JimK-NY wrote:
Lantley wrote:
Go tothe service dept. of any car dealer and you will find lots of new vehicles that are broke.
If you maintain a well built car it will hold up and last 20 years easily.
The same can be said for an RV.
None of this matches my experience or the reports I hear from others. First most new cars are quite reliable and don't have any need for initial repairs. My wife and I have 2015 cars that have required only oil changes, replacement wiper blades and replacement batteries. My 2018 truck has had a couple of oil changes and nothing else. That does not seem to be the case for RVs. New RVs always seem to have a list of items that need to be fixed due to poor design or quality of construction.
RVs often die due to leaks and water intrusion. Many are so poorly built that the seams crack open and water finds its way inside to create havoc. It can be an endless battle. I have never heard of a car leaking because it got rained on. That is true of a new car and one that is 50 years old. I suppose it is possible for a sun roof in a car to leak. That has never happened to me and I would not expect such a leak to destroy the whole car or result in major structural repairs.
A car typically is used daily and can run up hundreds of thousands of miles before it wears out. Most RVs only have some occasional use and still fall apart typically within 10 years or so. There is just no comparison with the quality of design, construction and overall longevity. I cannot imagine buying a car and finding it came with some cheap, Chinese tires that had a history of blowouts. I cannot imagine the need to inspect and caulk the car at least every year. I cannot imagine buying a car only to find that even empty the suspension and tires were already close to maximum load capacity. Sadly that is very frequently the case for RVs and is not something most new buyers would even think about. I cannot imagine buying a car only to find that the trunk keys were the same on every vehicle and the doors could easily be pried open with a screwdriver. I cannot imagine buying a car with plastic windows that are likely to leak and scratch if you look at them sideways.
From what I have seen, water gets inside a RV, and destroys it. Then we rush out and by another,
"I learned, I'm going to work on this roof 30 times so I can use this 120 times over the next 10 years" (or 21/84/7 for those that fear old snot) Then there is all the other stuff that is always going wrong, must be fixed every trip.
If a manufacturer can sell a pile of junk, then when that pile washes away in the rain, can sell you another pile, why improve the product?
I think a much better plan is buy once, and every time you need to fix something make sure that repair will last.
Example. This week I found a little plastic wheel had broke around it's axle. I'm thinking about machining replacement out of metal. Wife looks on the net, finds direct replacement for $15. The first lasted 25 years, do I need to make it better?
Yes, if I needed to get rid of my camper I would likely need to pay for hauling. But this month we have spent 15 nights in 3 CGs and towed it over 1200 miles. (with a 17YO pickup)
