New travel trailer expectations

I agree with B. O. It will be repaired, hopefully in a timely fashion.

Wow, sounds like some folks here have all the answers. You all should get together, start manufacturing RV's and run everyone else out of business.....oh except your price would be so much higher that no one would buy your product and you would go broke.

This is not limited to the RV industry. I bought a brand new GMC HD2500 in 2004. The turbo shaft snapped at 2500 miles and it sat at the dealer for 6 weeks before getting fixed. Not the dealers fault, GM could not supply the parts. I was towed in 9 times in 32000 miles over 3 years. I have never had an RV with that many problems........and I have had 13 new RV's.

Huntindog wrote:

gemsworld wrote:
"Because folks like many in this thread keep saying that it's all just part of the game, and that the O.P. should just bite the bullet and do repairs himself. Every time someone says/does that, further motivation is supplied to the industry to just put any ol' piece-of-you-know-what out there.'

Exactly! As long as we are willing to accept crappy products and make excuses for shoddy workmanship and inferior components used in the RV industry, don't expect quality to go up. We are our worst enemy.

The RV industry needs a rude awakening like the auto industry experienced when well-made foreign cars almost put the American automakers out of business.

The problem is that the auto industry is more competitive than the RV industry. There is no Japanese competition to wake them up like the auto industry had happen to them.
And often the repairs are inept, that even a low skilled handyman can do better/faster.

I will rarely if ever go to the dealer with a problem.
First off is the time and convenience. Getting my TT to a dealer will kill half a day. Picking it up another half a day.... Most times I will be disappointed in the repair. I can often do better in 20 minutes with the tools and supplies I have in my garage.

Then there is the down time. Given that I can fix it better and faster than the dealer, why leave it sit for days, weeks, months, while nothing is happening to it?

But then again my handyman skills are advanced compared to many... I am often disappointed by the auto dealers as well. I have had them screw up the most simple repairs.... Had a battery replaced once... They did not install the hold down! I put it on in 5 minutes. Have had them screw up oil changes more ways than I can remember.
The list goes on.

It really has nothing to do with being a "weenie" and more to do with how I prefer to spend my time. That and I find my head hurts a lot less from banging it against the wall.:B

Yes sir, you and I see it exactly the same way. But then as I pointed out earlier, some folks just don't have tools or skills to use them. Or they may not even have the desire to work on these things. Those are the folks who constant come to the forums asking about where to get good dealer service, poor industry practices, etc. I'm not talking about the OP here, I'm merely making the observations that some of us are more comfortable fixing and modding our own stuff. I love working on things and seeing the results of my work when it's done.
I also know, as you have pointed out, it's going to take more than just some consumers getting ticked off and taking trailers back to dealers for warranty fixes to change this industry. The truth is, when enough folks stop buying a brand, the brand goes out of business, and another one pops up a few months later to fill that gap. Same folks, different name, same quality.
I have better things to do with my limited time than to try to change the industry.

Again though, I hope the OP gets quick and satisfactory repairs to his camper. These repairs should be able to be completed in a day, so with any luck, he will have his camper back by this weekend or next.

gemsworld wrote:
"Because folks like many in this thread keep saying that it's all just part of the game, and that the O.P. should just bite the bullet and do repairs himself. Every time someone says/does that, further motivation is supplied to the industry to just put any ol' piece-of-you-know-what out there.'

Exactly! As long as we are willing to accept crappy products and make excuses for shoddy workmanship and inferior components used in the RV industry, don't expect quality to go up. We are our worst enemy.

The RV industry needs a rude awakening like the auto industry experienced when well-made foreign cars almost put the American automakers out of business.

The problem is that the auto industry is more competitive than the RV industry. There is no Japanese competition to wake them up like the auto industry had happen to them.
And often the repairs are inept, that even a low skilled handyman can do better/faster.

I will rarely if ever go to the dealer with a problem.
First off is the time and convenience. Getting my TT to a dealer will kill half a day. Picking it up another half a day.... Most times I will be disappointed in the repair. I can often do better in 20 minutes with the tools and supplies I have in my garage.

Then there is the down time. Given that I can fix it better and faster than the dealer, why leave it sit for days, weeks, months, while nothing is happening to it?

But then again my handyman skills are advanced compared to many... I am often disappointed by the auto dealers as well. I have had them screw up the most simple repairs.... Had a battery replaced once... They did not install the hold down! I put it on in 5 minutes. Have had them screw up oil changes more ways than I can remember.
The list goes on.

It really has nothing to do with being a "weenie" and more to do with how I prefer to spend my time. That and I find my head hurts a lot less from banging it against the wall.:B

"Because folks like many in this thread keep saying that it's all just part of the game, and that the O.P. should just bite the bullet and do repairs himself. Every time someone says/does that, further motivation is supplied to the industry to just put any ol' piece-of-you-know-what out there.'

Exactly! As long as we are willing to accept crappy products and make excuses for shoddy workmanship and inferior components used in the RV industry, don't expect quality to go up. We are our worst enemy.

The RV industry needs a rude awakening like the auto industry experienced when well-made foreign cars almost put the American automakers out of business.

thomasmnile wrote:


Why should incidents like the OP experienced even happen in the first place?

Because folks like many in this thread keep saying that it's all just part of the game, and that the O.P. should just bite the bullet and do repairs himself. Every time someone says/does that, further motivation is supplied to the industry to just put any ol' piece-of-you-know-what out there. They can rely on those they've already taken for a ride to spread the misery!

I'd bet that nine out of ten of those in this thread advising the "bite the bullet" approach are just attempting to validate their own having weenied out when delivered inferior goods.

PatrickA51 wrote:

TC campers wrote:
Hello fellow campers. Purchased a new travel trailer last week. First trip for the 4 the weekend. Fresh water tank fell out at mile 105 and was drug down the interstate until fellow motorist flagged us down. Hole in the bottom skirting, many wires wore completely through, hole in water tank. None of the camper electrical works. Trailer lights seems fine. Home we went.

My question to the experienced rv crowd. What should I do? Insist on a new one, settle for repairs, be compensated for my loss of use

facory wrote:
Return it as fast as you can. No excuse for things like that to happen. I would opt for a completely different brand by a different manufacturer.

Get a Lawyer, take it back where you bought it. Contact the State Attorney Generals Office about it.

This^^^^
This no small matter to be dragged through the dealership. They will likely punt with you standing empty handed. I'd consult a lawyer, notify the BBB,and lay out specifically to the dealership owner or GM a time table of what you expect to be done. Don't get exicted, don't yell. No need for that. Be calm, frank, and resolved. Do it in writing with a witness, perferrably said lawyer. I would also contact the mfg'er myself to confirm the sitation and get them up to speed also. This is no small matter and you should not be left holding any bag. Keep us posted.

hddecker wrote:

MM49 wrote:

TC campers wrote:
Hello fellow campers. Purchased a new travel trailer last week. First trip for the 4 the weekend. Fresh water tank fell out at mile 105 and was drug down the interstate until fellow motorist flagged us down. Hole in the bottom skirting, many wires wore completely through, hole in water tank. None of the camper electrical works. Trailer lights seems fine. Home we went.

My question to the experienced rv crowd. What should I do? Insist on a new one, settle for repairs, be compensated for my loss of use

Attached is a link to a RV industry magazine. It has an article on the Lemon Law process. The industry doesn't think that Lemons exist. I would recommend you read this and adjust your strategy. The RV.net information naive at best.
MM49

Rick Lavers

Very interesting article, it just reiterates on common theme and that is when we have warranty issues the consumer is not treated with the respect they deserve. Of course the article is biased being that it is an industry publication.

It still doesn't change the fact that there is a lack of quality control in the products that the RV Industry puts out.

When the water tank fell out of my Winnebago they told me the tank was to hold water not transport it. I ended up fixing it my self. The root cause of the problem is the manufactures replaced a metal tank platform from Lippert with scrap 1/2" OSB board. They made a decision to reduce the coast of the BOM list at the cost of the owner.
MM49

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Glad they are stepping up. Still curious what the brand is. Like I said earlier, keep an eye on it. Don't assume it is being repaired. Good luck.

Maybe after the OP achieves a satisfactory resolution to the problem. Notice OP stated the dealer is awaiting manufacturer approval on the warranty repair. Like there is any doubt it was a factory defect/workmanship issue? :h :S

hddecker wrote:


Very interesting article, it just reiterates on common theme and that is when we have warranty issues the consumer is not treated with the respect they deserve. Of course the article is biased being that it is an industry publication.

It still doesn't change the fact that there is a lack of quality control in the products that the RV Industry puts out.

Indeed amusing the author never mentions quality problems in the build process that are widespread, just casually waves off the problem with bromides like 'if it can be fixed to the customer's satisfaction'.

Why should incidents like the OP experienced even happen in the first place? We get RV's aren't perfect but it seems like the industry struggles to reach substandard workmanship. Outside of the million dollar coach builders, mediocre seems to be a way of life.