quality gone down hill.
I bought a Funfinder because I believed the rep it had for quality. The first thing we had trouble with was the dinette table. It separated from its base plate. I noticed immediately that the table to...
Forum Discussion
midnightsadie wrote:
rv builders have one goal. profit.
ALL businesses have that same goal. It's a necessity to stay OPEN and pay the payroll.
RV Mfg's are no different.
Now to the idea that somehow a "Family" run business is somehow intrinsically better than a corporation...They are often the same thing with one important difference. A family held corporation is a "closely held" corp structure which means they hold the vast majority of the stock and pretty much do what they want.
My experience with Family run Corps is that they are the WORST to deal with when you have a problem. We have for so long attached some mythic value to the term "Family" that it's almost like saying "made in Vermont" It's a great marketing con but is otherwise just an illusion.
And piece work is not the enemy. It's the attitude of the management that is the enemy. Quality is determined by corporate culture not how the employees are paid.
Does this industry suffer from a bad Rep in Quality? yes most certainly. But who is it that wants ever lighter and lighter units with an ever increasing list of options and amenities at ever lower cost? The consumer. They are reacting to consumer demand. And I am sure they fight the battle everyday between Light weight vs Strength and keeping the man hours/unit low enough to make a profit. This is compounded by dealer networks that want High MSRP's to give them negotiating room and more profitability.
The only thing that will change this is a shift in consumer demand. And willingness to pay for what you want...high quality and light weight come at a price. As it stands now most of us wont pay what it takes to achieve that.
