Are all new RVs built this bad or is it just mine?

JimK-NY wrote:

GDS-3950BH wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
Fortunately when I looked for my RV, I found a dealer who could help. He recommended a manufacturer who does a quality job. Maybe the fashion and style were a bit lagging, but the construction and design were not.

And that manufacturer is???????

When I was looking for a camper, I was lucky enough to find Bill Penney at Truck Camper Warehouse. There were several brands he advised against including a couple of the most popular brands. He recommended Northstar. I ended up buying a used Northstar from him.

My Northstar is now approaching 20 years old and is in great condition. It has been used for full timing and has been driven for close to 100,000 miles. Sure some parts have worn out. I have had to replace 2 of the Happijac motors and 1 jack due to water intrusion. The water pump wore out and I also had to replace the sensor for hot water tank. The plastic hinge on the stove vent broke and I replaced that with a metal hinge I made from a coat hangar. I have had to replace the propane sensor twice and I am on my third set of propane pigtails.

When it comes to poor design and poor construction, I have only had two issues. The kitchen countertop was made with a pressboard core that does not hold up to water. Northstar used a router to bevel the edges of the countertop and water started to damage the countertop. I had to seal the edges with epoxy, otherwise there would have been substantial damage instead of barely noticeable swelling. The second design issue was just crazy. There is a plastic box where the wiring from the happijac motor enters the camper. The cover was installed upside down with the wire entering from the top instead of the bottom. After years of use the seal failed and left just a pinhole where water could enter the camper. I did not notice that when the camper was left outside over the winter. The water damaged the corner of a storage compartment and I had to spend an entire weekend fixing the damage.

All things considered I feel that I got a well made camper.

Thanks.

But 20 years ago was 20 years ago. I can see drop that has taken place in quality industry wide just in the last 10 years. And truck campers are a niche market that includes a few manufacturers whose only make them exclusivly like the one you mention. Very few are produced on a yearly basis compared to travel trailers and 5th wheels. Some folks swear by Artic Fox, Nash, etc when it comes to travel trailers. I have seen POS's in those brands just the same as the big manufacturers

GDS-3950BH wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
Fortunately when I looked for my RV, I found a dealer who could help. He recommended a manufacturer who does a quality job. Maybe the fashion and style were a bit lagging, but the construction and design were not.

And that manufacturer is???????

When I was looking for a camper, I was lucky enough to find Bill Penney at Truck Camper Warehouse. There were several brands he advised against including a couple of the most popular brands. He recommended Northstar. I ended up buying a used Northstar from him.

My Northstar is now approaching 20 years old and is in great condition. It has been used for full timing and has been driven for close to 100,000 miles. Sure some parts have worn out. I have had to replace 2 of the Happijac motors and 1 jack due to water intrusion. The water pump wore out and I also had to replace the sensor for hot water tank. The plastic hinge on the stove vent broke and I replaced that with a metal hinge I made from a coat hangar. I have had to replace the propane sensor twice and I am on my third set of propane pigtails.

When it comes to poor design and poor construction, I have only had two issues. The kitchen countertop was made with a pressboard core that does not hold up to water. Northstar used a router to bevel the edges of the countertop and water started to damage the countertop. I had to seal the edges with epoxy, otherwise there would have been substantial damage instead of barely noticeable swelling. The second design issue was just crazy. There is a plastic box where the wiring from the happijac motor enters the camper. The cover was installed upside down with the wire entering from the top instead of the bottom. After years of use the seal failed and left just a pinhole where water could enter the camper. I did not notice that when the camper was left outside over the winter. The water damaged the corner of a storage compartment and I had to spend an entire weekend fixing the damage.

All things considered I feel that I got a well made camper.

bob_nestor wrote:

midnightsadie wrote:
new rv,s should come with a three year warrenty, after all they spend the first two years sitting in the dealers lot waiting on repairs.

Or maybe dealers need a different model for selling RVs. Something like a lease-purchase plan where you only pay the monthly lease for those months the RV is in your possession and after the warranty period expires you have the option to purchase the unit.

But the other big problem with RV warranties that needs to be addressed by the dealers and manufacturers is what is covered. The RV industry needs a bumper-to-bumper single warranty much like what you get on a new car or truck so you're not having to shuffle between 15 different warranties and manufacturers to get things fixed on your new RV. And manufacturers need to streamline the process for dealers so a dealer isn't left holding onto the unit while it waits for authorization from the manufacturer to fix something under warranty.

Most dealers I have seen have a constant shingle out for mechanics / techs, call them what you will. And the vast majority of RV techs I have personally had experience with are low grade hacks who have made issues worse that they were involved with, or created new ones during the process.

Where we bought our Grand Design they had a huge easel at the front door with a sign "RVIA Certified Technicians". What it did not say was out of a dozen or more two were certified which doesn't guarantee squat, and the others were hacks they found somewhere, perhaps the corner bar.

midnightsadie wrote:
new rv,s should come with a three year warrenty, after all they spend the first two years sitting in the dealers lot waiting on repairs.

Or maybe dealers need a different model for selling RVs. Something like a lease-purchase plan where you only pay the monthly lease for those months the RV is in your possession and after the warranty period expires you have the option to purchase the unit.

But the other big problem with RV warranties that needs to be addressed by the dealers and manufacturers is what is covered. The RV industry needs a bumper-to-bumper single warranty much like what you get on a new car or truck so you're not having to shuffle between 15 different warranties and manufacturers to get things fixed on your new RV. And manufacturers need to streamline the process for dealers so a dealer isn't left holding onto the unit while it waits for authorization from the manufacturer to fix something under warranty.

http://traveltrailernation.com/2017/05/06/is-the-rv-industry-in-a-death-spiral/

Search for "RV Industry Death Spiral" by Greg Gerber and read chapter 2 for the reasons why. Unfortunately his website and opinions were both squashed out by the RV Industry Association a few years ago.

JimK-NY wrote:
Fortunately when I looked for my RV, I found a dealer who could help. He recommended a manufacturer who does a quality job. Maybe the fashion and style were a bit lagging, but the construction and design were not.

And that manufacturer is???????

Frank, that’s disappointing but all sounds super minor. Don’t sweat it unless you have bigger issues. Imo.

On our 4th new trailer and learned quickly that spending the first full day with an arsenal of tools was a necessity.

Doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, problems will arise, sometimes many.

To answer your question directly....YES what your experiencing is quite the norm in assembly line RV manufacturing.

valhalla360 wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
I figured out your problem when I got 7 words into your post.
bumpy

Only took me 5 words...Every new RV I've seen, the owners complain about having to do quality control and losing access to their new RV for weeks or months the first year.

Boy, do I remember this happening to me... bought late in 2017, drove it home with some minor warranty issues, but another facility was much closer to home... Dropped it off (90 minutes away) in September, got it back March the following year... thankfully, no other problems, and, at least in theory, I've got a "reputable" brand (Newmar, not long ago acquired by Winnebago)... I opted to purchase an extended warranty, but there's a lot of s**t it doesn't cover... gotta read the fine, fine print...

Every time I haul mine and go inside I find chipped pieces of wood, fake wood or plastic on the floor. I've quit trying to figure out where they came from.