What Is An Ambassador?

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by snapperdude

Wincrasher, I keep trying to read your blog. I get the following:

"Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from Wincrasher's Travels (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards). Learn more
NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID"

Any ideas?

He may need to reach out to PC Mike for 'technology help' /s

[skagitstan]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

^^ Nicely written, your whole post.

Comment on this part - it frustrates me that peoples' default assumption is that any given poster is shilling similarly - that's part of the impression that people like the Wendlands have left in other peoples' minds.

I intentionally run a non-monetized blog - any Google Ad Sense ROI cannot possibly offset the reputational damage to me that would be associated with monetization. But there are two downsides to my approach:

(1) People simply don't believe me when I'm talking about lithium systems or Lagun tables or Vitrifrigo fridges or whatever, even when I explicitly use the term "non-monetized commentary".

(2) Google strongly drives legitimate web traffic away from my site because they aren't making any money off me - not one dime; in fact, I'm costing them money because they're hosting me via their dinosaur freeware.

So here I am trying to present unbiased commentary (for what little it's worth), and not only is that not celebrated, it's heavily penalized. But hey - nobody said it was a perfect world.

How does Google drive traffic AWAY from your site?
My conversion build site (link in sig line) is also ad free, and I sure would like to know how/if Google is telling folks not to visit it.

[Boxster1971]

Need to add a couple of things, at the risk of being branded a Mike Wendland fan boy - which I'm not. This thread is drifting so I thought we should get to some facts. First could people at least get Mike's last name right? It is WENDLAND!

On 27 January the Wendland's explained some history and what happened to their relationship with Roadtrek...
https://rvlifestyle.com/announcement...-rv-lifestyle/

Here are some key quotes from their January announcement...

"It came to a head for me when we were attending the Overland East show in North Carolina in the fall of 2017 when Winnebago was introducing its very popular Revel Class B van, an innovative design aimed at the active lifestyle and RVers who love to camp off the grid. I was very impressed with the Revel and was in the midst of shooting a video about it when one of the Winnebago marketing types interrupted the shoot and asked us to stop. He said the company didn't want us to do the video because they thought it would be biased.

Why?, I asked, dumbfounded. “Because of your name… ‘Roadtreking',” replied the sheepish marketing exec, who said he had been told by telephone from his supervisor to not allow us to continue...

... The most recent news reports swirling around Hymer and Roadtrek have allowed us to make a clean break now. In response to the financial downturn Hymer of North America has announced, the company has begun a strict cost-cutting program that changed some of the terms of our old sponsorship agreement. While they asked us to sign a new agreement two weeks ago, we chose to take the ultimate step in completing our branding change by removing ourselves as Roadtrek's on-the-road ambassadors and returning the latest vehicle they provided."

Yesterday I skimmed though the Wendland's Feb 10 weekly Live Stream video recording on their YouTube Channel.
https://youtu.be/Zd7AqJRXaaE

In that video Mike admitted that their Roadtreks had problems. They made the negative comments about their past Roadtreks by saying that LTV was a much more conservative company that would not quickly embrace the high tech systems like lithium batteries. Mike even said he now thinks it will take another 10 year for lithium batteries to be acceptable in RV. Wow has he swallowed the LTV KoolAid!

He also made another comment that indicates the industry has their number as shills for who ever is giving them a fee RV. He said they could not get Airstream to allow them to visit and record a video of the factory in Ohio. Airstream is a direct competitor of LTV with their new Atlas clone of the LTV Unity.

That's enough for now...

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by ClassB4Me

The Tech Guy in Action

What journalistic credentials and bonafides does one have to have to be a journalist covering technology?



How long has he been PC Mike?

I am amazed at his deep knowledge of all things tech /s.

1000 YouTube Subscribers Thus Far

Longtime members here may recall Mike Wendland getting on here when he first bought his 2006 Roadtrek Sprinter and pumped everyone with questions. He was very inexperienced back then maybe 7 or 8 years ago?

Tech gadgets and videography are his thing. His RV experience is in questioning and reporting but he has now gotten a lot of experience in the intervening years but I'm not going to buy his Boondocking book. In person he is very enthusiastic but somewhat reticent and doesn't dominate the group. Jennifer is a lovely lady and very reserved.

He made mistakes with his Facebook group initially with his relationship with Roadtrek including traveling in Class B vans as roadtreking as if usurping like Kleenex for facial tissue. However, it was from the beginning the style of travel and not the type of van and that's why he was not tolerant of Roadtrek or technical questions. But his initial mistake and his members made it difficult to overcome.

He has branched out to all RVers now. I question how that will go over. For one, if only 2% of all RVs are Bs, they will be eventually in a minority. Going to a small Class C of which those are few as well may be overwhelmed by other RVs. If he ties into LTV like Roadtrek then Winnebago will kick him out of their RVs again as they did with the Revel.

[rowiebowie]

The Wendlands repeatedly referred to it as "our" Roadtrek, when it would not have hampered their reports in any way to have said "the" Roadtrek when discussing what they liked and didn't like. They were also either vague or silent on problems and just kept upgrading to a different model every year. I remember the under-mount a/c model they abandoned after one model. It seemed whenever they had problems it was always back to the factory for an "upgade" with no real details on why the a/c and Ecotrek battery system were not "ready for prime time".
.

[bobojay]

The statement DavyDD made about when Mike and Jen first bought a Roadtrek and them basically grilling everyone for RVing knowledge? I can remember that like it was yesterday, because several of us on here and others we know were their knowledge base at the time.
When they got their first Roadtrek new and started the blogging and internet presence made me for one feel somewhat violated and used.

But that's history now and it seems lots of folks re still drinking the kool aid...

[XROADTREK]

Ambassador .jpg


From the Roadtrek home page this morning. If you click
on the "Join The Adventure" tab below "Roadtreking Blog"
you get our ubiquitous Ambassadors, who for some time
have been directly linked from the Roadtrek web site. Kind
of hard to imagine that the professed "clean breakers" are
not aware of the continued link.

Or is this some genius move by the Ambassadors/Dean
to get indirect advertising off of a competitor?

Regardless, and in context of what has been said by our
born again Ambassadors, it is comical IMO.

[RossWilliams]

Found it, I had been looking in the menus. Apparently no one at Roadtrek caught it either when they eliminated the links elsewhere.

[Rdean925]

From their Podcast 2/13/2019 Mike & Jennifer headed off to Florida in a brand-new Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB…. RTB standing for Rear Bed Model. And I suppose now is a great time for us to officially announce that we have become the brand ambassadors for Leisure Travel Van and as part of that sponsorship, they provide us the use of one of their beautiful motorhomes.

https://rvlifestyle.com/rv-podcast-e...-foolproof-rv/

He did mention in the Q&A on Sunday Live Chat they are hoping to get a 2019 Sprinter at that show. He did not go into detail about it.

[Davydd]

How does Roadtrek survive? From their podcast. Their former lead ambassador said lithium battery technology and under hood alternators are not ready for RVs yet and won't be for another 5 years. He admitted Roadtrek had minimal insulation and nothing compared to Advanced RV or Coachmen. Amazing how a half dozen years of rah rah went down the tubes so fast and now is touting the LTV company line. Of course LTV has no lithium battery technology and doesn't offer an under hood second alternator. So do you believe him?

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by Davydd

How does Roadtrek survive?

I think we should ask How Does Leisure Travel Vans survive what may turn out to be a major marketing mistake on their part?

Dean has been the sole face of Leisure Travel Vans and his messaging has been very successful. It is unclear to me at this time what sort of 'lift' LTV is expecting by introducing ambassadors that can be described as polarizing at best.

@Davydd. Your perspective is spot-on and their recent Roadtrek comments are unhelpful after years of 'We Love Our Roadtrek.... And You Should Too'

[bobojay]

I agree. I don't get LTVs thinking here. If I was an owner, I'd be contacting their marketing dept. and ask "what are you guys thinking?"

[gregmchugh]

Let me see, on one hand Mike Wendland has a 20,000 member RV Lifestyle group with members who find the information he provides to be very useful and enjoy being on that group and listen to his recommendations. On the other hand, we have comparatively small numbers of people on several groups and forums who don’t approve of Mike for various reasons.

What again is the downside for LTV making him a Brand Ambassador?
.

[TerrierTude]

Has anyone tuned into Creativity RV? She's a fulltimer traveling around in a LTV, she has just about as many subscribers to her YouTube Channel as Mike, and she produces content that is ten times as informative, interesting and useful. Everything from hacks, to recipes and cooking suggestions, to interviews with interesting RVers, to travelogues. And she does it in a crisp, articulate style instead of the endless blather and filler of Mike going on and on while poor Jennifer is relegated to silent sidekick. There are a lot of RVers out there with the same web footprint, better content and a more professional delivery who could be great "Lifestyle or Brand Ambassadors" if that's what LTV wants.

[Rdean925]

Mike & Jen RV LifeStyle have 63,000 Subscribers on YouTube besides their FB group.

They do share positive information but some info can be questionable, but they do not present themselves as authoratarian; anyone is free to research what they say and come to their own conclusion.

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

What again is the downside for LTV making him a Brand Ambassador?
.

By that logic, LTV would be better off letting a TMZ employee be an ambassador

4.9 million followers, younger demographic


@gregmchugh I went to their site to see what I am missing (first timer)

-- Jennifer's RV Tip: Making campfire donuts
-- Groundhog Day – a great excuse for an RV trip

-- Are these the world's most expensive and luxurious campervans? (Advanced RV trip aka Can we get a free RV? -H@!$ No)

-- How Jennifer has organized and personalized our new RV (no comment)

-- Easy way to have and hide a trash bag (tech tip)

-- The Wendlands – Our last Ask Us Anything (before we get deposed)

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by TerrierTude

Has anyone tuned into Creativity RV? She's a fulltimer traveling around in a LTV, she has just about as many subscribers to her YouTube Channel.

She is great and all her stories pertain to RV travel, fulltime living in an LTV (that she actual purchased). That is what I call a true Ambassador

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

What again is the downside for LTV making him a Brand Ambassador?
.

The joys of being a Roadtrek Ambassador

Any updates from Campskunk?
retired and fulltiming for eight years now in a Roadtrek CS Adventurous campervan.

[Rdean925]

Robin Creativity RV she does her research and is very good IMO

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by ClassB4Me

By that logic, LTV would be better off letting a TMZ employee be an ambassador

4.9 million followers, younger demographic


@gregmchugh I went to their site to see what I am missing (first timer)

-- Jennifer's RV Tip: Making campfire donuts
-- Groundhog Day – a great excuse for an RV trip

-- Are these the world's most expensive and luxurious campervans? (Advanced RV trip aka Can we get a free RV? -H@!$ No)

-- How Jennifer has organized and personalized our new RV (no comment)

-- Easy way to have and hide a trash bag (tech tip)

-- The Wendlands – Our last Ask Us Anything (before we get deposed)

As I stated...

On the other hand, we have comparatively small numbers of people on several groups and forums who don’t approve of Mike for various reasons.

I see the complaints but they are coming from a very small number of people compared to the number of people who LTV will reach with them as Brand Ambassadors...