"Shocking" discovery in my AF
Began some simple maintenance on the TC today. Removed the bottom cover to replace the plywood and found some issues. The frame holding the rear of the fresh water tank was damaged. ...
Forum Discussion
As often as I see it talked about here, I can't resist weighing in about "quality", specifically "QC". I've been in QA/QC for decades in manufacturing lots of different stuff (electronics, semiconductors, military hardware, machine shop, motors, etc).
The vision some of you seem to have of a company (particularly a smallish one in a niche market) paying someone to inspect the work of everyone else at each stage is unrealistic. In many cases, that's just now how it works. Companies can't afford it.
More than likely, there are low-paid workers given cursory training, and then set loose on the job. After they've been there long enough to reliably keep work moving past them, they are training the new guys.
If there IS inspection, it comes close to the end and focuses on appearance and function - because that's what the customer sees. No one is tearing apart a camper to verify the wiring is routed properly, or the joinery is not half-a$$ed. Building codes don't apply, so there's no gov't inspection agency looking over their shoulders... no one to "keep them honest." It just has to hold together for a few years until the first owner sells/ trades it, and most owners aren't full-timing in TC's anyway.
Pride of workmanship and the notion of not wanting to 'put your name on something' that's not good has been replaced by maximizing short-profits/ earnings per share in a big company; and meeting expenses to stay alive for another month at the mom-n-pop.
IME, anyway.
The vision some of you seem to have of a company (particularly a smallish one in a niche market) paying someone to inspect the work of everyone else at each stage is unrealistic. In many cases, that's just now how it works. Companies can't afford it.
More than likely, there are low-paid workers given cursory training, and then set loose on the job. After they've been there long enough to reliably keep work moving past them, they are training the new guys.
If there IS inspection, it comes close to the end and focuses on appearance and function - because that's what the customer sees. No one is tearing apart a camper to verify the wiring is routed properly, or the joinery is not half-a$$ed. Building codes don't apply, so there's no gov't inspection agency looking over their shoulders... no one to "keep them honest." It just has to hold together for a few years until the first owner sells/ trades it, and most owners aren't full-timing in TC's anyway.
Pride of workmanship and the notion of not wanting to 'put your name on something' that's not good has been replaced by maximizing short-profits/ earnings per share in a big company; and meeting expenses to stay alive for another month at the mom-n-pop.
IME, anyway.
