An Approach to RV Defects

Vulcaneer wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:
Some folks took some shots at the persons assembling these things. Having worked in a piece work scenario before I can assure you that they are capable of doing much better and most would but they are working so fast to make a few measly dollars to survive they can't fathom the idea of doing it slower or better or they would all be in welfare/food stamp lines. Some probably already are. The construction model is at fault and quite frankly most of us could not afford an RV made right. There are several custom builders out there who do it the "right way" and few of us can touch the price

Ya know Gypsy, you have a good point there. However, I have worked in many automotive manufacturing plants. Those are piece work plants as well. The difference is that quality is "job 1". That is not just a saying. Machines are set up so that the cut good dimensions on the parts. The auto industry dislikes adjustments on the machines. They don't want machine operators making adjustments which can affect part quality. The machine operators have gaging stations, to measure critical dimensions. And the have CPK spec sheets to show the dimensional trends, measurement criteria, and process sheets that show dimensional requirements for the part. Inspect every 10th part, for example.

If a dimension is out of spec., then change the cutting tool to a new edge. Measure the next part to ensure it is right. And these dimensions are to the thousanths of an inch, or less. And these guys are required to make a certain number of parts per day. And if they make a bad part it goes into the scrap bin, and it gets evaluated for rework, later on. When the operator makes his parts quota, he gets to go take a nap or take a break somewhere. But they need to be on the floor to punch out when it is time. Not before. Not afterwards. Errors are measured in parts per million.

No matter what we think, automotive manufacturing is pretty precise. And very high volume. And the quality culture is built in. And parts are dimensioned in such a way they can be manufactured so they can be assembled without hang up. Quality is engineered in.

So piece work does not necessarily mean that quality needs to go out the window in favor of volume.

And I guess that is pretty much what you said. I just wanted to state a couple of examples. To help with your point.

I totally agree with your assessment of the auto industry and the difference in cars and trucks today vs the 70's and 80's is astounding. But those are nicely paid auto workers and the guys throwing together RV's are not paid anywhere near those wages. When it comes down to feeding the kids and making some guy buying a RV happy it's a no brainer. In the end the business model and the lack of commitment of the management of these builders to quality that result in the wide variance in initial quality of RV's.