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]

rk911 wrote:

pnichols wrote:
... I rate built in Japan products as right up there in quality with built in Germany products.

who's old enough to remember when 'Built in Japan' was then the same as 'Built in China' today? China knows that the Soviet Union's defeat by the west was done with economics...lack of a hard currency. the Chinese reds are not making the same mistake in their quest to bring the west to it's knees.

Agreed

[jzrvinit]

"For starters, an inline "regulator" is not a regulator, it's really a flow restrictor. It has a small dia. hole in it. There will be an orifice into the gauge and if you use it with the gauge pointing down, the gauge will get plugged. You could try removing it and cleaning it. Throw away that inline regulator and get a real one like a Watts 560 series."

I know it is not plugged, thanks will look into the WATTS 560.

[jzrvinit]

Really did not want to get into the China vs US discussion, but we need to look at the truth, at least in my mind.

We need to be smarter as consumers. Quality is not solely based on where the product is made. We have all had issues with products made in the USA.

- Most competitive US manufactures are buying products from China and the global market. There is not a US car, for example, that is completely made in the USA with US built components.

- We have become taken by "Made in the USA" when the fact is, a lot of these products are only assembled in the USA vs a US based/owned company. The profits don't stay in the USA and that is a problem.

- Since we can not control the design or build process, or in a large part where the total product comes from, we need to hold the organizations, such as CW, fully accountable for selling junk.

That is why I'm focusing on CW and not where the product is made. Don't get me wrong I prefer to purchase from US based/owned companies, but it is not always possible, sadly.

[RobertRyan]

Water-Bug wrote:
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.

No that is not the problem , if you have a certain quality that has to be met, then the Chinese have to do it. Many, Korean and Japanese Electronic products are built in China

[Highway_4x4]

Well then, I guess we better just enjoy the last days of this nation as we have known it.

[shaneperch]

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.

You are very correct. It is not where something is made geologically that is, If I am say a stereo manufacturer and I spec for a speaker, 3/4 inch baltic birch plywood and built to say,, the same exact specs as a Klipschorn in every way. It will be the same quality. Saying a Chinese speaker is a piece of junk just for where it's made is like saying Gilligs suck cause they are made in California and Winnebagos are the best cause they are made in Indiana. it don't matter. what matters is.. what spec is it made too. If CW specs were Polycarbonite or Lucite plastic coat hangars they will last just as long as if they were made in St Louis Mo. People are people and people are equal from all areas of the world and frankly Indonesia makes some of the BEST of the BEST pianos and organs and some of their pianos rival German pianos. It is the lack of quality concern the bottom line of most companies and bean counters. I have a drill make by Chicago tool and it outlasted a Milwaukee and it was only 65 bucks. i have a biscuit joiner that is as good as any and it is a Chicago tool as well,, made in China and made of high quality parts and materials. If that drill or joiner was made in Chicago it wouldn't be any better unless made of cast iron and silver windings. IT is specs specs specs NOT location. Off my soap box. sorry

[4X4Dodger]

Highway 4x4 wrote:
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.

You actually are filling your home with products, and good ones, from China you just don't know it. Many of the parts in many of the things you use on a daily basis (and that are perfectly good) are sourced in China.

There are many parts in the vehicle you drive, which I am sure you think is made in America, but in reality come from Indonesia, China and other places.

Unfortunately in my experience many Americans have a very limited knowledge of China and that comes mostly from our media.

As for Chinese companies being "owned and run" by the government. The vast majority ARE NOT. The Chinese military is heavily invested in owning some tourist related businesses like a few hotels (Usually bad ones) but by far and away most companies in China are just like ours.

Do bad things happen? Of Course they do. Out of 1.4 Billion people that's a given, and bad things happen right here in American companies too.

I am not an apologist for China's bad actions nor am I blind to their abuses. But I have a view of their country that comes from Extensive travel and doing business there that includes most of their major cities many factories and I just want to bring a little reality to the China Quality/Manufacturing issue.

Once again: your gripe lies with the Buyers/Sellers of the products you are buying NOT with the Chinese manufacturer. They are just producing what the buyer wants.

[rk911]

pnichols wrote:
... I rate built in Japan products as right up there in quality with built in Germany products.

who's old enough to remember when 'Built in Japan' was then the same as 'Built in China' today? China knows that the Soviet Union's defeat by the west was done with economics...lack of a hard currency. the Chinese reds are not making the same mistake in their quest to bring the west to it's knees.

[pnichols]

myredracer wrote:
And like it or not, a lot of products are made in China. If people don't like it, why does everyone keep buying it? Because people buy based on price and don't think about what it's doing to the American (or Canadian) workforce.

Also ... people who buy based on price don't think about how they're enabling (by giving positive feedback to) the suppliers to keep on offering what they're offering because it continues to sell.

If people would "go without" or "go elsewhere when possible" on products the suppliers would get the message and up the quality rather than slowly go out of business.

By the way, I've found that Taiwan and Japan sourced products are just about 100% universally superior to products sourced from China. Especially products actually built in Japan (as opposed to Japanese brands actually built somewhere else) ... I rate built in Japan products as right up there in quality with built in Germany products.

[rk911]

myredracer wrote:
...And like it or not, a lot of products are made in China. If people don't like it, why does everyone keep buying it? Because people buy based on price and don't think about what it's doing to the American (or Canadian) workforce.

or because it's the only game in town. i buy American when i can but if not and there's a choice between Chinese and say, Japanese or Taiwan, i'll buy from them instead. at least they are democracies.

[myredracer]

jzrvinit wrote:
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..

For starters, an inline "regulator" is not a regulator, it's really a flow restrictor. It has a small dia. hole in it. There will be an orifice into the gauge and if you use it with the gauge pointing down, the gauge will get plugged. You could try removing it and cleaning it. Throw away that inline regulator and get a real one like a Watts 560 series.

Plastic clothes hangers are very common in homes and RVs. These can break easily and there are good ones and crappy ones. Get one that has thick plastic, or better, a metal one.

How much did you pay for the outdoor mat? Did you buy the cheapest one on the shelf? We actually have one from CW and it's about to go into it's 4th season.

When buying RV parts and and accessories, you need to do due diligence with each item you want to buy to see what differences are out there.

CW sells pretty much the exact same stuff you can buy anywhere else. You need to investigate the quality if you want something to last longer. Take sewer hoses for example. There are quite a few different ones available. Some are low end quality and there are some high quality ones. Which one would you buy and why? You get what you pay for.

The thing that bothers me about CW is their high prices. Everything is always on sale to give the illusion you are getting a super deal. The truth is, it can be purchased elsewhere for less and often, a lot less. We've bought a lot of RV stuff on the internet, and not much of it has been CW. Amazon and ebay are typically high priced too. There are quite a few online vendors with not only excellent prices, but also excellent service. There are maybe around 10 or so such as Tweetys.com, PPLMotorhomes.com, MakariosRV.com, RVupgradestore.com, etc.

One good thing about CW is their catalogue. You can scan all the eye candy that is available and if you see something you lke, go do a google search and compare prices.

And like it or not, a lot of products are made in China. If people don't like it, why does everyone keep buying it? Because people buy based on price and don't think about what it's doing to the American (or Canadian) workforce.

[Bumpyroad]

aren't house, car, medical expenses the biggest ones? most of those are not from China.
bumpy

[pnichols]

That chart represents "all money spent by U.S. consumers" which includes the big outlays like homes, medical, food, autos, etc.. This makes the trends indicated in the chart unfairly biased away from a detailed and telling breakdown of all the money spent by U.S. consumers for "small items" ... such as certain appliances, home furnishings, garden and shop tools, clothing, shoes, various replacement parts, flashlights, patio hardware, recreation equipment, etc..

I'll bet that the bulk these type of small items is where most of us are noticing the "Made in China" quality problems ... at least that's the case for myself. I'd like to see a pie chart of where the manufacturing is being done for our small item purchases. Chances are the implications would be different seeing that data!

[rk911]

hoopers wrote:

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.

yup...and that would include that pie chart.

[Bumpyroad]

hoopers wrote:

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.

but it is based on author's calculations so it can't be slanted or misrepresentative.
bumpy