New Model

As for brand names, for many people brands are important and they develop a feeling of loyalty to them.  For others, like me, it's all a matter of the best quality, value, function, and durability for the money.  I don't care what the brand name is, though I do try to stay away from companies with a reputation for poor quality and service.  

When we decided to get a little bit bigger trailer, I didn't feel the bigger rPods had anything to differentiate them from other trailers.  What was important was finding a slightly bigger trailer with a full bath that I could navigate in the night, a walk around bed, a comfortable seating area, and a functional galley, all of which was in a relatively light weight package.  I also wanted to get away from the outboard wheels as they take up a lot more road space but really don't make much of an improvement in the interior space.  I also have to confess that I got spooked by so many rPodders having bent axle problems, so I got a trailer with an I-beam frame and a short distance between the frame and the wheels.  It turned out to be another FR product and was of "average and merchantable" quality, just like pretty much anything in the travel trailer market place.

For many, it isn't the name on the trailer but its features and function that are the deciding factors.  The r-Pod had a little nitch in the market and developed some brand loyalty, a little like the old VW beetle, but now that so many knockoffs are out there, the brand name alone will not sustain loyalty in the market.