Hi Folks,DW and I are ready to move up to our second toyhauler. We fulltime so would like a quality unit. I have read through tons of threads here and know the consensus seems to be the best are DRV and New Horizons. Both of those are out of our price range as is the Excel.The Grand Design seems to be universally praised and is at the top of our list at the moment. My issue is, how can you tell the quality of an RV? Detail I am most concerned with(frame/axles/wall construction, etc) does not seem to be available online. Most info seems to be about available options. I would much rather put my limited $$$ to a stripped down quality RV but am having a hard time determining which that is.Even within manufacturers, it is difficult to determine what the actual differences are. The grand Design M-class is advertised as 'lighter'. As far as I can tell, that is the only difference. There seems to be a few options in the M-class that are standard in the TH class, so we are leaning towards the 348M.What about KZ? We currently have an entry level Sportsman Sportster which has treated us very well for the last 6 years. I see very little about the Inferno and almost nothing about the Stoneridge(their full time rig). Are they all on the same frame? same axles? I need details! :)Thanks for any insight.Chris

After owning 4 RV's all from different manufacturers, I have come to believe that yes, there are slight differences in quality. Generally, the more you pay the slightly better the quality...But, what you are really paying for are more options, add ons, and fluff.In reality....the handier you are with tools and fixing/tweaking the happier you will be with what ever unit you have..RV's (all of them) need constant attention.

It's difficult. Rather than looking at the glitz, root around inside cabinets and cubbies, crawl inside the front storage compartments and look at plumbing and electrical wiring runs, and for sloppy and/or cheap components like bathroom faucets. Compare the frames and running components, including tires, from different mfgrs. to see if there are meaningful differences.I knew I was not buying a top of the line FW, but here's just one example I can share: after determining I had a very small leak somewhere in my plumbing (new FW), I removed the access panel for the washer/dryer hookup and discovered one of the four screws holding in the panel was screwed into the hot water line! That's sloppy workmanship IMHO. Not only that, I discovered the PEX lines throughout the FW have numerous unneeded joints and fittings. PEX is designed to be flexible (to a point) and I could have eliminated up to 20 unnecessary fittings (and possible places to leak) in just one 15' run of hot and cold water lines. It had to take the workman longer to put in all those joints than run straight lines, which doesn't make sense if these units supposedly are built so fast as to make them cheaper.

Check out the RV Consumer Group, www.rv.org, to see what they have to state about the quality and reliability of the rigs you are interested in.I'm really not a fan of the `lite' versions. If they are really lighter in weight they have to reduce something to minimize the pounds. Maybe it's the frame thickness or the cabinet/countertop material, etc. it has to come from somewhere.

I'm not a handyman by any means.....but I can tell when I step into most rigs. If the cupboard doors wobble wobble when you open and close, if the mouldings don't line up or are falling off (seen that in brand new rigs), if shower door is flimsy and doesn't seem to line up, the drawers are stapled together....badly, and if the outlets are set in crooked or the hole is showing around the outlet cover .....is ALL a sign to me. Yes, I've seen those mistakes (or lack of caring in new rigs). Don't be afraid to open and close EVERY cupboard door.... I saw one that looked so good for us, then opened the cupboard doors in the kitchen. They had NO cupboard space. Two of the doors actually covered the plumbing....NO place to put fry pans, etc!!!!!! If you REALLY look a rig over instead of looking at the pretty curtains or the glitz, you can tell. BTW -- a toyhauler we looked at one time had a hole in the bottom left side in the garage.....the hole was big enough for an adult to crawl thru. I asked what it was for....the vent the garage. Hmmm a small vent would have worked. The hole didn't have ANY moulding around it besides being a GREAT way for someone to break in and steal from you. Ironically, it also showed us just how THIN the wall was!!!!!! One sheet of wall panel and the outside covering.......NO INSULATION!!!!! I think that company went out of business.

I know nothing about Toy Haulers but have you looked at Lance? They're mid-priced and constructed very well. I really like my newish Lance Travel Trailer a lot and I know that they started making TH's a few years ago, if I'm not mistaken.Lance Toy HaulersSome info on how Lances are builtI saw one at the dealership and I didn't care for the interior colors and the cabinet facings, but to each his own. Someone must like it!

How to tell a quaility RV | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

Dick_B
Explorer
Feb 20, 2015
Check out the RV Consumer Group, www.rv.org, to see what they have to state about the quality and reliability of the rigs you are interested in.
I'm really not a fan of the `lite' versions. If they are really lighter in weight they have to reduce something to minimize the pounds. Maybe it's the frame thickness or the cabinet/countertop material, etc. it has to come from somewhere.
phillyg
Explorer II
Feb 20, 2015
It's difficult. Rather than looking at the glitz, root around inside cabinets and cubbies, crawl inside the front storage compartments and look at plumbing and electrical wiring runs, and for sloppy and/or cheap components like bathroom faucets. Compare the frames and running components, including tires, from different mfgrs. to see if there are meaningful differences.

I knew I was not buying a top of the line FW, but here's just one example I can share: after determining I had a very small leak somewhere in my plumbing (new FW), I removed the access panel for the washer/dryer hookup and discovered one of the four screws holding in the panel was screwed into the hot water line! That's sloppy workmanship IMHO. Not only that, I discovered the PEX lines throughout the FW have numerous unneeded joints and fittings. PEX is designed to be flexible (to a point) and I could have eliminated up to 20 unnecessary fittings (and possible places to leak) in just one 15' run of hot and cold water lines. It had to take the workman longer to put in all those joints than run straight lines, which doesn't make sense if these units supposedly are built so fast as to make them cheaper.
downtheroad
Explorer
Feb 20, 2015
After owning 4 RV's all from different manufacturers, I have come to believe that yes, there are slight differences in quality. Generally, the more you pay the slightly better the quality...

But, what you are really paying for are more options, add ons, and fluff.

In reality....the handier you are with tools and fixing/tweaking the happier you will be with what ever unit you have..

RV's (all of them) need constant attention.

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How to tell a quaility RV

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