Any brands out there you would totally avoid?

kodiakcanuck wrote:

Not sure you can compare hand built trailers to Bugatti's :B I'm pretty sure the RV industry pays their labours fairly low rates and I can imagine they are under a LOT of pressure to pump out high volumes of trailers. That has to be the only explanation how a lemon can be pumped out more often then the auto industry pumps out lemons.

Sigh. Then I woke up, crawled out of bed, wiped the sand out of my eyes and read this. Oh, the reality of it all. :(

kodiakcanuck wrote:



What I have seen from the manufacturing process, and those pictures above, it amazes me that trailers even stay together when being pulled down the road...just a metal frame with a bunch of thin walls screwed together...:B

You are so right, but screws? Sure, there are some screws, but a lot of luan is just barely hanging on with those little staples they like to use everywhere. DW had a bunch of stuff on the shelf inside our wardrobe closet and a few days ago, the shelf collapsed. Upon inspection, there were only a few staples holding it in place. Grrr.... On the upside, it will be give me the opportunity to rebuild it with some nice adjustable shelving. Pfft.

I'm pretty sure they hire a lot of one-eyed monkeys working with one hand in their pockets. And I'm pretty sure they use their thumb for a plumb-bob and eyeball straight lines (with one eye). That's the only rational explanation why cabinetry and walls can be so far out or like wavy gravy. I've done lots of cabinetry mods now and things are rarely square, plumb, level or straight. It can be very, very frustrating.

There are a few manufacturers that build better products. Nash and Outdoors RV come to mind and there are a few others. Then there's the rest of them that are all about in the same category that turn out RVs with similar problems on an on-going basis. A BIG problem with the RV industry is the total lack of standards and regulations. RIVA is useless for this. RV manufacturers and their suppliers can build whatever they want and not be accountable to anyone. Did they under-design your frame for example? Too bad, so sad, it's your fault, not theirs. Electrical problems? Plumbing problems? Oh well, get used to it, that's just the way it is. Another thing that isn't good is the lack of any quality control standards such as the ISO series of standards.

It's also not just the quality of a TT, it's also the "quality" of your dealer and what factory support is like.

This is a loaded question and the responses will be all over the place as there are good and bad experiences with every brand. I think a person should buy any brand they find if it matches the person's "want" or "must have" list and the person can afford it without going into years of debt for it; have the tow vehicle to tow it safely; and it complies with how the person wants to use it. Some people prefer roughing it and using state parks and boondocking and others prefer a RV resort with full hookups and some amenities. To me there is no preferred brand or type. It is what is best for the person/family and maybe know that there might be a problem eventually and be prepared for it.

oughtsix wrote:
It is very simple... If you want a good quality trailer that is well engineered, uses top quality materials and has impeccable craftsmanship... avoid all the top trailer manufactures!

Funny, but there's some truth in your statement. :B

Purchasing an RV (except for the real high end offerings) is pretty much a 'lesser of the evils' proposition.............

If you want a high quality trailer you can buy a New Horizon or Continental RV. These are low production high end trailers. You could buy 2/ 4 Keystone/Forest river RV's for the price. If I had deep pockets I would own a New Horizon/Continental RV. I have had good luck with my Cheep Forest River/ Keystone RV's and consider them good value for what I have paid. I have the skills to maintain/repair the TT's. The low price of mass produced RV's allow a lot of people to enter the market and enjoy camping.

Here is my .02 cents. So take it for what is worth. Anytime you manufacture something on a large scale you are bound to have problems with some of them. So find the trailer that works for you and go for it. When I bought my Passport, we looked for a year. Seemed to me they are all put together about the same, the big difference was weight and options. So I got the lightest one I could find, that had the most room and was in my price range.

I remember thinking I didn't want to get rid of my old 95 Fleetwood Prowler 25 foot 5th wheel, because quit frankly it was put togehter better than just about anything we looked at except for stuff that was really high in price, we just needed the extra space.

myredracer wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
Oh you guys are funny! Sorry, I can't help but post these photos! (March 10, 2006):


If you have ANY opportunity to take a manufacturer tour for ANY RV model, make, or brand, do it. It will be an eye opener.

All the travel trailers we learn to love and hate are hand built. Just like an old Bugatti. That should give any owner something to brag about... :B

Not sure you can compare hand built trailers to Bugatti's :B I'm pretty sure the RV industry pays their labours fairly low rates and I can imagine they are under a LOT of pressure to pump out high volumes of trailers. That has to be the only explanation how a lemon can be pumped out more often then the auto industry pumps out lemons.

What I have seen from the manufacturing process, and those pictures above, it amazes me that trailers even stay together when being pulled down the road...just a metal frame with a bunch of thin walls screwed together...:B

DutchmenSport wrote:
Oh you guys are funny! Sorry, I can't help but post these photos! (March 10, 2006):


If you have ANY opportunity to take a manufacturer tour for ANY RV model, make, or brand, do it. It will be an eye opener.

All the travel trailers we learn to love and hate are hand built. Just like an old Bugatti. That should give any owner something to brag about... :B

FrankShore wrote:
I'd shy away from anything made by Thor Industries only because they're suffering from money problems and disharmony at the top.

If they have money problems, how were they able to pay $50 million for KZ earlier this year?? KZ was a 100% debt-free company too that was doing fine and they didn't buy a debt-ridden, poorly performing business. I can't find anything in that hoovers link that talks about Thor. As a KZ owner, I'd be interested in knowing if KZ's new parent company really is struggling and if and how it could affect KZ.

bhh wrote:
News from 8/18/14 (Two days ago):
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Dutchmen Manufacturing has announced they'll discontinue the Dutchmen line of RVs.

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clicky

I would not buy something without a manufacturer to back up a warranty.

that doesn’t appear to be a major problem…

“Thor-owned Dutchmen Mfg. is discontinuing production of its Dutchmen-branded line of travel trailers after the company fills August’s orders, Dutchmen Vice President of Sales Troy James has confirmed.
James stressed that the RV maker will continue to produce its other product lines, such as Aspen Trail, Kodiak, Aerolite, Coleman and Denali, in addition to providing warranty support for the discontinued line. “

I had 1998 Jayco that would not make a good fire at the end. It was rotted in the middle of the walls in all loacations. Very poor choice of materials. I will never own a TT without encapsulated insulation.
MM49

It is very simple... If you want a good quality trailer that is well engineered, uses top quality materials and has impeccable craftsmanship... avoid all the top trailer manufactures!