Winnebago 1780 - copying the original

Originally posted by Florida Furball,,nope not a dealer. We've owned two Rpods in the past and now own a 2nd home. The last time we checked we live in the USA and can express our opinions freely. You never answered why forest river copied the Aliner Aframe as that is the same scenario as an rpod and a Winnebago drop. Competition is good. Prices fall and makes manufacturers work harder to keep their customers. That is America For peters sake. I don't think we live in North Korea after all.

Florida..

I am sorry. If you are going to continue to be rude and can't even get my name right.. not much we can talk about. (But I am pretty sure that wasn't an accident.. now was it?)

I DIDN'T say you were a dealer. I said the guy from STE WORKS at an RV sales place. I know, I have met him. Heck, I've camped with him. His site, focus and openness all changed when he went to work "in the industry".

Didn't for minute say you couldn't or shouldn't express your opinion. But since you apparently don't own a pod now, I will have to just guess at why you continue to remain in the community, just to talk bad about the pod...

I have been inside the a-liner, and the FR version, they are not screw for screw, nor letter for letter the same. In fact I have been inside several different A-Frame style campers. We thought hard about buying one.

And, since it's America, the fact that A-Liner didn't choose to sue, has no bearing on what OTHER manufacturers may choose to do, or not do.

When I was in school, we defined "competition" as "building a better mousetrap".. not running down to the hardware store, getting a box of Victor's finest, and then just making copies, and calling them "Torvic".

A ten spot still says that very soon, we will learn of the end of the Drop. They will languish on lots just like the MPG.. still some "new" 2011 MPG's out there.. saw one on RVT just last week while researching our next TT.

Have a nice day.

Well stated David! furpod has always been very courteous and always very helpful to the members of this forum!

Thanks Leo and David.  For those of us who have had the good fortune to meet, camp with, and get to know 'furpod' and his wife, we are the better for it, two great people!

Originally posted by DaveGamble Until this morning, I was convinced that the Winnie Drop was re-branded from Forest River. They are very nearly identical. The tie-breaker between which to buy was this forum; I always try to find good peer-level support on complex products. Having learned about Winnie's duplicity (see what I did there? ) I'm convinced I made the right choice. Yes, competition is good for the consumer, but IP theft is not. It stifles innovation. If FR paid for the R&D to bring a product to market, which is no small cost, then Winnie should not be able to siphon away sales. Why would FR ever bother to bring out something new if anyone can just copy it? What Winnie did is not competition, it's theft.  In my opinion.  I'm glad I didn't reward them for it.

Well said.

I'm glad you find the forum helpful. You'll find some of the nicest and smartest folks right here. If you have any questions/comments, please post at will/often. Someone will be along to help out. It's hard to say how many decades or even centuries of combined camping/RV experience is at our finger tips....a gob! Always feel free to jump in with your thoughts on posts from others, also.