DiMartini back with Monaco?

[JDT]

Sorry if this has been discussed and I missed it.

I check his inventory just for kicks on occasion and see he has a brand new 2011 Knight. He also has the Monaco and HR name on his new coach page, which could be a carryover.

I'm certainly not in the market but it would be nice if he was back.

[bullydogs1]

He's Fleetwood/Forest River now.. He used to be Mandalay but Thor stopped building that brand and consolidated....and he got stiffed by HR/Monaco BIG TIME....they would not make good at all despite the fact that he was one of the top 3 selling dealers for them...so when they approached him and they said all one million dollars + had to be put under the rug...he put them out to pasture. The man has to stay in business and took care of his people but he had to go into rescue mode to stay alive. The fact that Fleetwood did not stiff the customers/dealers/vendors like Monaco did I'm sure led to his decision to stock them and based upon what I've seen with the owners of Fleetwood, it was a good one.

[William Willard]

Are you saying Kay Toolson would stiff someone ? -- Please, say that`s not so -- Bill Willard

[JDT]

Didn't mean to open old wounds, just a question when I saw the new Navistar built Kinight.

When I said it would be nice if DiMartini did come back in the fold, I meant it would be a good dealership for them to reestablish. Just my opinion, but regardless of what happened in the past, as bad as it was, or who is in charge now, it is in all Monaco product owner's best interest that the current company survives.

When we do get ready to trade or sell, I hope I'm not dealing with a true orphan. At least now the name plate on my coach is still in business, even if the company is not the same. Can't say that for a bunch of them.

Again, my question was not meant to bring up anything that has already had a lot of discussion here.

[bullydogs1]

I didn't mean it that way, I was speculating on DiMartini's point of view as a businessman that was a step away from disaster..My HR dealer after 43 years was not so lucky...He went down like the Titanic and the place went from a 50 person RV shop with 2 full shifts 5 days a week right under. Another shop I worked with got stiffed, and by them, CC and WRV all in the same 4 months....I love my coach and am glad that the name, the company, and tech support is alive and seemingly well now that it is under the Navistar flag. The component manufacturers have treated me well. I'm just talking figuring on how the old dealers would see it when all of their eggs were in one basket. Navistar could have handled it differently, but at this point, it is water under the bridge. Note that their dealer network remains weak as I am at least 3 hours + from either an HR or a Monaco dealer. But they have the old Monaco with the same people running it and that's what the dealer/businessman sees...fool me once, shame on you, twice, shame on me.

[NW Knight]

Not sure they haven't put their troubles behind them.... look very closely at the Ship-To Adress on the MSRP Sheet: Monaco Window Sticker
It says: Demartini RV Sales! Interesting indeed.

[JDT]

By golly, you're right. I didn't think to look at the MSRP sticker. Very perceptive on your part.

[bullydogs1]

I bet the information was input wrong in the computer as the only dealer listed on the Monaco Site is in Fresno, Ca...The dealer computer chimpanzee didn't get the memo...I bet they took DeMartini's old geographical area and they never updated it....Or, perhaps this was built very early in the Navistar run and someone made an ASSumption in Navistar and surprise.

[MonacoMama]

I have verification...
DeMartini is BACK in the Monaco RV business!!
It is NOT speculation or rumor -it is factual information I have received from Jon DeMartini...

[NW Knight]

Thanks MM for the verfication... now lets see what expansion to their in-stock lineup might include. Too bad Monaco is so slow with their web site updates and yes I could help them with that! Here, locally in WA state we've seen a few new dealers added months ago that are still not reflected with Navistar/Monaco's (lame) dealer search engine. I pinged Navistar months ago on how poorly their whole site performance is, especially their press releases, but apparently thier website feedback is broken as well :( Anyways glad to see DeMartini back in the Monaco camp, perhaps we will use them for our planned coach upgrade.

[JDT]

I think it is great news for us Monacoer's to have one of the largest dealers in the country back in the fold.

Honestly, we have looked at other coaches and, sure, there are higher end and much fancier ones than our Ambassador. But, when I look past all that we have a very solid, functional and good driving coach that has given us only a handful of relatively minor problems in 5 1/2 years of ownership. We'll see how it goes but if the old Monaco quality carries over to Navistar it will be high on our list when we are ready to do it again.

[bullydogs1]

I am glad that they are back in too.

[MonacoMama]

Originally Posted by NW Knight

Thanks MM for the verfication... now lets see what expansion to their in-stock lineup might include. Too bad Monaco is so slow with their web site updates and yes I could help them with that! Here, locally in WA state we've seen a few new dealers added months ago that are still not reflected with Navistar/Monaco's (lame) dealer search engine. I pinged Navistar months ago on how poorly their whole site performance is, especially their press releases, but apparently thier website feedback is broken as well :( Anyways glad to see DeMartini back in the Monaco camp, perhaps we will use them for our planned coach upgrade.

DeMartini is due to get a few more rigs in this week...
I also would like to congratulate Tim & Jon DeMartini and wish them well with their Monaco franchise.

[Arch Hoagland]

I don't know how they are going to make any money on that unit.

The 40" LCD is only $3000 extra. Giving it away!!!