Some thoughts on Quality

[CFerguson]

Please don't anyone start a flame war, but in a recent thread, there were informed comments about a brand/model not being very good. Now I'm merely a consumer with a goodly number of years in Travel Trailers (and a spectator in RVs in general) and other than a certain shiny brand that costs twice what everything else costs, Qualitywise they are all pretty much the same imo.

If someone more knowledgeable than I cares to weigh in on this, I'd like to hear of brands that are appreciably above the norm in this industry.

[Vintage465]

I think quality is directly related to what type of trailer you get. I think it's wrong to compare a stick and tin trailer to a laminated aluminum trailer. I think its wrong to compare a hybrid trailer to tent trailer. And having said that, I think it's wrong to compare a light weight or an ultra light to a regular laminated laminated trailer like my Creek Side. Mine has 2" walls, a lot of ultra lights have 1-1/2" walls. Go bouncing down dirt roads with those two trailers for hundreds of miles over 10 years and the one with 2" laminated wall will likely be in better shape. Not 'cause it's higher quality, but because it's designed to be light weight and made to be towed by a lighter vehicle. And, I tend to think Airstreams are really better that most laminated rigs. I think the BigFoot and the Escapes are probably higher quality with more care to detail. But again, different rig and certainly different price. But, look at a Lance trailer. Lots of higher end stuff in a Lance with great fit, finish and attention to detail, but I don't think they're going to have the durability of an ORV or a Northwoods. All this is just my opinion and what I've observed. We all have our trailers. We all know what we like in our trailers and what we don't like in other trailers, which is why we have our trailers! Love 'em, improve 'em, camp in 'em!

[NWnative]

Will answer ONLY based on my experience - Starcraft Pop Up - No Issues, Forest River TT - out of alignment since day one but only noticed when it was out of warranty and tires were worn down on one side, Crossroads 5vr - Lots of electrical issues - when we traveled in the rain, the junction boxes underneath would fill with water and short the GFI outlets. Dealer made several attempts to fix with no luck, Coachman Class C - No issues to speak of. Current Airstream - No issues to speak of...fit, finish, and durability is much much better than any of the previous units I have owned. Wish I would have gone with Airstream much sooner.....

[SoundGuy]

the bear II wrote:
We've had 4 RV in the past 40 years the first two were great no problems. The next two had a few quality issues but were taken care of by the factory or dealer and the RV's were great after that.

And therein lies the rub - all too often "issues" are not resolved in a timely manner satisfactory to the RV owner. 😞

[the_bear_II]

One thing I always keep in mind when reading posts is the old adage if someone isn't satisfied with a product or service they will tell 10 people. If they are satisfied they only tell 5 people.

You'll see complaints on the RV forums but you rarely see praise for the quality of an RV brand.

With millions of RV's out there- the complaints we see on the forum are relatively few.

We've had 4 RV in the past 40 years the first two were great no problems. The next two had a few quality issues but were taken care of by the factory or dealer and the RV's were great after that.

[mlh]

Everyone will have their preferred brands. The same "methods" are used to put them together. There are differences in the finish of certain items. We like the puma line. It is not necessarily the top of the line, but we have had success with a couple of them. When comparing them to brands at the local CW, I find that the lines they carry appear to be "cheaper". The trim, finish of the cabinets, extra touches, etc. all make a difference IMHO. When we bought our last TT, it was between a rockwood and a puma. The Rockwood was clearly the winner when it came to fit and finish. I was leaning towards the Rockwood, but the layout of the puma worked better for us. The puma still had all the things I wished my last RV had. The rockwood cost almost 10k more than the puma by the way.

I was asked by a newbie a few years ago about what to look for in a TT and how are they priced. I told him to look at the cheaper models, look in the cabinets, storage areas, drawers, etc. Then I said to look in an expensive TT and do the same thing. Then you decide what is important to you.

[ppine]

I have owned a bunch of RVs and the workmanship tends to be below average with average parts. The two exceptions have been a Nash trailer and a Rockwood which are above average. The 2012 has PEX plumbing and the corners are pretty square as an example. Much better than an average unit like a Dutchman.

[old_guy]

having been in the rv service for a few years I can tell you two things all are really the same but then building an rv is not rocket science.

[SoundGuy]

RobWNY wrote:
I agree with the OP. The vast majority of brands are all about the same.

Having owned several popups, a hybrid, and a couple of travel trailers I'd agree, though I would say that IMO Fleetwood popups were at the time a step above everyone else in overall quality despite the fact the company had an awful time trying to manufacture a roof that wouldn't leak or otherwise deteriorate. :R Our hybrid / TT experiences suggest to me that whether any given trailer is relatively trouble free or nothing but a headache for as long as you own it is more a matter of luck than anything else. JMO but I think most owners would be a little less critical of the RV industry as a whole if dealers and manufacturers alike would be more willing to step up to the plate and actually put honest effort into addressing any owner's concerns about their rig.

[wanderingaimles]

As most seem to have alluded to, the brands may not be terribly different in that they all buy similar style frames, use similar materials for their construction, and have basically the same appliances and systems.
Similar price points across the brands under these circumstances should yield similar quality levels.

Some may do one part of the process a little better than another, but overall they should even out.

What does appear to change in quality is support. Some brands seem to have a markedly better reputation for how they back up their products.

Thor as compared to Winnebago or Grand Design as compared to Forest River for example. But even here, you will find some folks who have had experiences outside the wider experiences you hear about.

[grampscamper]

I spoke to a service manager at a dealership that sold several brands of trailers. He said he noticed quite a drop in quality over the past ten years or so.
My experience is Grand Design may be a step above some of the other manufacturers. My personal experience is they provide outstanding customer service.

[downtheroad]

We have had a popup and 4 travel trailers....

so....from that experience our Arctic Fox (Northwood) has been the best in terms of quality.

but it is much heavier and is more expensive than most other brands out there.

[RobWNY]

I agree with the OP. The vast majority of brands are all about the same. I've been to many RV shows and observed many different brands and found this to be true as far as basic build is concerned. Where there is some difference is in the features and quality of things put in and on RV's. For instance, you find Goodyear Endurance tires on many Jayco TT's but mostly China Bombs on the other manufacturers offerings. There are several examples with the various manufacturers but you get the point I Was making I'm sure.

[drsteve]

Since the industry doesn't publish numbers detailing their quality problems, and JD Power and other quality checkers don't do RVs, we have nothing but anecdotal evidence.