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..

[hoopers]

Popsie wrote:
Only slightly out of date:

How much of US consumables are made in China? -- look at the pie chart!

Also note that the Chinese buy many goods for themselves from lower-developed countries because they are cheaper than Chinese made. These lower-priced items could show up in products shipped to the US as long as the US purchaser agrees.

Hard to believe that pie chart. not everything one reads is always true.

[Popsie]

Only slightly out of date:

How much of US consumables are made in China? -- look at the pie chart!

Also note that the Chinese buy many goods for themselves from lower-developed countries because they are cheaper than Chinese made. These lower-priced items could show up in products shipped to the US as long as the US purchaser agrees.

[CavemanCharlie]

wa8yxm wrote:
It is not just Camping World.. EVERYWHERE, I see quality dropping from what I remember. And guess who is to blame? (The American People)

We demand cheaper and cheaper and we are getting cheeper and cheeper,, More and more things that used to be Quality products made in the USA re cheaply made in China from poor quality materials using labor that is all but unpaid.

IS THERE A SOLUTION?

Well, for starters Demand higher quality,, Where you can buy American (I do not know if they survived but a couple of years ago a company in Canton, MI started making Televisions.. The only ones made in the USA.. See Military note below)

In most cities there is a branch of, I think it is called Junior Achievement.

This orgination, the kids (teens) form teams, purpose a product, sell stock, take orders (pre-orders) then make the product and finally sell it at what amounts to a craft fair.

Usually very high quality products. One of the common products is hangers.. Very good ones I might add.

I found this one:
http://www.elementelectronics.com/

[wa8yxm]

It is not just Camping World.. EVERYWHERE, I see quality dropping from what I remember. And guess who is to blame? (The American People)

We demand cheaper and cheaper and we are getting cheeper and cheeper,, More and more things that used to be Quality products made in the USA re cheaply made in China from poor quality materials using labor that is all but unpaid.

IS THERE A SOLUTION?

Well, for starters Demand higher quality,, Where you can buy American (I do not know if they survived but a couple of years ago a company in Canton, MI started making Televisions.. The only ones made in the USA.. See Military note below)

In most cities there is a branch of, I think it is called Junior Achievement.

This orgination, the kids (teens) form teams, purpose a product, sell stock, take orders (pre-orders) then make the product and finally sell it at what amounts to a craft fair.

Usually very high quality products. One of the common products is hangers.. Very good ones I might add.

[Water-Bug]

That just defined most RVs.

[C-Bears]

Almost forgot what the OP originally asked, or said. Besides taking issue with what country CW may or may not purchase their products, my take on their store is probably a little different than some.

When we first started in our first RV we could easily walk through a CW retail store and come out with $100 worth of "stuff". As we continued to RV and then started full timing we learned what we really needed, what products were good quality, and what other RV products were gimmicks. We have purchased chairs, grills, fire rings, and numerous other items from CW.....most of which are all broken and in the garbage now.

The last thing we actually went to CW for was a fold away PVC clothes hanger for the rear FW ladder. No go, the only thing they had was a heavy metal fold up monster that you could use and it was expensive. I went to Lowes, bought heavy duty PVC and fittings and made my own in about 30 minutes. $20.00 well spent.

I just think CW is kind of a fleamarket for beginning RVers. They seem to carry a lot of high priced, lower quality stuff you don't really need.

[Duck]

Well said Highway 4X4.
Don

[Highway_4x4]

If I want to bash China for what they send here, I will, but I won't because everyone with a memory and a brain knows about all the products that have killed pets and people. The Chinese businesses are controlled by the Communist Gov't that doesn't give a blank about people. What they say and do are two different things. I buy stuff made in China but I buy American or any place else when I can. Not going to get into politics here as it is not allowed. Not telling anyone not to fill their house and RV with everything from China. You do what you want, and I'll do mine. Unlike other countries, here in the USA, we have the freedom to choose.

[CavemanCharlie]

Raymon wrote:
I think another problem is that many buyers do not know how to determine or judge the quality of the products they purchase. Many of my friends buy cheap, low quality tools such as poor quality high speed drill bits. Then they wonder why the drills burn up the first time they try to drill through low carbon steel. Of course the biggest problem is that most consumers want the lowest price plus quality; you just cannot have it both ways.

I find that better quality products last much longer and actually become the better value. It takes some people a long time to learn this lesson.

I agree with this.

It has become hard to find quality products of any kind though. I have taken to shopping at Thrift and Antique stores to find some things. You can get junk at them too so you still have to be a careful shopper.

I saw a junk up Pop Up Camper with AC setting along side the road the other day. I've been trying to find the owner. If I can find him and he wants to sell it cheap I may purchase it and strip if for spare parts. I live on a farm site and have the place to store such things. Not everyone has this ability though.

[Raymon]

I think another problem is that many buyers do not know how to determine or judge the quality of the products they purchase. Many of my friends buy cheap, low quality tools such as poor quality high speed drill bits. Then they wonder why the drills burn up the first time they try to drill through low carbon steel. Of course the biggest problem is that most consumers want the lowest price plus quality; you just cannot have it both ways.

I find that better quality products last much longer and actually become the better value. It takes some people a long time to learn this lesson.

[Water-Bug]

If Chinese manufacturers were required to meet the same environmental standards that American manufacturers meet, it would be a lot more level playing field. It's hard to compete when one side plays by different rules.

[jzrvinit]

From my own personal experience, when we purchased our latest MH we quickly realized it was all about profit. That was quickly resolved when I gutted a brand new RV and completely redid it myself. From the ground up and honestly we used only high end components. Been 10 years, barely ever had any problems.

Admittedly I used items you would find in a higher end home store and not an RV supplier, thus Camping Word was not actively in my sites. Guess that was a good thing.

Then, when the manufacture (GulfStream) almost went out of business and did get out of the MH industry, I felt bad for the employees, but not for the company.

Would hate to see this happen to Camping World, but maybe this is what it will take? They seem to be expanding to quickly to me, hope the merchandisers/buyers at CW understand quality is critical to something most of us use for enjoyment.

I, for one, have gotten less enthused about stopping at a CW store, but I do love looking at the new rigs.

While I enjoy it, would not buy a new rig because I don't want to go back to the headaches of a new rig. I figure if they can't get the parts right from CW, the manufacture will not have an luck either.

DW and I were talking about this today at lunch. Decided our next rig will be a bus conversion we likely do ourselves.

[pnichols]

Why is it that you see a lot more quality problems on a lot more products from C*&^a - no matter how they wound up here in the U.S. - versus products from Europe or Austrailia? Does that indicate something?

If available (and that's a big "if"), I try to buy products sourced from the Eurozone or Australia .... but here's the big gotcha .... products from these areas cost more.

We get what we're willing to pay for. If U.S. shoppers would shop by value - instead of by price - guess what products would cease being on the shelfs?

Note that shopping "by value" does not mean "by highest price" nor "by lowest price" ... it means: Weigh all of a product's specifications (or lack thereof) against what you expect of the product versus your budget ... and then buy the most expensive version of it you can afford if that's what it takes to meet your expectations.

Using the above, I find myself having to shy away from products originating from C*&^a. Does that indicate something?

[old_guy]

they sell the same stuff as my dealer does, only CW is higher on their prices

[down_home]

4X4Dodger wrote:

rk911 wrote:
we'll buy some things at CW that are, let's say, unique, to camping and RVing. but things like hangers...good, sturdy wooden hangers...can be found anywhere. a lot of the junk being sold today is from china. most shoppers care about price instead of value and until that changes we'll continue to be a dumping ground for the chinese reds.

I really wanted to ignore your comment but this thoughtless China Bashing is off target. Assuming you are an intelligent person I decided to give a try to increasing your understanding of Chinese manufacturing.

China makes many of the highest quality products you use in your home and office everyday. Almost all Hi-Def flat screens for TV's and computers are made in China Including Sony's(about 95%) Many of the computer chips that run your Laptop or computer are made in China. All Apple I pods, I pads and much of their computers are made in China and these are recognized as some of the highest quality products built anywhere.

The Chinese workforce is well educated, literate and motivated.

Does China make a lot of really cheap stuff...of course...but it's what has been ordered from the SELLER. They set the specs. They decide what they want to pay...and they get the product they pay for.

Blaming the Chinese is like shooting the messenger, they are making what companies are ordering.

The "Reds" as you call them are without a doubt at this point THE BIGGEST CAPITALIST country on the planet.

And I know this because I have worked in China, traveled from one end to the other of that country and bought many of these products and been in many Chinese factories on behalf of my own business and others. I have imported (to SE ASIA) many really high quality products from there)

And in the end we dont know where the products came from in the post above. It is just as likely that the Mat came from the Philippines, the gauge from Indonesia or Singapore etc.

The bad quality is coming from the BUYER not the Manufacturer.

Well then wherever they buy them how bout buying quality instead of looking to maximize profitability with the junk designed for consumerism.
Back in the seventies the buying trips to Wetvaco or whoever and others, we routinely rejected the junk they import now.
When Sam Walton died and the new CEO took over America started spiraling for the dumpster.
The cry was you got to buy this stuff to make your margins.
At some stores the rejects and returns used to fill several dumpsters.
Pricing structures allow for a lot, of broken and non working junk.
If they sold good products, durable goods, instead and American made we would have a lot more people producing or jobs and the economy would be ticking up.