Researching RVs

Brochures. Web sites. Price.

Well, you've started in a good place, but be aware, most owners will tout their particular brand and model. Also, most posts you see specific to a brand or model are negative because the owner is experiencing an issue. Almost no one comes onto these forums and posts "I had an awesome day with my RV today".

I think the best advice I've gotten here is to determine your floor plan first and find a coach/trailer that meets those needs. Second best piece of advice is do not buy new first time. IMHO, you have to live with the floor plan in order to figure out if it works. We just bought a cheap old gasser for our first coach and compiled a must have list.

There are brands that have a higher quality of workmanship than others. I will not enumerate those here, but you can tell by just looking at the NADA values which ones they are. You may not be able to afford the best quality rigs, so picking a brand with a reputation for quality becomes an exercise in compromise.

Finally, go to shows. Don't talk to the sales people, but look for signs of quality; fit and finish of the interior, well thought out accessories, high end appliances etc.

You will find many opinions as to what is best. I believe Fores River and Thor are large manufacturers with Forest River having bought out many manufacturers. There are also several manufacturers that build what would be described as top end units also.


If you are shopping used and you say do your research, I would say the number one issue no matter who built it is water damage. It's the number one killer of RV's. From there it gets into how it was taken care of, how it was stored. As far as water heaters, frig, furnace, ac, etc a lot of the stuff is all the same. Some people like stick and aluminum sides, some like aluminum and filon sides.
I compare it to buying a used car. I want the best looking/maintained one in the given price range so that if I do end up putting a transmission in it I'm not putting it into some clunker.


Manufacturers

Opinion survey

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The best place to start examining quality is at an RV show. Since you are in FL you should go to the Tampa show. It is one of the largest in the country.
At a RV show you can see/experience lots of RV's in one place vs. driving dealer to dealer.
The internet is a great resource for fact finding and getting opinions but at some point quality needs to be seen,touched and experienced.

In addition to what was mentioned above, look to see if there is an owner's forum for the brand you are interested in. Many of those are independent of the manufacturer themselves. For example, I own a Grand Design product, and there is an associated user forum at:

Grand Design Owner's Forum

Using that same example, there is also a Facebook page for owner's of Grand Design products.

Grand Design Owner's Facebook page

As mentioned before, you need to understand that most posts tend to be negative because somebody is experiencing an issue. Given that fact, you can then see if other owner's are experiencing the same issues, and if the manufacturer is addressing the concerns adequately.

Jim

jplante4 ... good advise, well stated... however!

I DID have a good day with my camper!

For the OP:
I've owned 3 different Thor Industries campers now: Dutchmen Sport, Keystone Springdale, and Keystone Outback. All 3 have been good campers, 99% problem free. My Outback, I've had "zero" problems with it. But, I've also read on these forums about several problems with these also. But I've never experienced any of them. Maybe it's because when someone points out a problem, I am pro-active. I go out, check my camper and make sure I'm not experiencing a similar problem. Sometimes, I've been able to make a correction before it became a problem. I think that is the success to having an RV.

Every RV or camper is good. But, each one is manufactured with a specific anticipation of how the owner will use it. Stretch those limits and things will break. If not diligently maintained, any RV will become junk in no time at all, no matter how expensive or well built they are. Owning an RV is an on-going, never ending quest! It's not just an item you buy, use, and forget. It does take diligence to keep them nice, in good working order, and something to be proud of. With that being said, any RV is good, provided YOU are good to it.

Buy the latest reviews from the RV Consumer Group. www.rv.org It's worth the cost (at least it was to us back in 2003).

You can use google and search for example "tiffin rv reviews", problems with tiffin rvs, recalls for tiffin motorhomes etc. You will find information. Also research the particular engine, transmission this way.

Thank you, folks!