RV manufacturers, I am calling you out

js6343js6343 wrote:
I know there are those will assert my experience is result of improper or lack of maintenance. I cannot (in a forum) prove otherwise, other than to claim that although I am no RV expert, I am a fairly handy amateur mechanic. From the day I bought this unit, I have endeavored to maintain all its systems the best I could. And twice every year I spend days in preventative maintenance. Repairs add to the burden.

I wonder what the outcome is for those who are not handy or don’t desire the investment in time and money required to keep these units operating? How many of these units are destined to overwhelm their owners and not so gradually left to sit and finally decay? Possibly well before the final payment is due. The emotional toll and cost to the owner has eclipsed the fun to be gained.

There is a great point buried in what you say above.

One SHOULDN'T HAVE TO do all that maintenance to properly take care of and own a "typical U.S. built RV". I read a lot of comments continuously in these forums on what owners do to take care of their rigs ... sometimes almost sounding proud with respect to how they religiously do this and that on their RVs maintenance-wise and improvement-wise. I scratch my head in wonder at this kind of talk. A case in point ... when is the last time you had to pull maintenance on your pickup truck's or SUV's roof or windows to make sure they didn't develop a leak???? (Please don't deflect by excusing RV manufacturers with statements like "but a big box full of stuff bouncing down the highway is different than your pickup truck or SUV or stick house").