Is there a QUALITY Travel Trailer still built?

[bbaley]

I have new Keystone Cougar TT and I am sick of it.
There is nothing about it that doesn't scream "I am going to break or fall apart in a few more miles"

I previously had an R-Vision which was built 300% better than this,
and previous to that a Fleetwood Tent Trailer - also built really really well.

Sadly, even though made in my home state, this thing just stinks.
Everything is flimsy, half completed junk work done by some guy who didn't care late on Friday afternoon, and components chosen to save pennies.

Is there anything in the functional world of travel trailers (e.g. not Airstream) that isn't complete JUNK ?

I am ready to trade.

[GrandpaKip]

Well, we're gonna take our junk camper to Hartwell Lake for 2 weeks, another 2 weeks at Hunting Island, then an 8 week trip out west. Sure hope it lasts that long.

[RollandB]

I would agree to check out Northwood Products especially Arctic Fox. We have had our 5er for a out 9 months, a few small things have needed attention (non are perfect). We looked at Outdoor RV products and felt the Arctic Fox a better trailer overall. If you are serious about changing I'd make the trip to LaGrande for a factory tour.

[cruz-in]

IMHO one flaw with the argument... Vast majority of TTs cost no where near $40k...

[bbaley]

rbpru wrote:
When it comes to TT construction vs. our good old home sweet homes, there are several things to consider.

Ask your self this, how long did you live in your house before you had to make the first repair? Was your house built in one day for every 120 sq./ft. or did it take months to build? Was it built by semi-skilled labor who were paid by the home? Did they purchase the cheapest appliances designed for the market or did you pick what you wanted or supply them yourself? And finally how fast have you driven you home down the road?

If you want "home construction" you are not going to find it in the RV world. About the closest I have seen are the "Tiny Homes" market. It is out there if you have the money.

Yes, yes. I keep seeing this argument.
However,
$40,0000 is $40,000.

If you bought a car, which at the time you bought it it was too new to find any bad reviews, and it "appeared" to be ok, then within the first year you had encountered the list of problems I listed,
would you still be making the same argument ?

And yes, the auto and RV industries are different.
In fact the way they are different would suggest they should be BETTER than cars.

Why ?
Because the auto industry has to spend BILLIONS of dollars on design and safety.
The RV industry is working with the same old thing with minor changes and improvements if any, and almost NONE of the billions of research, design and safety expenditure.

So that alone should offset the difference in manufacturing quantity vs. price. Lets not forget also the billions of $$$ in automation equipment used in the auto industry that is not in the RV world.

I don't know what the margin on an RV is for the mfg but obviously it is either too low to pay for good labor and design and materials, or too much is being pocketed and not enough re-invested.

I understand ALL the arguments put forward. None sufficiently account for my view that the (low) quality of these units is without parallel in other products in the same price range.

It is starting to sound like the answer is a resounding, no. sorry. The state of this industry will not support any quality because of (us) the customer not being willing to pay for it.= and willing to put up with junk.

Sad.

[jaycocreek]

Is there anything in the functional world of travel trailers (e.g. not Airstream) that isn't complete JUNK ?

I can open up the local paper and find tons of older travel trailers 40-50 years old that are totally functional.Just like a pickup truck,things need to be replaced and fixed as they age.

I have been owning RV's of every flavor for a long long time and never have bought anything that was junk.I would never buy an abused one or one that made the grade by mistake...

A buyer has to look at every aspect of the trailer from head to toe before buying, just as you would a car or truck.If the quality is not what you want,then pass on it until you find what you want.There are know more lemon RV's than there are trucks or cars,new or used.They all have there quirks.

I have never owned a piece of junk RV and I have owned about every brand out there at one time or another.They need TLC for sure but know different from anything else.

[myredracer]

duplicate...

[myredracer]

Man oh man, houses and TTs are such polar opposites (sigh).

The residential construction industry is highly regulated (structural, plumbing, electrical, etc.) by codes, standards and regulations that must be followed. There are various gov't inspectors that check the work and sometimes engineers. If something doesn't comply, work can be rejected, there is an AHJ to file a complaint with and there can be consequences to tradespersons and contractors. The smallest of details are covered like length & size of nails, where & how many nails and nailing pattern. Most of the materials must meet various standards and regulations. When you buy a house, you know someone has your back and you have the weight of the gov't behind you.

In comparison, a problem with the TT industry is the lack of codes and standards, there are no inspections done by gov't inspectors and there is no agency to file a complaint with if construction or materials are non-compliant. One example is the total lack of codes and standards for the construction of frames & suspensions. No SAE, ASTM, ASME, CSA, etc. No independent certification. Nothing. A frame manufacturer can build a frame however they want, and they do. How would you know if the frame you have really is adequately rated to carry the load of the superstructure sitting on it? Just because the TT manufacturer assigns a GVWR makes it perfectly okay for the intended use, weight and length? How would you know if the welding complies with any codes & standards? How can they get away with the frames made from 3 pieces of 1/8" mild steel welded together and the excessive flex they have?

There are a few codes and standards that are supposed to be followed like electrical work for example. It is *supposed* to comply with the NEC. I have found many things that don't or the workmanship is simply bad. There are many reports of grounding and safety issues out there. Who ever inspects the work to ensure it complies with the NEC? If you find issues, minor or major, is there an AHJ that you, an owner can report it to? Not as far as I know. I recently found an electrical issue that could potentially have been deadly if I hadn't come across it.

I spent my entire career as an engineer in building construction. I am aghast at many of the things I have found in the 3 TTs we've owned and continue to find. Many things would never, ever be accepted in the building construction industry and probably not in the automotive world either. I probably have a higher expectation on how to build things properly. Some TT owners are perfectly willing to accept the substandard quality & issues they have (like some friends we have). Someone commented that a TT should only last 7 years. Really? Maybe some brands/models...

There is just no will or interest by TT manufacturers in improving construction quality and in some cases, safety. It's like an industry culture created and run by an old boy's network. What will it take to improve things? Dunno. We know some folks that were the victims of a very serious problem with a TT that ended up with getting the whole TT replaced under warranty. I've heard of a number of cases of that. Should never be possible to be that bad to start with. Am too old now to care much anymore and will just resign myself to keep on fixing things as they break or I come across them. At least our truck is dependable and durable.

[rbpru]

When it comes to TT construction vs. our good old home sweet homes, there are several things to consider.

Ask your self this, how long did you live in your house before you had to make the first repair? Was your house built in one day for every 120 sq./ft. or did it take months to build? Was it built by semi-skilled labor who were paid by the home? Did they purchase the cheapest appliances designed for the market or did you pick what you wanted or supply them yourself? And finally how fast have you driven you home down the road?

If you want "home construction" you are not going to find it in the RV world. About the closest I have seen are the "Tiny Homes" market. It is out there if you have the money.

[Downwindtracke1]

I'm of the opinion that the manufactures don't really want the unit to last much past the payments.

[goducks10]

cruz-in wrote:
Not meaning to be critical, so please just take this as another opinion.

However, items like faucets breaking, I do blame the trailer manufacturer. They could have chosen higher quality faucets. Ditto on the front cap fading...should have sourced from a higher quality fiberglass shop...On both probably went with low bidder.

Don't mean this directed at Northwood. Just suing them as an example. Same applies to all other manufacturers.

Agree, but at what cost? Ho much more money can a MFG add without pricing themselves out of certain customers.
Most buyers don't even know what they're getting. I've been to enough RV shows and listened to people inside an RV and some of the things they say leave no doubt they really don't have a clue about what they're buying. Uninformed for the most part.

It seems that we can all nit pic things about our own RVs that could be improved on with more $$ being spent. I would be willing to be that you could get several owners of one brands model and they would all tell you a different improvements that they would like. Each one would add cost to the RV.

It would not be that big of a deal to spend an extra $30 on a good quality bathroom sink faucet, but would most buyers even notice? Not from what I've seen. The ones that do, don't care because they won't have a problem buying a nicer one when the cheap one breaks.

[eubank]

Ah, Thor was initially formed by THompson and ORthwein in 1979/1980 for the expressed purpose of purchasing Airstream from Beatrice Foods.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_Industries

http://vintageairstream.com/frequently-asked-questions-faqs/general-notes-history/

Lynn

djsamuel wrote:

hvac wrote:
Try looking at camplite trailers. Particularly those 2 years or older. Ours all aluminum. Top to bottom. Ours is incredibly durable. Thor bought them and cutting on quality. Same happened to Airstream. Too bad

Our 2013 Camplite 21BHS has been terrific so far.

[eubank]

And mucked this one up, too!
😞
Lynn

[eubank]

messed up this post!

[djsamuel]

hvac wrote:
Try looking at camplite trailers. Particularly those 2 years or older. Ours all aluminum. Top to bottom. Ours is incredibly durable. Thor bought them and cutting on quality. Same happened to Airstream. Too bad

Our 2013 Camplite 21BHS has been terrific so far.

[Hannibal]

I hear you there bigrigfixer. I'd rather not have a slide either but, I made the mistake of trading our small TT for a two slide 5th wheel years ago. Once we went big, it's all but impossible to go back to small and keep her happy. I'll admit it would be tough for me too. I'd miss my recliner.