RV Dealers think new campers are junk

[mellow]

https://jalopnik.com/rv-dealerships-think-new-campers-are-pieces-of-junk-to-1847755639

They are tired of having to fix them and be the bearer of bad news that parts are on back order.

[towpro]

Good time to watch Devils Playground and see where they go to work every day.

[Kayteg1]

Good products don't need salesmen to sell.
Take Tesla for example.
From what I know, Country Coach is selling their coaches directly only as well.

[Bedlam]

As a dealer, you have a choice of which products you sell and then have to service/repair. If you feel that the product is so sub par that it hurts margins or the reputation of your dealership, why would you carry it?

[EYEMLOST]

[Reader1]

I read the article. Dealers are complicit in the problem. The article stated that dealers know which brands have less problems. They do not disclose that information to buyers. I have no sympathy for the dealers having to deal with the issues as long as they don't disclose information that they have.

[Kayteg1]

There is lack of customer education and nobody wants to change it.
For years I've been pointing that even $1/2 milion DP are death traps with no roll-over ratings.
Any accident in ClassA has very high % of fatalities.
At least with TC you have protection of truck cabin, but some accident show that in single-vehicle accidents, when truck hits something in front, the ties have no holding power and camper flips over, squashing the cab.
I think making stronger anchors should be more crucial than upgrading stereo, but average customer is not worrying about anchors.

[Lwiddis]

Privately I believe dealers do say this. Warranty work pays at lower rates.

[zb39]

From what I read about the Hershy RV show dealers think there units are worth quite a bit.

If people keep buying, they will keep selling.

[specta]

Do they tell their customers right up front that they are junk and if they have a problem with their new camper they wont be able to get parts to fix it??

Or do they praise the new camper and squeeze every single penny out of them anyway?

[schlep1967]

jdc1 wrote:
Imagine paying someone $7.25 an hour to build something. Most RV's are made in Indiana. You get what you pay for.

I highly doubt anybody is only earning $7.25. Their paying $18 an hour to stock shelves at Wally World now. The problem is people being paid not to work.
Which means their is a shortage of workers. If somebody is doing **** work and they get fired, they walk across the street and get a new job at another manufacturer. And continue to do a **** job.

[Kayteg1]

Did he caulk them all?
I spend lot of time sealing my Lance camper, where power cable door would let outside air to enter bathroom cabinet and then inside.
All the time spend on sealing brought some improvement, but it took parting the camper out, to discover a big hole, hidden between the basement floor and gray tank, who was not even screened for rodents.
When I could never see it, rodents walking on top of gray tank had super highway inside.

[Reader1]

We have noticed the lack of quality control for many years so it is good that dealers are finally admitting what we all know. We were lucky some of the time and some of the time we weren't. The oddest thing was the mice that came in our brand new Cougar 5th wheel before we even put anything in it. All the holes that were drilled for electric and water were several inches too big and never caulked. We had a super highway for critters before DH caulked them all!

[JimK-NY]

I did my homework. I got a well built TC with no defects. Over the years, now 16 years, parts have worn out but even that has been minimal: water pump, one vent cover, HW ignitor.

[Kayteg1]

Has something changed in last 30 years?
The only difference I see is more failing gadgets in newer models.
I parted 20 yo Lance camper and found 1/2 bucket of sawdust and other debris in closed areas.