What Is An Ambassador?

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Davydd

The Wendlands now own a Class C with a slide even. Their Facebook group now embraces all types of RVs and is confusing to read and sort out the chaff for anything relevant to Class Bs. I've gone to a few of Mike's Winter Freezeouts in the UP and have got to know Mike and Jennifer. They are wonderful, sincere, enthusiastic people and somewhat humble away from the Internet. Mike is a reporter and a good one but he got caught up with Roadtrek way too much including usurping Class B traveling with Roadtreking which irked me somewhat. That was a structural mistake at the beginning that got out of hand, IMO. RVLifestyle is a correction but too far to be relevant any longer to us Class Bers. The Roadtrek scandal broke at the last Winter Freezeout. I was thinking Mike was shocked as anyone though he maybe knew something was afoot as he emphasized the Winter Freezeout was no longer sponsored by Roadtrek beforehand.

Thanks David, it is good to hear the good stuff.

Bud

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by mumkin

I fully agree, but it was mainly on their FB page, which was obviously a P/R page to push sales. Hammill was there at all hours of the day and night banging the drum. And then Wendland's groupie moderators would quickly ban anyone who mentioned an issue.

The key word is "some." Being one of the first to get caught in the EcoTrek web of lithium battery fantasy in 2015 (gotta take part of the blame myself) that on further thought sounded too good to be true... and was. But my animosity was mainly on JH. He had to know that the system wasn't ready for prime time and that they hadn't a clue how to do a restart when they shut down which they all did rather quickly. I doubt that the Wendland's had a clue on that issue (or even Campskunk). Their job was just to manage the PR for which they had a free rig. Good for them.

Campskunk is a whole other kettle of fish. He never had a production system and could easily maintain his prototype with minimal support from the factory. Never really did much other than an occasional technical article. Did monitor this forum to report on the negative comments here to Mike and probably Jim. He did get me kicked off of Mikes group for a humerous comment I made here. Reiterated the negative comments about the members of this forum when he likely knew we were telling the facts. Nothing really like his good old boy persona. I do wonder what happened with his van in the EHGNA collapse but he continues to be using it, it appears...

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

Campskunk is a whole other kettle of fish. He never had a production system and could easily maintain his prototype with minimal support from the factory. Never really did much other than an occasional technical article. Did monitor this forum to report on the negative comments here to Mike and probably Jim. He did get me kicked off of Mikes group for a humerous comment I made here. Reiterated the negative comments about the members of this forum when he likely knew we were telling the facts. Nothing really like his good old boy persona. I do wonder what happened with his van in the EHGNA collapse but he continues to be using it, it appears...

I didn't get kicked off Mike's group but Campskunk did block me from reading his postings there. I guess he didn't like me on this forum. I let Mike Wendland take a photo of me with a Roadtrek stocking cap two years to give to Campskunk. I don't know if he gave it or not.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Davydd

I didn't get kicked off Mike's group but Campskunk did block me from reading his postings there. I guess he didn't like me on this forum. I let Mike Wendland take a photo of me with a Roadtrek stocking cap two years to give to Campskunk. I don't know if he gave it or not.

He has me blocked too. He is rather paranoid. Thinks I was the one who reported his fake name to Facebook and they also deleted all the posts he ever made as Campskunk.

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

He has me blocked too. He is rather paranoid. Thinks I was the one who reported his fake name to Facebook and they also deleted all the posts he ever made as Campskunk.

He blocked me too and I had rather supported him on here because I found his advice over there helpful.

Seriously did FB think that there was an actual person NAMED Campskunk...

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by mumkin

He blocked me too and I had rather supported him on here because I found his advice over there helpful.

Seriously did FB think that there was an actual person NAMED Campskunk...

I guess they did not have an automatic system to find fake names, someone reported him and Facebook deleted his account and all his posts, which pissed him off mightily. He has blocked so many people he doesn’t like over the years I guess it might be a badge of honor to get blocked. In the end, he just switched to another fake name that looks like a real name. He is still here on the fourm and probably does a regular search to see if anyone is discussing him...

Hi Campskunk,

What is happening with your Roadtrek, do you get keep it?

Hope things are going fine with you, I have been following your posts on Facebook even though you blocked me. Always nice to have a couple other Facebook IDs to get around the blocking...

And, I did not report your fake name to Facebook, no matter what you might think. I did try to reconnect with you but you were having none of it. Oh well, that is the way it goes...

Greg

[ClassB4Me]

Miss An Episode... Miss A Lot

I missed one episode of the We're the Russos and they went from the Hymer to something else.



I've gotta give them credit for being very resilient and being able to adjust to change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4H-nM1W8E4

Looks like every Hymer ambassador has returned their rig at this time.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by ClassB4Me

Miss An Episode... Miss A Lot

I missed one episode of the We're the Russos and they went from the Hymer to something else.



I've gotta give them credit for being very resilient and being able to adjust to change.

Looks like every Hymer ambassador has returned their rig at this time.

It seems they are going to do a simple DIY build on this van and use it while they decide on their next RV...

[mumkin]

Their latest video was a visit to the big RV show, and their comments suggested that they have reconsidered trying to convert this one.

ClassB4Me... they returned the van to Hymer pretty much the same time as the Wendlands. Certainly before the Feb 15 Receivership kicked in. They said that they offered to buy the van from Hymer, but they refused... which seems rather foolish on their part. Obviously they could have used the cash.

[GeorgeRa]

Ambassador is an interested description of folks promoting theirs or others views, we are all ambassadors. Some with more persuasive talent convey a message well, some not as well but whatever the talent is one person opinion statistically represent a single data point.

We have folks promoting Winnebago, Roadtrek, Airstream, ARV or individual DIY as best, I am guilty of promoting my perspective, I like cassettes toilets, I like 360° view from inside, but my opinion is still statistically a single data point.

Ambassadress will vary with their concealments, some are very open, some are not and some don’t recognize being ambassadors but pound their views while still being a single data point, ARV comes to mind.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Ambassadress will vary with their concealments, some are very open, some are not and some don’t recognize being ambassadors but pound their views while still being a single data point, ARV comes to mind.

I am perhaps the most vocal on Advanced RV because I own one to tell what I know from using it as I just did, for example, on lithium batteries. So is that a veiled accusation?

[Mfturner]

Defining "ambassador" as anyone happy with the company they've purchased from dilutes the term a bit IMO. Generally I like to know if people are happy with their purchases. I've owned a Trailmanor trailer, a LTV Free spirit SS, and now an ARV over the years. I've enjoyed them all, but I'd put ARV's engineered design, delivered quality and service well above the other two, as maybe it should be for the price (nice to know you get what you pay for). If that makes me an "ARV ambassador" I'm good with that, but I didn't get anything free. I don't think my opinion is affected in the same way a sponsored person might be.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

I am perhaps the most vocal on Advanced RV because I own one to tell what I know from using it as I just did, for example, on lithium batteries. So is that a veiled accusation?

I agree with your statement of being most vocal. I don’t think my post was neither veiled nor stealthy nor an accusation. Yours or mine opinion is just a single data point among opinions of may folks on this or other forums. I believe ARV engineers good vans, but their products are not necessarily best match for all, like for example quoting you from another forum “oil field workers and like laborers”.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Mfturner

Defining "ambassador" as anyone happy with the company they've purchased from dilutes the term a bit IMO. Generally I like to know if people are happy with their purchases. I've owned a Trailmanor trailer, a LTV Free spirit SS, and now an ARV over the years. I've enjoyed them all, but I'd put ARV's engineered design, delivered quality and service well above the other two, as maybe it should be for the price (nice to know you get what you pay for). If that makes me an "ARV ambassador" I'm good with that, but I didn't get anything free. I don't think my opinion is affected in the same way a sponsored person might be.

I've gotten many an ARV T-shirt. ARV and their working partners have been liberal with them at Advanced Fest. But I guess Advanced Fest you have to pay. Never mind.

Your could get conscripted for Maple sugaring duty as well. You may know the jeep used in ARV's first 4x4 MB pulling the van out of the mud.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I agree with your statement of being most vocal. I don’t think my post was neither veiled nor stealthy nor an accusation. Yours or mine opinion is just a single data point among opinions of may folks on this or other forums. I believe ARV engineers good vans, but their products are not necessarily best match for all, like for example quoting you from another forum “oil field workers and like laborers”.

You said they had B vans. My experience in camping in a Louisiana campground where part of it was dedicated for oil field workers, traveling through the Bakken oil fields areas and west Texas. Is that a wide enough sampling? There were no apparent B vans but plenty of pickup trucks and trailers. And what's it got to do with ARV? It goes for cheap vans as well. A van isn't very practical for an oil field laborer. If there is one it would be an exception. I didn't make assumptions. I made observations.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

You said they had B vans. My experience in camping in a Louisiana campground where part of it was dedicated for oil field workers, traveling through the Bakken oil fields areas and west Texas. Is that a wide enough sampling? There were no apparent B vans but plenty of pickup trucks and trailers. And what's it got to do with ARV? It goes for cheap vans as well. A van isn't very practical for an oil field laborer. If there is one it would be an exception. I didn't make assumptions. I made observations.

This post can refresh your memory, I am done. https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...72&postcount=7

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

This post can refresh your memory, I am done. https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...72&postcount=7

Are you sure you got the right web link?

Doesn't seem to relate to the point you were making...

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

Are you sure you got the right web link?

Doesn't seem to relate to the point you were making...

See this thread, my post #7 provided earlier and the following post #8 by Dave where he alluded to my 2013 buying choices: a camper van or a small trailer with an SUV or a truck. I made a point of Dave’s labeling folks for different RVs like for example "other laborers" https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...672#post757672

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

See this thread, my post #7 provided earlier and the following post #8 by Dave where he alluded to my 2013 buying choices: a camper van or a small trailer with an SUV or a truck. I made a point of Dave’s labeling folks for different RVs like for example "other laborers" https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...672#post757672

On occasion I do agree with Davydd and in this case I guess I didn't pick up anything about his comment that was not something I would agree with based on my observation of the campgrounds around North Dakota during the energy boom. Most oil field workers own a pickup truck usually a heavy duty model and the logical choice for something to use in a campground or oil field housing area would be a trailer or a 5th wheel which is exactly what I observed. Every morning early, all the diesel pickups would leave early and come back late unless they were working the night shift which would be the opposite.

I didn't see that as a negative comment, simply a conclusion based on observations of what they do...

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

On occasion I do agree with Davydd and in this case I guess I didn't pick up anything about his comment that was not something I would agree with based on my observation of the campgrounds around North Dakota during the energy boom. Most oil field workers own a pickup truck usually a heavy duty model and the logical choice for something to use in a campground or oil field housing area would be a trailer or a 5th wheel which is exactly what I observed. Every morning early, all the diesel pickups would leave early and come back late unless they were working the night shift which would be the opposite.

I didn't see that as a negative comment, simply a conclusion based on observations of what they do...

We will have to agree to disagree, Dave’s comments on the Sprinter Forum "Millenials and Van Life" thread about laborers only liking RV trailers came from nowhere. Many folks in NA are buying small or large trailers, way more than camper vans. So, bringing an example from oil fields is a very narrow perspective, too narrow for my taste.