Ford TC

joeshmoe wrote:
I didn't say Ford or any auto manufacturer doesn't have QC issues.
I can assure you that my truck will outlast my caulked and wood screwed together foam box of a TC. Especially considering that I use the truck for everything. If I used and abused my TC the same way, I bet it wouldn't last even 5 years, if that. Are you seriously comparing, excuse me, RV design and QC with that of auto manufacturers? If Lance or Northwood sold half as many units as Ford does trucks, they'd fail.

If you look at behind the skin of some of these "quality" brand campers, it's a little scary what they consider quality. I've had to fix or make right multiple things on my "absolute Northwood quality" camper. If I had as many assembly/fit and finish issues with my truck within the first year as I've had with the camper, it would qualify as a lemon. But, since apparently I'm supposed to "deal with it, it's a camper". I do.

Ford isn't going to put their name on an endorsed, licensed product that has shoddy assembly and quality control. That's all I'm saying.

I just read on the Ford website that there will be engineer input.

I'm with Joe. Comparing all the camping trailers I've had to all the vehicles I've ever owned, it is clear that the RV manufacturers get away with a lot more. Fit and finish in the interior, wiring with so-so routing, slide mechanisms ... etc. We expect a power sliding door in a minivan to work all the time, every time in all kind of weather. It is engineered for that. Yes I think most of us accept slide out mechanisms that will have some kind of trouble here and there. To me that means they could have been engineered better, but aren't.

My understanding is that on top of that the NHTSA regs are different between trailers going down the road and automobiles.

All that to say is that the first thing I thought of when I read this was that this has a chance to a better QC camper than what we usually see in the industry.

I don't mean to bash - I like what I've seen of Livin Lite so far - but there appears to be a different mindset between RV and auto engineering. I'd like to see some cross-pollination in the right direction, and maybe Ford will make that happen.