What the RV Industry needs and how it works.
I haven't posted for a while. Mostly happy trouble free camping has kept me a lurker. Trouble free however must have context, i'm a handy guy. A small insurance claim and having a kid has me assessing...
Forum Discussion
I haven't had a meeting with RV industry professionals that address marketing but I'd guess that the target consumer is a burgeoning family that wishes to see the outdoors, is willing to travel, and has a vehicle capable of pulling some type of load.
This family doesn't like tent camping and is willing to pay a premium to get off the ground. The industry tries to meet this want/need with basic product that is light weight and uses time-worn construction techniques. I would also bet that an RV mfg is willing to outsource certain parts of their product if price or labor involvement makes it profitable. The mfg engineers and designers are at the control of the company's accountants and if the product (RV) can be made with typical materials and techniques, there is little reason to change.
I believe there is a push to install more amenities that make an RV more comfortable and convenient to the camping experience. Outdoor kitchens would be one example. Powered jacks and stabilizers would be another.
If the market would bear it, an aluminum roof with metal constructed skylights/vents and an edge trim that is properly sealed prior to installation would eliminate nearly all roof leaking concerns. Similar attention could be applied to windows, doors, and corner trim. It is possible to build an RV with impenetrability to water and I believe we will see some of that in the future. It will be driven by warranty repairs and consumer wrath.
FWIW, I'm happy with what I have, a 22' travel trailer with no slides built on fully boxed frame rails. The floor's under belly is sheathed with an aluminum skin. The roof is aluminum and is somewhat barrel-rolled. I bought this trailer with major water damage. The frame need replacing in some areas and the major cause of leaks was failure of the butyl based putty used in 1971 to seal the roof. Previous owners had used all manner of sealing products to maintain the roof seal but many failed in that job. The trailer was left to rot because of non-use and was found by me in a poor state. It is now fully restored with upgrades to it's original construction. This includes framing, insulation, wiring, and mechanicals. If I had to pick one upgrade above all others it would be the thermal breaks/vapor barrier that I installed. That, combined with Low-E windows and the foam board insulation, make my trailer the quietest and more comfortable than typical RV trailers I've toured. The thermal break is something all typical RV trailers could have at not too great a price increase and the benefits are great.
As long as we have the ***** list growing, one major dysfunction of travel trailers is the wheel well. Typical construction is to leave the wheel well open to the elements, often covered by a woven fabric or, having an injection molded plastic shell. In the event of a tire losing air, radial belts of the disintegrating tire spinning at road speed will destroy either of these constructions. RV mfgs should take a page from the utility trailers and make the wheel well of steel. Rant closed.
This family doesn't like tent camping and is willing to pay a premium to get off the ground. The industry tries to meet this want/need with basic product that is light weight and uses time-worn construction techniques. I would also bet that an RV mfg is willing to outsource certain parts of their product if price or labor involvement makes it profitable. The mfg engineers and designers are at the control of the company's accountants and if the product (RV) can be made with typical materials and techniques, there is little reason to change.
I believe there is a push to install more amenities that make an RV more comfortable and convenient to the camping experience. Outdoor kitchens would be one example. Powered jacks and stabilizers would be another.
If the market would bear it, an aluminum roof with metal constructed skylights/vents and an edge trim that is properly sealed prior to installation would eliminate nearly all roof leaking concerns. Similar attention could be applied to windows, doors, and corner trim. It is possible to build an RV with impenetrability to water and I believe we will see some of that in the future. It will be driven by warranty repairs and consumer wrath.
FWIW, I'm happy with what I have, a 22' travel trailer with no slides built on fully boxed frame rails. The floor's under belly is sheathed with an aluminum skin. The roof is aluminum and is somewhat barrel-rolled. I bought this trailer with major water damage. The frame need replacing in some areas and the major cause of leaks was failure of the butyl based putty used in 1971 to seal the roof. Previous owners had used all manner of sealing products to maintain the roof seal but many failed in that job. The trailer was left to rot because of non-use and was found by me in a poor state. It is now fully restored with upgrades to it's original construction. This includes framing, insulation, wiring, and mechanicals. If I had to pick one upgrade above all others it would be the thermal breaks/vapor barrier that I installed. That, combined with Low-E windows and the foam board insulation, make my trailer the quietest and more comfortable than typical RV trailers I've toured. The thermal break is something all typical RV trailers could have at not too great a price increase and the benefits are great.
As long as we have the ***** list growing, one major dysfunction of travel trailers is the wheel well. Typical construction is to leave the wheel well open to the elements, often covered by a woven fabric or, having an injection molded plastic shell. In the event of a tire losing air, radial belts of the disintegrating tire spinning at road speed will destroy either of these constructions. RV mfgs should take a page from the utility trailers and make the wheel well of steel. Rant closed.
