Are there any mfrs with bad overall reputations?

The OP question is one of the worst framed questions I've ever heard. Maybe you should look at the opposite direction. What manufacture have the highest customer satisfaction?
MM49

Quality Awards

Lynnmor wrote:

rickm wrote:

camperforlife wrote:
I think every brand can make a "bad" trailer. I personally would never touch another Starcraft which is a Jayco product. Jayco is a loved brand on this forum. I love my defect free KZ Spree 261RKS and there is a member of this forum that has the same trailer and has page after page of photos that he feels are defects. KZ is a well respected brand on this forum.

Bottom line is no brand is "faultless" so make sure you buy from a dealer that you can count on to make things right when a "good" trailer goes "bad".

.... and a good friend of mine purchased a KZ product, not sure the model....has the rear hardslide bunk, first trip out, they had bad weather, and it leaked all over.... i told her contact the manufacturer.....the "stump" on the other end of the line was real helpful. I felt so bad for her, this unit sucked, and so did the company..... 0 help, take it back to the dealer

Now you can't go saying bad things about a "well respected" brand. Even if you post photos to show an issue they will be dismissed.

Lynmor you weren't being dismissed, obviously you had many issues that were of great concern. I'm not sure the point of the other quote except maybe I hit a nerve complaining about a Jayco product. However both reinforce my comment that even well respected brands at times have issues. No brand is immune.

Ron3rd wrote:
...I am not aware of any current major mfg with a bad reputation.

Probably true in most industries. The bad ones usually end up putting themselves out of business. Unfortunately the last people to buy before they fold usually get screwed.

With the recent downturn in the RV business many closed the doors. Some due to financial reasons and others because of simply being a poorly run business. A bad reputation usually results in money troubles.

MargaretB wrote:

I was thinking of situations analogous to the Yugo - universally regarded as being of poor quality.

Everyone bags on the Yugo, but they did have the wonderful standard feature of the rear window defroster, which worked best at keeping ones hands warm while pushing the car.

MargaretB wrote:

old guy wrote:
yes all have their different problems, I had them with one TT I bought and at one time I worked at a RV dealership and the one thing I can tell you is stay away from entry level TT's. they are cheaply built. now, all TT manufacturing is not rocket science but the better or higher priced models are your best bet. better quality materials go into them.

I'm not sure what qualifies as an "entry level" TT. Weight? Length? Price? Features?

I was thinking of situations analogous to the Yugo - universally regarded as being of poor quality.

I don't think all entry levels are built the same. I've heard more than once that the simpler they are, the easier they are to build and the less to go wrong. Some you can see where the cost and weight reduction is, others you can't. it's the hidden things that will get ya.

In our light weight, entry level, 3 season trailer you can see the plastic sinks and toilet, the OSB in the cabinets, even the fact that it is narrower and shorter than a regular 25 ft trailer. Luckily it has a solid wood floor, not foam core and they didn't cheap out on the frame, it has a CCC of 3000 lbs. The construction is much the same as other GS rigs except it can fit places the bigger ones can't. It has also been fault free for 4 seasons even though we drag it over the rough back roads of the Rockies and see all the extremes in weather.

As far as fit and finish goes, from what I have seen more expensive means nicer stuff but not necessarily better fit and finish.

rickm wrote:

camperforlife wrote:
I think every brand can make a "bad" trailer. I personally would never touch another Starcraft which is a Jayco product. Jayco is a loved brand on this forum. I love my defect free KZ Spree 261RKS and there is a member of this forum that has the same trailer and has page after page of photos that he feels are defects. KZ is a well respected brand on this forum.

Bottom line is no brand is "faultless" so make sure you buy from a dealer that you can count on to make things right when a "good" trailer goes "bad".

.... and a good friend of mine purchased a KZ product, not sure the model....has the rear hardslide bunk, first trip out, they had bad weather, and it leaked all over.... i told her contact the manufacturer.....the "stump" on the other end of the line was real helpful. I felt so bad for her, this unit sucked, and so did the company..... 0 help, take it back to the dealer

Now you can't go saying bad things about a "well respected" brand. Even if you post photos to show an issue they will be dismissed.

That I am aware of, none still in business after two RV industry recessions, but startups always have some potential to do things wrongly.

There are trailers that are sold by fast buck artists who were seldom around to handle complaints. They are glitzy units with fancy sounding names. I ran across a few of them last year at a campground in Ohio. As the old saying goes, "If it seems too good to be true........"

camperforlife wrote:
I think every brand can make a "bad" trailer. I personally would never touch another Starcraft which is a Jayco product. Jayco is a loved brand on this forum. I love my defect free KZ Spree 261RKS and there is a member of this forum that has the same trailer and has page after page of photos that he feels are defects. KZ is a well respected brand on this forum.

Bottom line is no brand is "faultless" so make sure you buy from a dealer that you can count on to make things right when a "good" trailer goes "bad".

.... and a good friend of mine purchased a KZ product, not sure the model....has the rear hardslide bunk, first trip out, they had bad weather, and it leaked all over.... i told her contact the manufacturer.....the "stump" on the other end of the line was real helpful. I felt so bad for her, this unit sucked, and so did the company..... 0 help, take it back to the dealer

I will tell you what we did, first we listened to word of mouth from friends & Family. We researched trailers on the lots in the worst weather to see how well they held up, ie: leaks, noise, and drove around local campgrounds and politely invited ourselves to the public campfires and listened intently to camper gripes & praises about what they did and did not like about their machines. I personally and boldly waltzed right into the local service departments and questioned the mechanics. I am a Hospital Maintenance mechanic, so we got along quite fine, they know everything about the brands out on the market. In the end its what YOU and family want.