wing_zealot wrote:
I would absolutely agree with what you said if you change #3 to Cheap. Affordable is subjective. Some people can choose all three.
Yes, I meant "affordable by most", not the guys with the big checkbooks.
patperry2766 wrote:
Why?
There is no justifiable reason why they can't do more than just spot weld the frame and the side walls.
There is no reason why they can't cut interior trim pieces cut to match and properly mounted to where they don't fall off or start sagging even before the trailer is sold.
There is no reason why they can't put in enough screws to hold a cabinet on the wall, or to keep cabinet doors from falling off
There is no reason why they do a lot of the stuff they do other than to make them as cheaply as possible, flimsy as possible and way overcharge for them.
They "can" but you are missing the point. RV assembly workers are paid piece-meal, meaning they get paid per unit they assemble. The slower they work, the less they make. Putting assembly guys on hourly scale drives up production costs and therefore prices.
An RV purchase is highly discretionary...yes, RV manufacturers compete with each other, but more importantly the industry competes with boating, and a zillion other hobbies for our recreational dollars. Most folks live in climates with a winter season, and only use their units 6-8 months per year. Hard to justify a big dollar purchase that sits around a lot.
If the industry embraced quality at the level you suggest, an entry level TT would cost $75k and nobody could afford to own one.
Nobody's getting rich on these units either....when the economy tanked in 2008, most of the manufacturers folded, only to re-emerge under different brands when the consumer was again ready to spend their discretionary dollar.
Sunnybrook was one of the manufacturers noted for quality and attention to detail, and if you can find one of their 2000-2005 units, they are extraordinarily well built. They also cost more, and couldn't gain market share to scale their operations. So, they brought out the Sunset Creek line of stick-and-tin trailers that were made like junk but they could sell at a more competitive price point. Their reputation for quality evaporated and they folded their tent in 2010. Winnebago now make trailers in their old factory.
