Why don't they just make everything with LED from the factory all around the RV??? Inside and outside?...WTH?? Antiquated building tech and the old school of RV building needs to bow out...get in the now. This is where the builders can and should offer new tech...come on now.. we as consumers are getting the sham!! Forget the old school lighting. OH! but now it gets so expensive and they can't make a buck? The most seasoned RV people would pay to have something that will last and consume less power but I just want to know why we can't make them lighter and way more warmer?...someone just has to find a way...I have a question..an airplane can fly at 30 thousand feet with temperatures at -50 below with a skin no more than 4 inches and keep the temperature at a 65 to 70??...how is that possible?? Someone please explain that..regardless of the RV world on earth,. Explain it to us how is that possible?? Air friction perhaps? Regardless, I still question the builders bottom line. Bigger is not always better...slides are pretty much out.... the maintenance, weight, and leakage is not worth it ...but it just gets more complicated and this should not be what camping with an RV should be about...ok slam me all you want but...this is what we do here. Open opinions are welcome just don't slam me personally... I just think we have gotten to big and it is not where I want to go....I love to glamp and tents are out in my opinion but the RV has pushed the limits as to size and functionality...agree? disagree? Open for discussion...

OK, I'll bite.Paragraphs are your friend.LEDs are the best thing since sliced bread as far as RV lighting goes. The American made Northstar camper I took delivery of about a year ago has LED lighting all around from the factory. So at least one manufacturer agrees with you.That airplane in your example uses an awful lot of energy to propel you around at 500+ mph at 35000+ feet. It also costs several 10s to 100s of milion $. Efficient heating of the cabin air or usage of expensive insulation materials are probably not the manufacturer's biggest concerns. Better heating systems have been around for decades (look up the Alde hot water heater). Many campers have insulated windows today. Building materials and design principles are changing gradually. But a truck camper is a very difficult optimization problem (size, weight, stability, materials and manufacturing cost, durability, ...). I guess you could have one built like an airplane. But at what price? And who would buy it? And would it actually be better in daily use, and by how much?Bigger may not be better for everyone, but it is for some. Everyone has their specific requirements. RVers are a diverse group. Some want to offroad their camper in the desert. Others want to spend the winter in Alaska with the whole family. There is no one-size-fits-all-camper. What works fine for you may be unacceptable for another RVer. Let them buy a camper with 3 slideouts if they want them. Nobody makes you do that.I agree that quality doesn't always match the price and the promises of the marketing brochure. That problem is hardly limited to the RV industry, though.

Don't let the little **** bother you.it only takes a few seconds to change a bulb. i used to get aggravated when we had a small rig with no slide .with all the junk we carry going to a bigger RV with a slide made all the difference in the world.if it leaks or need fixing oh well that will get done to but I will still enjoy all the extra room while it gets fixed.Let the dealers and the manufacturer worry about the big stuff and enjoy you time on this planet .at the end of the road it won't matter one way or the other because Medicare will end up with it all anyways.Hang in there.

Winnebagos have been LED for years. As for heat, motorhomes heat the cabin just like airliners, excess heat from the engine. That's why, when a plane lands, the ground crew has to dash over and hook up the big ducts from the truck mounted A/C-furnace. Yes, slides need maintenance, but so does the entire RV..especially maintaining the caulking all over to prevent water intrusion. If you don't want to do maintenance, don't get an RV unless you want it to decompose into a pile of junk after a few seasons.

Just a few things to stir the pot. | Good Sam Community

burningman
Explorer II
Jun 15, 2018
Without NASCAR there’d be nowhere to use RV roof decks.
And we wouldn’t know whether we should buy Huggies or Tide or Vagisil or whatever.
I used to love NASCAR, way back when it was reasonably close to what it’s very name says it is.
Drafting was invented when Junior Johnson’s ‘59 Chevy couldn’t keep up with the ‘60 Pontiacs and he figured out how to get behind one and use it for a windbreak. He was really driving a real ‘59 Chevy, racing against real Mercurys and Plymouths and such.
Now, the cars are literally identical and have absolutely nothing to do with stock cars other than what grill stickers they wear to “represent” a certain car. There’s so much money and corporate sponsorship that you can’t really even identify with it.
It’s boring... and I’m a huge gearhead.
I bet kids are gonna grow up thinking “stock” means full-race. If they haven’t already.
jimh406
Explorer III
Jun 15, 2018
Freep wrote:
No need to be touchy. I said crowd, not type.

No worries. What's special about that crowd? :D
burningman
Explorer II
Jun 15, 2018
Lol I’m totally enjoying how funny you are! This is comedy gold.
classic_31
Explorer
Jun 15, 2018
Not complaining just telling the way it is stop your sniffling and go enjoy your self
burningman
Explorer II
Jun 14, 2018
classic 31 wrote:
I must be getting old.Just trying to remember what we did all day before computer and cell phones. Certainly we didn't sit around and complain about how the campers are made so crappy .were they really made that much better? Or were we busy doing other things beside complaning.

Says the guy who just wrote a computer message in which he did nothing but complain!
RobertRyan
Explorer
Jun 14, 2018
jmtandem wrote:
My younger Sister and myself looked at some Lance Campers( have yet to see them reappear at any other show in Australia) . Poor build quality, dated systems as noted above and dark interiors. Composites? What are they?

Some camping/RV items that have been part and parcel in Australia for years are just now breaking into the American market. Roof top tents, small utility trailers with everything you need for boondock camping with tents on top, etc. Good for us Americans to see some innovation from other parts of the world instead of just the same stuff made each year with a new model year attached to it. And it seems like RV and camping products from Australia are quality. No cheap materials or workmanship, and realistic weights.

Airstream and Cirrus are two examples of what can be done but typically isn't. The Airstream interiors are very modern and some models use non traditional heating systems, all while wrapped up in an iconic outer body. And lots and lots of windows so it does not feel like home in the campground. And Cirrus is clearly not the 1970's or '80s with their interiors. Maybe others will follow soon.

Mainly driven by innovation and competition. “Same old “ does not cut it here. More like your Automotive industry of the 1920-1930’s or the early Computing industry.. only a small portion of the Australian RV output is on show at the Overlanding events
By the way the first Apple Computer, the one built in Garage by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak( now lives in Queensland)
Now resides in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney

From one extreme too another the SLR Commander too a TVan Topaz. These have not been shown at the Overlanding events
SLR Commander MAN 6.9litre Diesel version
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Jun 14, 2018
Poor quality is not just due to a relatively low sales price. Most campers are really designed poorly. Leaks can be horribly expensive and can quickly kill even a relatively new RV. Manufacturers seem content to rely on globs of caulk rather than use designs that are inherently water resistant.
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Jun 14, 2018
buy really old and super cheap already-depreciated ones... that’s what I do

That's what I do also..There are quite a few older TC's out there that were taken care of from day one and spent most of there life under a cover.You just have to look..

As far as cheaply built,I am not sure what people expect..I worked in two trailer/TC plants just out of high school waiting on uncle sam.Both plants made great trailers and truck campers..Once they leave the plant it's up to the buyer to do the maintenance, which most don't do properly.

I see TC's going for over $60k now..Are they worth it,not to me but people buy them just like $60k trucks..

So I guess I'll just stick to good old used rigs without any payments and buy more toys.:B
classic_31
Explorer
Jun 14, 2018
I must be getting old.Just trying to remember what we did all day before computer and cell phones. Certainly we didn't sit around and complain about how the campers are made so crappy .were they really made that much better? Or were we busy doing other things beside complaning.
adamis
Nomad II
Jun 14, 2018
I think from a materials standpoint, there is a lot to be desired when it comes to the weight / finish quality. These do not have to be exclusive of each other and yet we are stuck with cheap products. One of my biggest annoyances is how the wood looking paper laminate over particle board scratches so easily and then there is nothing you can really do to fix it. Why not just go with painted surfaces in the first place? The wife and I have talked about repainting the interior of our camper, going to a nice stark white color scheme instead of the fake wood look.

LEDs I'm not that concerned about. Probably cheaper for you to buy a handful of replacement bulbs on Amazon rather than to allow the manufacturer to sell it to you as a "premium" upgrade.

Air Conditioning and Generators seem to be an area ripe for improvements. I posted another thread a few months back about wanting to ditch the generator entirely along with the AGM batteries. I could save ~300lbs just by going to LiFiPo batteries with no generator. The Air Conditioner also seems to be a very weak area. Why are they so dang big and stick up like a sore thumb ready to get caught on a tree branch? Can we not build a more space efficient AC in the 21st century?