Camping World Quality

[jzrvinit]

I am a big fan of Good Sams and Camping World. I shop their often, and it is not close to me.... Lately I have been having issues with the quality of the products they are selling.

Has anyone noticed the same?

It would seem that the quality of some of the products they sell are going down hill. For example, I purchased a clothes hanger, it broke almost within a week, I had it replaced at a camping world, same issue. Cheap plastic and poor design.

Purchased a water regulator with a gauge, the gauge is no longer working after only 3 months. No it is not clogged.

Purchased a outdoor patio mat, which in the past I could get a full season out of, now the mat is separating at the stitching.
Only had this item for 2 months.

This is not a complaint thread, I only wish to see if anyone else is having similar issues and hopefully call Camping World management to take action.

I would rather pay more for higher quality, you?

Thanks..

[CavemanCharlie]

Sport45 wrote:
I'm another that makes every effort to repair something before replacing it. But repair parts are getting harder and harder to find. Even Sears often shows repair parts as unavailable. But in their defense, I'll have to say the part I have in mind was for a finish nailer that I bought about 15 years ago. And that would be a long time to expect a company to stock parts.

Along these lines (so not really completely off topic), who was the repair guy in Mayberry?

I think it was Emmett's fix it shop.

[pnichols]

Highway 4X4 wrote:
Don't look at a purchase as "buying" something. You are just renting it till it breaks.

An outstanding observation and comment!

I gotta remember that one. 😉

[Highway_4x4]

Don't look at a purchase as "buying" something. You are just renting it till it breaks. Time for us all to "drink the cool-aid" and join the disposable society. If you fix it, you're slowing down the economy.

[Sport45]

I'm another that makes every effort to repair something before replacing it. But repair parts are getting harder and harder to find. Even Sears often shows repair parts as unavailable. But in their defense, I'll have to say the part I have in mind was for a finish nailer that I bought about 15 years ago. And that would be a long time to expect a company to stock parts.

Along these lines (so not really completely off topic), who was the repair guy in Mayberry?

[CavemanCharlie]

I live by the motto that if you have something that works you better take care of it because anything you buy that is newer is going to be made cheaper and not last as long. With that in mind I often repair things rather then replace them.

A month ago I took apart my 1970's can opener to fix a loose wire and oil the motor. I know I will never get a can opener this good again so I fixed the old one to keep it going for a little while longer.

[john_bet]

My dad made a living and feed 3 boys fixing and building things for others. RIP--DAD.

[Bumpyroad]

pnichols wrote:

3) A few days ago I bought a new $2.99 socket and switch assembly to replace the assembly that the bulb screws into on my common and cheap 20 year old desktop lamp because it's stupid to throw away an "otherwise perfectly good lamp".

Does anyone in the U.S. do these kinds of things anymore to repair or replace the gizmos in their lives? I guess if too many of us did these kinds of things the U.S. economy would tank.

guilty as charged. I've paid about as much for a replacement bulb as buying a new LED light at wally world.
bumpy

[pnichols]

Cloud Dancer wrote:
I try to learn how to fix everything ...

That reminds me of three things:

1) About 3 years ago we replaced my wife's flip cell phone with another one we bought at a garage sale for exactly $1 because we thought is would be a waste to pay for a supposedly "free upgrade" that our cell phone provider kept trying to goad us into.

2) A few days ago I drilled through the corner of the lid (the part with the display in it) of the laptop I'm typing this on and put a little tiny screw, with a little tiny lock washer and nut on it to hold the lid together so as to try and get a few more years out of the laptop instead of buying a whole new laptop because my 7-8 year old one is "falling apart".

3) A few days ago I bought a new $2.99 socket and switch assembly to replace the assembly that the bulb screws into on my common and cheap 20 year old desktop lamp because it's stupid to throw away an "otherwise perfectly good lamp".

Does anyone in the U.S. do these kinds of things anymore to repair or replace the gizmos in their lives? I guess if too many of us did these kinds of things the U.S. economy would tank.

[The_Texan]

You and me both Willie. Just bought a new shed for our place here in AZ and the 1st thing that went into it was a workbench, so I had someplace to work on my stuff.

[Cloud_Dancer]

I'm a dying breed. I try to learn how to fix everything, and my garage looks like a hoarder lives there. Is the world going to deal with me? Apparently not. They're going to get what THEY want,......they know I only have a few years left....:B

[down_home]

4X4Dodger wrote:

pnichols wrote:
Germany, and other similar places in the world, may not be where U.S. chartered companies think they should go to get their branded products manufactured ... but maybe it's in the kind of world manufacturing environments similar to Germany where customers should consider going to get high quality products. That is, until good old U.S. chartered companies begin to get the quality message again.

Notice I said "U.S. chartered companies" instead of "U.S. companies". Many U.S. companies no longer perform like good U.S. citizens ... they appear to be U.S. companies in name (and charter) only. Under our legal system a company chartered in the U.S. is considered to be "a person", hence they should act like a good U.S. citizen-person if they're want to be called a U.S. company.

IMHO, U.S. companies have at least one other top priority besides maximizing return for it's owners and executives ... that other priority is doing what's best for the long term existence and viability of the cultural system in which it is chartered. This other priority encompasses hiring the bulk of their workers from that cultural system, creating within those workers pride in the manufacture of it's products, and paying those workers maybe enough to someday buy some of the top quality products it's workers are putting together.

I prefer my products to come from companies that at least slightly resemble what I describe above. It's now becoming more and more difficult to find products coming from U.S. chartered companies that do. Some other countries still have companies - that started within those countries - that resemble what I describe.

Would I buy a top quality product from a China chartered company when I could not find an equivalent U.S. chartered company version of it ... yes ... just like I do now with top quality products from, say, Germany. But buying a less-than-top-quality version of a product from a U.S. chartered company that has it built in China instead of a top quality version of it built here .... is something else.

I agree with most of what you think a good company should be. However in the reality of todays world if you are a CEO you have definite bosses. When the Wall Street analysts and bankers get you on the conference call and TELL you that your share price is too low and you MUST change things..(Read: Save money) or the banks are not going to continue to loan you money at good rates or at all...then you must do something. This is the reality that many CEO's face everyday.

Is it farsighted? Maybe not. Is it what we want from our corporations? Probably not. But it is the CEO's job to do what it takes to keep the company competitive and viable.

There are only two ways to increase profit (and thus share price) Lower Costs or Raise Prices. Which are you going to do in the hyper sensitive, cost conscious Markets of today?

Your thoughts on corporations are laudable but unrealistic for most in todays marketplace.

......

[4X4Dodger]

pnichols wrote:
Germany, and other similar places in the world, may not be where U.S. chartered companies think they should go to get their branded products manufactured ... but maybe it's in the kind of world manufacturing environments similar to Germany where customers should consider going to get high quality products. That is, until good old U.S. chartered companies begin to get the quality message again.

Notice I said "U.S. chartered companies" instead of "U.S. companies". Many U.S. companies no longer perform like good U.S. citizens ... they appear to be U.S. companies in name (and charter) only. Under our legal system a company chartered in the U.S. is considered to be "a person", hence they should act like a good U.S. citizen-person if they're want to be called a U.S. company.

IMHO, U.S. companies have at least one other top priority besides maximizing return for it's owners and executives ... that other priority is doing what's best for the long term existence and viability of the cultural system in which it is chartered. This other priority encompasses hiring the bulk of their workers from that cultural system, creating within those workers pride in the manufacture of it's products, and paying those workers maybe enough to someday buy some of the top quality products it's workers are putting together.

I prefer my products to come from companies that at least slightly resemble what I describe above. It's now becoming more and more difficult to find products coming from U.S. chartered companies that do. Some other countries still have companies - that started within those countries - that resemble what I describe.

Would I buy a top quality product from a China chartered company when I could not find an equivalent U.S. chartered company version of it ... yes ... just like I do now with top quality products from, say, Germany. But buying a less-than-top-quality version of a product from a U.S. chartered company that has it built in China instead of a top quality version of it built here .... is something else.

I agree with most of what you think a good company should be. However in the reality of todays world if you are a CEO you have definite bosses. When the Wall Street analysts and bankers get you on the conference call and TELL you that your share price is too low and you MUST change things..(Read: Save money) or the banks are not going to continue to loan you money at good rates or at all...then you must do something. This is the reality that many CEO's face everyday.

Is it farsighted? Maybe not. Is it what we want from our corporations? Probably not. But it is the CEO's job to do what it takes to keep the company competitive and viable.

There are only two ways to increase profit (and thus share price) Lower Costs or Raise Prices. Which are you going to do in the hyper sensitive, cost conscious Markets of today?

Your thoughts on corporations are laudable but unrealistic for most in todays marketplace.

[Highway_4x4]

We are getting what we have asked for. Stick a fork in us, we're done.

[Bumpyroad]

Sport45 wrote:


The USA wants cheap products that can be tossed in the trash when they break. And that’s what we get.

when something breaks, I price out fixing it or replacing it. old tube type TVs, just toss. not because they were made cheaply, in fact more expensive than the new ones, but just obsolete.
bumpy