What has happened to Winnebago Quality?
I am a dedicated and loyal Winnebago motor home owner. I purchased my third new Adventurer several months ago. My first a 2000 35U, my second a 2005 38R, and my latest a 2015 38Q. I purchase Winneb...
Forum Discussion
As with most manufacturers of any modern product, the choice is quantity over quality. rarely - despite engineering you won't get both. The onus really falls on 2 places. Consumers - because we keep paying for crap, and the lack of any real competition. As someone else said - it's very similar to the auto industry several decades ago. Until a few companies enter the market place and attack the segment of quality at the same price, this will not change. It can be done, but as long as workers continue to demand higher wages for the same or less work, consumers still pay for cheap quality, and foreign trade not really in place in the RV market, And RV manufacturers more concerned with stock price and market position, nothing will change. And lets not forget oversight. The RV industry is almost completely immune to any quality oversight and regulation. It sort of falls under the radar with the exception of emissions and a few - very few- safety standards.
I was told once by a friend of mine that most RV manufacturers are quantity based and incorporate a $10k warranty allowance on new MH pricing. Apparently bean counters found that the allowance post sale is more cost effective than putting that money into better quality production. Why? Because sales accounting is different than warranty accounting and stock prices favor higher profit margin with post sale warranty, than a slimmer profit margin and less warranty work. It's all numbers. If 25% of you units require warranty work post sale, it does not affect your sales performance. Sales numbers and profit is already counted and warranty does not net from your sales. Until a few manufacturers come along with a viable product and are happier with good profits and a good product instead of "it's all about the money" and a cheap product, that won't change. As consumers we have very few choices in a manufacturer. And they all play the same numbers game with relatively the same build process using the same cheap components. We need new players in the game. But as long as consumer pay top dollar for crap, why on earth would they change? That would be idiotic from a financial perspective. Apparently negative news doesn't seem to curb consumer spending. So why should they change?
I was told once by a friend of mine that most RV manufacturers are quantity based and incorporate a $10k warranty allowance on new MH pricing. Apparently bean counters found that the allowance post sale is more cost effective than putting that money into better quality production. Why? Because sales accounting is different than warranty accounting and stock prices favor higher profit margin with post sale warranty, than a slimmer profit margin and less warranty work. It's all numbers. If 25% of you units require warranty work post sale, it does not affect your sales performance. Sales numbers and profit is already counted and warranty does not net from your sales. Until a few manufacturers come along with a viable product and are happier with good profits and a good product instead of "it's all about the money" and a cheap product, that won't change. As consumers we have very few choices in a manufacturer. And they all play the same numbers game with relatively the same build process using the same cheap components. We need new players in the game. But as long as consumer pay top dollar for crap, why on earth would they change? That would be idiotic from a financial perspective. Apparently negative news doesn't seem to curb consumer spending. So why should they change?
