sacramento that will be hopefully redesigning our FWC website from top to bottom & front to back. We are aware our website need help and we are going for it!

I was able to temporarily remove the "discontinued" models from our website.

:)

We are in the process of having Dome Printing in Sacramento design and print full sized tri-fold color brochures for us as well. More information to follow on this as it is available.

Six-Pac Campers will be coming back next year.

Good things are on the way !


Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

We here to help you in any way I can.


Stan Kennedy

Four Wheel Pop-up Campers



.
 

AF6GL

New member
Big business decisions are always tough. Best of luck in 2014 and I can't wait to see the new website. Be sure you save me a brouchere :)

Timothy McGowen
 

Rot Box

Explorer
Oh man if I had the cash you would have sold 3 Keystones last year :D

Yes, best of luck these upcoming years. You guys are great.
 

Jr_Explorer

Explorer
While reducing buyer choices can SEEM to be a liability it often isn't for two reasons. 1. The sales numbers don't lie. Selling single digits of a model annually really shows a lack of need. Besides, the quality is potentially an issue when a given model comes down the line only every 3-6 months. 2. Honestly if you concentrate on your core business it makes it EASIER for customers to narrow down what they want. I didn't even know FWC made hard side campers! Because you guys are the "go anywhere with minimal weight pop-top expedition camper" guys. I'm sure many others thought that too. So you COULD spend tons of marketing time and money trying to get the word out that you do hard sides too but why not devote that time and energy to bettering your core product.

So GREAT job making tough decisions! Here's wishing you and yours a great 2014!
 

Galvi5

Observer
I will be looking forward to the day when you may be ready to support another dealer in my neck of the woods (Bend, OR). I am serious when I say that your products literally sell themselves when a person sees one up close. I know it did for me and my wife! I have a dream/vision of a one stop expedition shopping experience in central Oregon. The phrase "If you build it, they will come" keeps haunting me...you guys are outstanding at providing a level of service that is unparalleled in Any retail environment I have worked in. Keep it up!
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
I will be looking forward to the day when you may be ready to support another dealer in my neck of the woods (Bend, OR). I am serious when I say that your products literally sell themselves when a person sees one up close. I know it did for me and my wife! I have a dream/vision of a one stop expedition shopping experience in central Oregon. The phrase "If you build it, they will come" keeps haunting me...you guys are outstanding at providing a level of service that is unparalleled in Any retail environment I have worked in. Keep it up!

Can Columbia Overland help at all??
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Hi Stan,

Thanks for communicating these changes and being open to feedback, that says a lot about FWC.

I've only looked at FWC's a bit, so I don't know all of the options available(please correct me if I'm wrong), but at least from the pics I've seen on your site, what about thinking for '14;
--More modern interior finishes(the Dovetail Greystone is nice and upscale fabric IMHO, but the other fabrics including the wall/countertop/flooring/cabinet finishes seem to be still stuck in the '80/90's). I think the recent fiberglass siding option is a great updated exterior finish look.
--USB ports next to the 12V ports?
--For the ladies in our lives, is there a cassette toilet or PortaPotti option?
 

AbleGuy

Officious Intermeddler
I would encourage two things in model design:

1. Try to fit a small glass window on the driver side of the camper,
2. Put the passenger side dinette window up 3-4 inches higher (like Hallmark does).

Reason:

When you sit inside a Hallmark camper at the dinette, you cannot see outside very well (a big limitation for enjoying the beautiful wild areas that these campers allow you to access). Yeah, it is nice to be sitting outside of the camper and enjoying the views but that does not work well on rainy or buggy days.

I had a FWC years ago and this visibility limitation was my biggest peeve. My neck would just get too sore since I had to hunch down to see outside. I sold the FWC and bought a heavier Hallmark because of this.
 

kpherzog

New member
I have wanted a Grandby for years, and the only thing that keeps me from buying is the lack of headroom in the cab-over portion. Got to have full sitting headroom up there!

. . . Kurt
 

craig333

Expedition Leader
Funny how we are. Other than seeing if its light out I don't look out the windows. I even covered up my rear window.
 

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