“Pathetic quality”: RV dealers are fed up...

[Community Alumni]

“Pathetic quality”: RV dealers are fed up with what manufacturers are producing

[toedtoes]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Was my $180,000 Crown bus conversion worth it 40 years ago? It all stayed working. It will be around for my grandchildren. To each his own.

$180K in 1980 equates to just under $600K in 2021.

How many folks have that kind of money sitting around to spend on a camper for a few weekend camping trips and a two week vacation per year. Heck, how many people can afford to buy a house at that cost.

Sure spending a lot of money for a quality product is "worth it". But that doesn't make it a good decision.

The issue I see is that in the past, you had: expensive and high quality; inexpensive and decent quality; and cheap and cr@ppy.

Now, you have to choose between expensive and decent quality or cr@ppy.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Was my $180,000 Crown bus conversion worth it 40 years ago? It all stayed working. It will be around for my grandchildren. To each his own.

[amxpress]

Though most RV’s are poorly built, I hold the dealers responsible, too. Too many problems I’ve witnessed in new units could have been corrected by the dealer prior to delivery. Their PDI in many cases is nonexistent.
As stated in the article, “ we sell what we get and move on…” they should add, …”to the bank with big profits.”
RV quality is an oxymoron.
Toyota or Honda should make RV’s.

[mdcamping]

gemsworld wrote:
“Pathetic quality”: RV dealers are fed up with what manufacturers are producing

At the very least reading this and the countless other covid related quality issues makes me feel somewhat better putting a deposit on a good looking new to us 2017 Jayco Jay Flight RBS :C

Mike

[toedtoes]

I think a lot of families get into RVing because they believe it will offer an affordable alternative to hotel/airfare vacations. They aren't going to spend $156K on a "better quality" camper because that doesn't match the perception of affordable.

[willald]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

willald wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
Quality and inexpensive do not fit in the same sentence - ever. We can sometimes choose one or the other, but not both.......
Personally, I'd rather cry about price, buy a product once, and have it last more than two days beyond warranty.

This is exactly right, and is the reason why last month when we finally decided to downsize to a somewhat smaller RV, we went with a Newmar coach (see signature, although haven't updated the picture yet).

I was tired of making repairs and finding cheap and shoddy construction on the last rig we owned. Decided this time, we'd pony up a few more $$ and get one known for better quality. So far, we've found it is just that.

Hmmmmmm...."Downsizing" - you went from (?......?) to a 30' Newmar with a sticker price of $156K.

Not picking on you, but some folks just might consider that serious "up-sizing" & "out of their league" from what *they* have now!

:W

Downsizing, in the sense that we went from a 36’ bunkhouse coach to a 31’ unit that’s designed more for just 2, since kids outgrew the bunks and don’t camp with us anymore.

You right, though, was not a down size in terms of $$$ at all, haha.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

willald wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
Quality and inexpensive do not fit in the same sentence - ever. We can sometimes choose one or the other, but not both.......
Personally, I'd rather cry about price, buy a product once, and have it last more than two days beyond warranty.

This is exactly right, and is the reason why last month when we finally decided to downsize to a somewhat smaller RV, we went with a Newmar coach (see signature, although haven't updated the picture yet).

I was tired of making repairs and finding cheap and shoddy construction on the last rig we owned. Decided this time, we'd pony up a few more $$ and get one known for better quality. So far, we've found it is just that.

Hmmmmmm...."Downsizing" - you went from (?......?) to a 30' Newmar with a sticker price of $156K.

Not picking on you, but some folks just might consider that serious "up-sizing" & "out of their league" from what *they* have now!

:W

[willald]

monkey44 wrote:
Quality and inexpensive do not fit in the same sentence - ever. We can sometimes choose one or the other, but not both.......
Personally, I'd rather cry about price, buy a product once, and have it last more than two days beyond warranty.

This is exactly right, and is the reason why last month when we finally decided to downsize to a somewhat smaller RV, we went with a Newmar coach (see signature, although haven't updated the picture yet).

I was tired of making repairs and finding cheap and shoddy construction on the last rig we owned. Decided this time, we'd pony up a few more $$ and get one known for better quality. So far, we've found it is just that.

[monkey44]

Quality and inexpensive do not fit in the same sentence - ever. We can sometimes choose one or the other, but not both.

That holds true for most manufacturing ... Computers, phones, RV's, Electronic gear, Trucks. We can cry about price or we can cry about product failure.

Personally, I'd rather cry about price, buy a product once, and have it last more than two days beyond warranty.

[Gdetrailer]

JIMNLIN wrote:

Years ('60s/'70s) before the net was ever dreamed of by the average folks, we talked about the same issues. Back then we had better built units available but just like today most people couldn't afford them.

JMO....today main issues from a safety point are a weak chassis frame material/not enough built in cross members and out riggers. Main frame rails to light duty. Axle/tires/wheel selection for the unit are to light duty.
But upgrade the chassis and running gear adds more to the units cost.

60's/70's RVs were much smaller, sub 20ft with a lot at 17ft size weighing empty around 5K-6K lbs, towed by a sedan or station wagon also weighing 5K-6K lbs with the exception of a very rare MotorHome.

Fast forward to the supersize society of today we often have folks towing 35' trailers weighing 5K empty with a 4K lb SUV..

To get a RV of 35' and 5K lbs, SOMETHING structural must be removed.. That basically means things like removing extra frame material, lighter axles and tires and even wider spacing between studs must be done to accomplish what the buying public wants which is a bigger but yet cheaper light enough weight to be towed by a lawnmower RV.

Public demanded it, public complains about what they asked for..

[Mr_Mark1]

2012Coleman, I really enjoyed reading your experience and view on manufacturing.

My Canadian built class B 'up-fit' has a phenomenal quality. I haven't had any issues whatsoever in 4 months of ownership. Not to say something won't come up (had a couple of Mercedes recalls).....but the Pleasure Way build is solid with a 5 yr. warranty to the first owner.

Safe travels,
Mark

[JIMNLIN]

The only possibility would be foreign investors to buy an existing RV manufacturer and instill their version of quality construction.

If that happens its gonna' cost more bucks to buy their rv. Just look at costs now for the better grade/better quality RVs. Those units cost a bunch more than a low cost unit of the same size.

Years ('60s/'70s) before the net was ever dreamed of by the average folks, we talked about the same issues. Back then we had better built units available but just like today most people couldn't afford them.

JMO....today main issues from a safety point are a weak chassis frame material/not enough built in cross members and out riggers. Main frame rails to light duty. Axle/tires/wheel selection for the unit are to light duty.
But upgrade the chassis and running gear adds more to the units cost.

[BCSnob]

Interesting article

Airstream's CEO explains why the company has too many applicants even though it doesn't put out job ads amid a hiring spree
Business Insider

I wonder if employee job satisfaction goes hand in hand with product quality?

[propchef]

bikendan wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
Take a quick look at RVs and you will quickly see that poor construction is only part of the issue. Materials and parts are often poor. Design and engineering are typically very bad.

I equate the RV industry to the American auto industry of the 50s and 60s. It took some serious foreign competition to shake up the industry. Even now American makers continue to struggle with quality; e.g., for Ford quality is still "job one". Considering the high prices and poor quality, the door is open for foreign competition.

Exactly where will this RV foreign competition come from? There is no RV manufacturering there except for a couple of Japanese boutique builders of tiny motorhomes. Yes, there are some European RV manufacturers but it's nearly impossible to make a profit to export them to North America. How many European RVs have you seen at any dealerships here?
Shipping costs from Europe or the Far East are too high for them to make a profit. And RVs take up much more room on ships, than cars do.
The only possibility would be foreign investors to buy an existing RV manufacturer and instill their version of quality construction. But I don't see that happening, like Hymer RV's debacle and scandal of purchasing Roadtrek.

You're forgetting Canada and Mexico.