Buying a New RV
Wife and I are presently on the hunt for a new RV. Visited a few dealerships yesterday. I am struck by a few things from the dealers. Pretty much the same thing from boat dealerships where I have boug...
Forum Discussion
Sadly I think most of us who are RVers can relate to all of the issues from the OP and more. I have never bought an RV from CW and unless out of immediate need, I have avoided any repair service or even buying parts from them.
The big issue is the horrid quality of most RVs. Sadly the problems are not just fit and finish but start with poor engineering and sloppy overall construction. Trailers are the worst. A great many of them have tires, suspension and frames which are undersized. Many have GVRRs which are only one or two thousand pounds over the dry weight. That is a clear sign the unit was not built to last and is not even safe to load up and use.
RVs are subject to lots of vibrations, bumps and swaying while on the road. Many units are half falling apart when new and will not last without further issues. This is part of the reason the life expectancy of most RVs is about 10 years. Many are not used much but are still ready for the scrap heap by that time frame.
Not all RVs are junk but the buyer needs to spend lots of time with research to find units that are well built. There seems to be the idea that buying a well made RV requires spending a lot of extra money. That is not the case. It should cost little more to design and built a decent unit.
A new potential buyer should NEVER, EVER just visit an RV dealer to look around. It is important to do research online, pick appropriate models and then pick a dealer with a good rep even if that means traveling hundreds of miles and buying out of State.
The big issue is the horrid quality of most RVs. Sadly the problems are not just fit and finish but start with poor engineering and sloppy overall construction. Trailers are the worst. A great many of them have tires, suspension and frames which are undersized. Many have GVRRs which are only one or two thousand pounds over the dry weight. That is a clear sign the unit was not built to last and is not even safe to load up and use.
RVs are subject to lots of vibrations, bumps and swaying while on the road. Many units are half falling apart when new and will not last without further issues. This is part of the reason the life expectancy of most RVs is about 10 years. Many are not used much but are still ready for the scrap heap by that time frame.
Not all RVs are junk but the buyer needs to spend lots of time with research to find units that are well built. There seems to be the idea that buying a well made RV requires spending a lot of extra money. That is not the case. It should cost little more to design and built a decent unit.
A new potential buyer should NEVER, EVER just visit an RV dealer to look around. It is important to do research online, pick appropriate models and then pick a dealer with a good rep even if that means traveling hundreds of miles and buying out of State.
