I travel quite a bit, and it occurred to me one day that there seem like an endless number of model names on travel trailers and motor homes. So, I spent a month writing down most of those that I saw, and it made me ponder why each name appeals to certain buyers.
Place names: Montana, Flagstaff, Rio, Salem, Laredo, Outback, Springdale, Scottsdale, Tuscany, Durango, Alaskan, and Sanibel. Each name evokes someplace special – warm, wild, remote, festive. It’s interesting that cars share some of these names.
General or imagined place names: Chaparral, Hideout, Summerland, Wilderness, Wildwood, Eagle Cove, Alpine, North Star, Cedar Creek, Sun Stream, Cottage, and Chateau. These models include a hideout, a place where the sun streams, or a cove for eagles. Maybe the best: Summerland.
Native related: Seneca, Cherokee, Nomad, Warrior, and Sundance. Nomads and warriors are not necessarily American, but these names relate, I think, to a connection with the earth.
Types of people: Challenger, Sprinter, Scamp, Sportsman, Coachman, Sun Voyager, Adventurer, Forester, Cruiser, Outlaw, and Prowler. A forester sounds pretty boring compared to outlaws and prowlers, but boring isn’t a bad thing.
Animals that eat other animals: Puma, Raptor, Wildcat, Eagle, Cougar, Coyote, White Hawk, and Nite Hawk. Maybe a lot of us have some aggression we want to dissipate while we’re on vacation?
Non-threatening animals: Jay Feather, Mallard, Cub, Palomino, and Cardinal. These are all great animals. Note, please, that there are no motorhomes I’m aware of named “Possum.”
The superlatives: Apex, Quantum, Micro-Light, Titanium, Bravo, Pinnacle, and Infinity. These companies really want you to know how good their trailers are. I’m not sure how much actual titanium is in the Titanium, by the way.
What you plan to do: Spree, Road Trek, Reflection, Journey, Solitude, and Fun Finder. Journey, Solitude and Reflection don’t play well with Spree and Fun Finder.
Careful what you wish for: Firestorm, Cyclone, Storm, Daybreak, Four Winds, Foxfire, and Shadow Cruiser. All these things seem exciting, on paper.
Don’t mess with these: Sabre, Voltage, Bullet, Zinger, and Attitude. The last thing I need is a trailer with an attitude.
Finally, the people at Winnebago have the cutest/dumbest name, in my opinion. It’s a scaled down version called the Minnie-Winnie. I don’t think it has an attitude.
There are more, but I think we can conclude that we can all find a motorhome that fits our personalities and need for affirmation. The name I was really hoping to find was “Easy to Back Up.”
Peter Wallace Writes 