Kickin' some tires AKA looking at new RV's

[bodyshop_bob]

So for the last two weekends the DW and I have visited our 3 local RV dealers. "Not to buy" we tell each other, "we're just looking" we tell the sales staff. We took in a RV show in Atlanta and drove 20 miles out of town to look at what a dealer didn't bring to the show.
We like the Front Living floor plan in some of the 5'ers; we saw a very strange Rear Deck in another but after days of searching and climbing a Washington Monument equivalent in steps we did not find that "this is it" moment.
Questions for you RV Professionals: Do manufacturers like Forest River and Jayco build all their 5th wheels on the same line and just use different (better) materials to produce the top-of-the-line models?
Q2: Does better materials over workmanship produce a better 5th wheel?
Q3: What makes a Keystone Alpine thousands higher than a Cougar?
Last Q: what are some high quality 5'ers that haven't gotten crazy expensive?

[Raymon]

If it is a multiple brand assembly plant, just remember one thing: most likely it is the same labor crew that manufactures and assembles all the various brands and models. Therefore, to expect better quality of workmanship in the higher priced units would be unrealistic. I asked a general contractor once why the workmanship in a $500,000 house was no better than the workmanship in a $25,000 house. He stated "it is the same people building the houses. They don't know the price of the house and if they did, they would not care". I believe the same goes for RV's. JMHO

Ray

[alfredmay]

lmost every component manufacturer has mutiple levels of quality or features in their products. Ceiling exhaust fans, stoves, frigs, bedding, windows, chairs, etc.

This also goes for products used to in construction of the "house" and how the house is put together. If you compare a low end 5er to a high end and look carefully, you will see almost nothing is the same.

[Highway_4x4]

I think high quality is a flip of the coin on the assembly line.

[donn0128]

Not sure about the other brands, but Forest River has separate plants for each brand except maybe Cedar Creek and Silverback. They are run on the same assembly line. With these two the basic difference is amenities and a few floor plans. What is option on the Silverback is standard on the regular Cedar Creek.
IMHO high quality is in the eye of the beholder. Our 2005 Creek is still going strong with only two items that need fixing as I type this. One day after the warranty expires high quality comes down to one thing, after sales customer service. Can I get a hold of the parts department? Can I buy the parts from them, or do I have to go find a dealer? Do they still have the parts I need in stock at a decent price? That is the real test of quality, not will it hold up for 366 days.