Some thoughts on Quality

Since the industry doesn't publish numbers detailing their quality problems, and JD Power and other quality checkers don't do RVs, we have nothing but anecdotal evidence.

I agree with the OP. The vast majority of brands are all about the same. I've been to many RV shows and observed many different brands and found this to be true as far as basic build is concerned. Where there is some difference is in the features and quality of things put in and on RV's. For instance, you find Goodyear Endurance tires on many Jayco TT's but mostly China Bombs on the other manufacturers offerings. There are several examples with the various manufacturers but you get the point I Was making I'm sure.

We have had a popup and 4 travel trailers....

so....from that experience our Arctic Fox (Northwood) has been the best in terms of quality.

but it is much heavier and is more expensive than most other brands out there.

I spoke to a service manager at a dealership that sold several brands of trailers. He said he noticed quite a drop in quality over the past ten years or so.
My experience is Grand Design may be a step above some of the other manufacturers. My personal experience is they provide outstanding customer service.

As most seem to have alluded to, the brands may not be terribly different in that they all buy similar style frames, use similar materials for their construction, and have basically the same appliances and systems.
Similar price points across the brands under these circumstances should yield similar quality levels.

Some may do one part of the process a little better than another, but overall they should even out.

What does appear to change in quality is support. Some brands seem to have a markedly better reputation for how they back up their products.

Thor as compared to Winnebago or Grand Design as compared to Forest River for example. But even here, you will find some folks who have had experiences outside the wider experiences you hear about.

RobWNY wrote:
I agree with the OP. The vast majority of brands are all about the same.

Having owned several popups, a hybrid, and a couple of travel trailers I'd agree, though I would say that IMO Fleetwood popups were at the time a step above everyone else in overall quality despite the fact the company had an awful time trying to manufacture a roof that wouldn't leak or otherwise deteriorate. :R Our hybrid / TT experiences suggest to me that whether any given trailer is relatively trouble free or nothing but a headache for as long as you own it is more a matter of luck than anything else. JMO but I think most owners would be a little less critical of the RV industry as a whole if dealers and manufacturers alike would be more willing to step up to the plate and actually put honest effort into addressing any owner's concerns about their rig.

having been in the rv service for a few years I can tell you two things all are really the same but then building an rv is not rocket science.

I have owned a bunch of RVs and the workmanship tends to be below average with average parts. The two exceptions have been a Nash trailer and a Rockwood which are above average. The 2012 has PEX plumbing and the corners are pretty square as an example. Much better than an average unit like a Dutchman.

Everyone will have their preferred brands. The same "methods" are used to put them together. There are differences in the finish of certain items. We like the puma line. It is not necessarily the top of the line, but we have had success with a couple of them. When comparing them to brands at the local CW, I find that the lines they carry appear to be "cheaper". The trim, finish of the cabinets, extra touches, etc. all make a difference IMHO. When we bought our last TT, it was between a rockwood and a puma. The Rockwood was clearly the winner when it came to fit and finish. I was leaning towards the Rockwood, but the layout of the puma worked better for us. The puma still had all the things I wished my last RV had. The rockwood cost almost 10k more than the puma by the way.

I was asked by a newbie a few years ago about what to look for in a TT and how are they priced. I told him to look at the cheaper models, look in the cabinets, storage areas, drawers, etc. Then I said to look in an expensive TT and do the same thing. Then you decide what is important to you.

One thing I always keep in mind when reading posts is the old adage if someone isn't satisfied with a product or service they will tell 10 people. If they are satisfied they only tell 5 people.

You'll see complaints on the RV forums but you rarely see praise for the quality of an RV brand.

With millions of RV's out there- the complaints we see on the forum are relatively few.

We've had 4 RV in the past 40 years the first two were great no problems. The next two had a few quality issues but were taken care of by the factory or dealer and the RV's were great after that.