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ALWAYS something!

RJL
Explorer
Explorer
Been in the Class "A" camping thing since about 07. This is our second unit.

EVERY time I've gone out, in this one and the one before something breaks. EVERY time. This time I have several issues. Outside radio not working. Awning acting up. Outdoor lights pooped the bed. (the decorative type you clip to your awning). Levels test decided to stop working inside to see your tank levels, literally just now, worked before we went out for dinner. Steps, they went last trip. Main TV and VCR went two trips ago.

Getting exhausting.

Rant over.
2010 Damon Challenger 368, F-53 Chasis
2010 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon unlimited, Toad
2018 Ram 1500 4x4, Club Cab, 6.4 bed,3.92 gears, 5.7 HEMI
2019 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Wide Body, 6.4 HEMI
33 REPLIES 33

Racklefratz
Explorer II
Explorer II
atsrmf wrote:
I bought an 80s motorhome for under $2000 with 15,000 miles...Now I have a completely dependable Class A for $25K, ready to go anywhere. It looks good, too. Stay away from the newer RVs that are impossible to troubleshoot and cost a fortune to repair.


Meh...not happening. Your idea of "completely dependable...looks good too" is subjective, at best, and 80s vintage puts it 40 years behind current technology, not to mention wear and tear on the drive train. There's a reason you got it for 2K.
2012 Tiffin Allegro Bus 43QGP (All Electric)

NamMedevac_70
Explorer II
Explorer II
You have many operating systems to go wrong. In many campgrounds and RV parks I have seen Class As stranded for days with mobile mechanics troubleshooting while I go fishing, hiking, sightseeing, etc. Good luck to your future.

John_Joey
Explorer
Explorer
I feel for you. Wife and I lived on the road for six months a year for over a decade. What I found out is the more you used the rig the less they break down. They still do, but things like to be used.
Thereโ€™s no fool, like an old fool.

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
atsrmf wrote:
If you plan to buy a motorhome of any class you should be a mechanic, plumber, electrician, and overall handyman. Don't buy if you don't have a complete set of tools and know how to use them, as you will spend a fortune hiring someone else every time there's a problem.


Though some stuff I hired done the first time.
I'm all the above and more so I did most of my own repair work.
Hired oil changes (Surprisingly low cost if you find a good dealer).
And major 2-person jobs.. but most of the one man stuff. DIY.

Learned a lot watching the partner on the 2-person jobs too.
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

atsrmf
Explorer
Explorer
If you plan to buy a motorhome of any class you should be a mechanic, plumber, electrician, and overall handyman. Don't buy if you don't have a complete set of tools and know how to use them, as you will spend a fortune hiring someone else every time there's a problem.
Don't be cheap on maintenance, either, and keep records of oil changes, etc. Check tires pressures every time you go anywhere, this is huge for safety!
My Dad bought a new Winnebago in 1976 and eventually knew the mechanic at the dealership on a first name basis. He could afford it, but I dread the thought of spending that much money.
I am in the process of replacing the carpet in my Class A. So far it turned out quite well, I bought a pair of carpet shears before starting. Patience and precision is the key with carpet. Change razor blades after every second cut for best results.

Racklefratz
Explorer II
Explorer II
Blaster Man wrote:
You must remember, all RVs are in one of the following three conditions....in any order:

1. It's broken.
2. You just fixed it.
3. It's getting ready to break.


I laughed out loud. Those are FACTS, and cracked me up (in a dark sort of way).
2012 Tiffin Allegro Bus 43QGP (All Electric)

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
Like others have said every trip something breaks. Parts that failed mods, and upgrades I spent as much as the MH cost in 2004. Having said all that, there are some systems that have held up well for a 1996 MH. The slide has been trouble free which is electric with cables, the only thing I did was lube the rollers and adjust the pot on the motor. The roof top AC's are original and still work fine along with the furnace maybe because they are rarely used. The Norcold refer is original with a Dinosaur board, burner tube and ignitor replacement along with the WH with a board replacement. Steps are original, I had to straighten them out when I bought the MH and the control panel went out and was no longer sold, they wanted over $1200 for a new one. I solder in a new relay for $3.42 and it has worked fine for the last 7 years. Kohler genset was problematic and no longer works. The IFS cost a small fortune to repair over the years, but engine and transmission have been trouble free, just general maintenance. The maintenance, repairs, mods and upgrades over the last 18 years and 100,000 miles of travel added another .25 cents per mile over the cost of fuel. I don't know if that is higher or lower than others on this forum but compared to the cost of fuel, I don't think it is too bad.

RLS7201
Explorer
Explorer
Well it is a sad state indeed, that the RV manufacturers present us with such poor quality.
Every time I see posts like this I go out and give my old Bounder a Lub, Oil, filter and a big hug..............
When we went on out 4 month trip to Alaska, I had one failure. Had to replace a clearance light lense, that someone else needed.

Richard
95 Bounder 32H F53 460
2013 CRV Toad
2 Segways in Toad
First brake job
1941 Hudson

atsrmf
Explorer
Explorer
I bought an 80s motorhome for under $2000 with 15,000 miles. I restored it bumper to bumper, replacing a LOT of old original mechanical and electrical components. Kept the original interior but replaced the cushions. The driveline is bullet-proof with no computers or modifications except for headers. Now I have a completely dependable Class A for $25K, ready to go anywhere. It looks good, too. Stay away from the newer RVs that are impossible to troubleshoot and cost a fortune to repair.

ro_sie
Explorer
Explorer
But, have you noticed that when you are motor home shopping, "Everything works well, no problems ever"? Actually we had a 2007 revolution and everything did work well. Sold it to a lovely family and last I heard it is still going strong and they are happy. Husband was very ill and we sold out. He has passed away , but I still miss camping.
ro_sie
Art ( my roomie)
Fleetwood Revolution LE

Yes, always something....

I attended a wedding in BC over the Labor Day weekend.
Hadn't had the TT out yet this year.

Brought it home, dewinterized, usual stuff. Filled the fresh water tank, ran the pump to fill the HWT and flush the lines.....

The pump runs on and on and wont shut off. It worked enough to do the task at hand, but rather weakly. Hmmmm.

Long story short after investigation, pump is sucking air from the tank side. It still pulls water, but the cold taps sputter and spit, the hot doesnt. I can pull the feed pipe up and down where it goes through the floor into the tank. That shouldn't be happening.

Looks like I have to drop the tank to figure out what came apart...
At least I had full hookups for the 4 nights out, didn't need the tank water.

Sighhhh.... Always something. :R
2007 GMC 3500 dually ext. cab 4X4 LBZ Dmax/Allison - 2007 Pacific Coachworks Tango 306RLSS
RV Rebuild Website - Site launched Aug 22, 2021 - www.rv-rebuild.com

slider45
Nomad
Nomad
Racklefratz wrote:
RJL wrote:
EVERY time I've gone out, in this one and the one before something breaks. EVERY time.


Welcome to the sad state of the RV industry today. With RVs, manufacturers have always tried to include as many "features" as they could, just so they could claim the product had that long list of features, for which they could charge more money. But they also use the absolute CHEAPEST parts they could find, and still be able to claim the RV had the "feature".

Result? An RV loaded down with cheap, plastic-fantastic garbage with very poor reliability/durability. We've all experienced it, and it IS frustrating. And the more expensive RVs tend to have slightly better equipment installed, but they still have a higher failure rate than similar ordinary household items.

Your only recourse is to replace what fails, if you want that "feature" at all. Sometimes, it's possible to search and find a better quality replacement that will fit, and might last longer. Your RV's failure rate does seem to be higher than normal, but it's all part of the game. Good luck.


Same reasons why my uncle prefers the older RVs.

Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Explorer II
Bruce Brown wrote:
If our second MH had been our first one there never would have been another.


I had to chuckle at this. I've always said that if our third child had been our first, she would've been an only child! LOL ๐Ÿ™‚


RJL,

Yes, it does seem to be "ALWAYS something!". Our rig is now going on 18 years old. Unfortunately, we haven't done any travelling since COVID hit. Not due to COVID entirely, but also that our children were/are transitioning from high school to college to "real life" and coordinating schedules was tough. Plus work got crazy with the all of the COVID BS.

Wifey and I have been sleeping in the rig while it's parked on our property, so I know all of the normal "house" systems work, but I'm going to have to give it a good once over on the the chassis and engine mechanicals before we start hitting the road again. I'm sure they'll be a list of things that will need tending before I have any real confidence in it to make a long trip. The first real trip will be to get a Mass State Inspection sticker. LOL

But even from the factory, there were some relatively minor issues that needed tending. When we brought it back to the dealer to be corrected, they had one week to deal with 3 relatively simple issues. They addressed 1 of the 3 issues, and even that wasn't done properly, and we needed the rig for a planned trip, so I picked it up and that was it. From that point on I figured I'd just "do it myself". And so I have (except for the Workhorse chassis recalls). Heck, I do all of those things around the house anyway, so it's just "more of the same". We DID order our motorhome with the "cabinet upgrade" so I have to say, the woodwork in our rig is very good. In fact, better than our house (which isn't really saying much, but it's definitely better than the house). The bathroom and bedroom doors are solid, the cabinets are constructed with real wood, not particle board/etc. (Now, if they had put more than a single screw to hold each drawer slide in place at the back of the cabinet, that would've been nice. But an hour with a power screwdriver resolved that issue.)

I'm hoping to retire next year so hopefully wifey and I will be taking longer trips. The kids will be in the house so they can take care of it while we're on the road and I'll just have the motorhome to keep worry about. Well...the motorhome and wife...there's some maintenance THERE too! LOL

But I wouldn't change it for the world. Truth is, I'm a putterer and "Mr. Fixit" and enjoy repairing things. I view it as a hobby which pays itself off by not requiring to pay others to do things. We both love the RV/Motorhome lifestyle and can't wait until we can get back into it.

~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.

Racklefratz
Explorer II
Explorer II
RJL wrote:
EVERY time I've gone out, in this one and the one before something breaks. EVERY time.


Welcome to the sad state of the RV industry today. With RVs, manufacturers have always tried to include as many "features" as they could, just so they could claim the product had that long list of features, for which they could charge more money. But they also use the absolute CHEAPEST parts they could find, and still be able to claim the RV had the "feature".

Result? An RV loaded down with cheap, plastic-fantastic garbage with very poor reliability/durability. We've all experienced it, and it IS frustrating. And the more expensive RVs tend to have slightly better equipment installed, but they still have a higher failure rate than similar ordinary household items.

Your only recourse is to replace what fails, if you want that "feature" at all. Sometimes, it's possible to search and find a better quality replacement that will fit, and might last longer. Your RV's failure rate does seem to be higher than normal, but it's all part of the game. Good luck.
2012 Tiffin Allegro Bus 43QGP (All Electric)