Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series looking at manufacturers that are displaying RVs for the first time at Open House Week, set for Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 in Elkhart, Ind. The last installment in the series will run next Wednesday.
Newcomers to RV manufacturing often have either an experienced businessperson from the industry or folks with unbridled enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. Braxton Creek RV, however, is a veritable dream team of RV veterans eager to make a name for themselves in reliable craftsmanship.
“What we’re looking for are those dealers who are tired of the big corporations. We’re privately owned, and we do business the ol’ fashioned way,” says Don Dorton, vice president of sales and marketing. “We want the business along with the friendship that comes with it.”
Dorton has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience, working for companies like Holiday Rambler, Jayco, Coachmen and Utilimaster. Braxton’s chairman, David Geiger, is the past owner and president of supplier Cana Corp., President Marvin Metzler is the former CEO of MITO Corp., and Craig Detwiler is president of ReGen Corp.
Dorton says the veteran management team developed an RV with features dealers and consumers are sure to appreciate, including the one-piece aluminum roof.
“We’re a little bit old school on this feature of the one-piece aluminum which the dealers are really liking. There’s no annual maintenance on it,” he says. “Typically, on a composite-type roof, you have to at least once a year clean it with a special product that helps preserve the roof and check for any damages followed by checking all seams and seals and re-caulking if needed.”
With Braxton, Dorton says, there’s no annual maintenance on the roof surface aside from checking for any damage and that all seams and roof items are caulked properly. The trailer frame is by Norco Industries, and all appliances are from Dometic including the electric awning.
In terms of Open House offerings, Braxton will have five to six floorplans on display nearby the Park Model village.
“We got a lot of visibility on County Road 6 as people are going back and forth between Forest River and Thor displays,” says Dorton. “They’ll go right by us, coming and going. We feel like we got a great show space.”
As of this writing, the manufacturer has not yet determined if there will be a special pricing offered at Open House.
“We feel our pricing is very competitive with what’s going on in the industry. Of course, being a small manufacturer, we can’t get too crazy,” he says, laughing.
Currently the RV maker has 20 dealers in its network and is looking to add more at Open House.
Thus far, dealers have been reacting positively to the design, structure, and quality of the trailers, according to Dorton. It also doesn’t hurt having a two-year warranty.
“We’re just anxious to be a part of the Elkhart Open House and showcase our products to the dealers. Hopefully they’ll see the difference in quality and meeting the management of the company. … We’ve got an awesome team of people that work with us. We’re a small company and it’s going to stay small, as far as overhead. We don’t need all the layers, we all wear multiple hats and do our best to bring a great product to the dealers with value and the best price possible. We want to make sure we’re earning the dealers’ trust and their business the right way.”
