The "Anti-Lemon?" - Thoughts on quality

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by Daycruiser

No, your experience is more the norm than the exception. Forums tend to hear mostly from those that have had issues than not. My family sells between 100 and 200 RVs each month and has for over 50 years and a very small percentage of those come back with serious issues. Don't misunderstand, there are some real doosies that make it out of the factory and self-destruct within the first 6 months. I've seen garbage built by all the big guys, some more than others. The key is catching the defects before you sign and getting them corrected or walk away.

We are not in your neck of the woods, but you sound like the kind of dealer I would buy from.

We bought our current A-frame from Robert's RV in Denver (also family owned, family run). Robert's had the model we were interested in delivered on their storage lot, but had not pulled it over or prepped it for display.

It was incredibly dirty, and the interior surfaces had a lot of scratches. We signed a contract with a final inspection contingency.

Two weeks later, we went to pick it up. I was prepared to spend the day getting items fixed or walking away. Roberts had done an incredible prep job. Any remaining issues were fixed on the spot - took about 2 hours.

The unit has not gone back for anything. I have pulled the wheels and repacked the bearings at 9 months. Had the tires (Castle Rocks) balanced while wheels were off.

The WFCO 8735P converter never went out of normal mode - stayed at 13.7V no matter what. I expected that from previous experience, and replaced the WFCO with a PD 4135 converter/panel. Although the wiring was all functional, I replaced the wire nut nest with bus bars, and added a battery cut-off switch, voltmeter, and a stereo power switch while I was working on wiring.

I corrected most of the fridge installation issues - didn't meet Dometic installation specs - and obtained improved cooling for the fridge.

I see an RV as more like a house than a new car - I expect to do maintenance and improvements, and customize it to suit ME. People used to customize their cars, too.

just my experiences
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[cherokeebill]

It is nice to hear that people are having good initial quality experiences. This is not our experience. We are on our 6th rv now. We have owned two truck campers, two fifth wheel trailers and we are now on our second travel trailer. Our campers were used so all the bugs had been worked out of them. Both our fifth wheel trailers were new and our current tt is new. All our new units had significant initial quality control issues. When talking to our friends who have rvs and when talking to fellow campers it is apparent that our experience is the norm. While I am happy for people who do not have any initial issues I think the rv industry puts out a pretty poor product. When we bought our current trailer I tried to determine if the quality control issues related to the structure of the trailer or simply the interior. In our case the trailer appeared to be structuraly sound and it turns out it is. We have now put about 15,000 kms on it and no issues. However, I needed to fix numerous interior problems. Drawers came apart, murphy bed not secured adequately, microwave not installed right, speakers incorrectly wired were some of the issues.



Interestingly, we have now put 15,000 kms on our Castle Rock tires. No separation, no apparent tread loss, no decrease in air pressure. After reading all the horror stories about these tires I was concerned. My dealer though told me that he has sold hundreds of RVs with Castle Rock tires and he believes that they perform as well as other trailer tires. The key is air pressure, correct load and avoiding excessive speed. His statement, not mine, is that most of the problems he has seen are a result of operator error.



There, just my two cents.

[Suru]

Well, we bought our trailer last January. We've taken it out on 5 trips so far. In April, after the third trip, we had to put in a warranty claim because the kitchen faucet had a small pinhole in it that has steadily gotten larger so now it constantly leaks. The paint on the stabilizer jacks has all peeled off and the jacks are rusting badly. The entry door handle is very difficult to open and you have to really work the keys to get them to turn. The door also is difficult to shut. We can't figure out how to work the water miser in the shower and I'm pretty sure it's defective.

We also noticed that the kitchen sink was not installed level and not sealed around the edge so water could splash into the drawer below. Last week on the trailer's 5th trip, we came back from a hike and the sink had completely detached from the counter and fell into the drawer. Silicone was not used anywhere and the only thing holding it was 2 little clips with 2 short small screws screwed into the particle board counter.

I realize that things can rattle loose driving down the road, but I think these items were all factory defects. The worse part is we have been waiting since April to get the parts (the paperwork has supposedly been lost twice) and get it all fixed. My hubby is very handy and could fix everything himself if we could just get the parts. Yesterday we were told for the 3rd time that the parts will arrive at the dealer next week . . . but we'll see.

I thought Rockwood was a more "premium" brand and would be better built than other brands. Guess I was wrong.

[CAACTUS]

The original poster is lucky. Others, myself included, not so much. There’s no excuse for shoddy workmanship, regardless of the price of the trailer. Mine had a stripped out bolt on the forward A/C attachment that caused it to leak in the dealers parking lot for a year. Also, one the slides had issues. Seemed OK during inspection but after use, it had major problems that I could not fix. Ultimately, it was found to be completely out of adjustment in all adjustable ways. No amount of preventative maintenance on my part would have made a difference. I love the trailer. It’s been wonderful for my family to enjoy and I don’t regret the purchase....but I am disappointed with FR.

[spurticus]

Originally Posted by EdJunior

My only big thing was the tires. I still had the original tires (only 4 years old, and less than 3K miles). I had a triple blowout on a trip home one time. A 5 1/2 hour drive turned into a 14 1/2 hour nightmare. The trailer got 4 new Maxxis tires after that. Otherwise, a loose light cover here, a piece of trim popped up there, and other very minor items. No major complaints other than the tires.

Not sure why FR does not follow Jayco’s lead and use GY Endurance tires on all trailers. At least offer it as an option.

[jenandrand]

We too have been happy with our FR trailer. We did have a couple of issues during our PDI and shake down trip, stove exhaust fan not wired in, some missing curtain hardware, our awning remote operated backwards (out was in and in was out). Overall though not too much to complain about and this forum has been fantastic in helping learn many things about our trailer and RV'ing in general.

Randy and Jeannette

[Egalt]

We've had our MB MH for over a year now - and had nothing but great experiences. I do 99% of the maintenance myself on the coach, and take it to the MB dealer for the Chassis checkups.

Only one time did it have to go back to the RV dealer for a seal replacement on the slide out that was installed poorly. After the Fix - all is well. And the dealership provided great service - mostly because I understood how these service departments work. You must have patience!

I am under the same mindset as the original post - follow the schedules, keep up clean and maintained - all should be good.

Wife and I a super stoked about our decision to get our MH - we always want to stay out longer, and can't wait for the next trip out!!

[AndreTheGiant]

I have to say, I felt a bit offended by the, what felt to me, arrogant tone in the OP's post.

Originally Posted by Smiletwice

...

Am I just lucky? I don't think any of the routine maintenance I perform is extraordinary. This forum provides a great resource AFTER problems occur. It seems that a little more attention to the little things BEFORE something goes wrong might increase the approval ratings on RV quality in general.

...

Yes, you are lucky.

And I don't know if you are comparing apples to oranges. Towing 3-4 times a year - you may not have as many problems as some who goes out 10-15 times a year. If you have 1 slide, statistically you have much lower chance of failure than someone with 4 slides. Longer floor plan/more features will increase the chances of more things being wrong, etc.

Even people who say they are happy with their rv, admit that they had to do something.

I am happy with my 5ver, but there is no denying that the "workmanship" is shoddy at best. So far I have zero complaints about the design or the parts (about what I expected), but the assembly is far from quality. I would rather have had mine assembled in Mexico; there is just no pride in doing your job right anymore.

I know that in the past I have bought used TTs that were 5+ years old and never had any issues, just like you. And I mean - no issues at all. And those TTs used the same materials as the newer ones. They were just put together really well. I am convinced that 90%+ of the issues today are assembly related. Something wasn't wired right, connected right, sealed right, etc.

[pkmkaz]

Originally Posted by pgandw

People used to customize their cars too

“used too”??? I still do!!!

[RET.LEO]

Originally Posted by Suru

Well, we bought our trailer last January. We've taken it out on 5 trips so far. In April, after the third trip, we had to put in a warranty claim because the kitchen faucet had a small pinhole in it that has steadily gotten larger so now it constantly leaks. The paint on the stabilizer jacks has all peeled off and the jacks are rusting badly. The entry door handle is very difficult to open and you have to really work the keys to get them to turn. The door also is difficult to shut. We can't figure out how to work the water miser in the shower and I'm pretty sure it's defective.

We also noticed that the kitchen sink was not installed level and not sealed around the edge so water could splash into the drawer below. Last week on the trailer's 5th trip, we came back from a hike and the sink had completely detached from the counter and fell into the drawer. Silicone was not used anywhere and the only thing holding it was 2 little clips with 2 short small screws screwed into the particle board counter.


I realize that things can rattle loose driving down the road, but I think these items were all factory defects. The worse part is we have been waiting since April to get the parts (the paperwork has supposedly been lost twice) and get it all fixed. My hubby is very handy and could fix everything himself if we could just get the parts. Yesterday we were told for the 3rd time that the parts will arrive at the dealer next week . . . but we'll see.

I thought Rockwood was a more "premium" brand and would be better built than other brands. Guess I was wrong.

Man, that's a shame. I always considered Rockwood, Lance, Arctic Fox and ORV Trailers to be premium "just about as good as it gets" trailers...........guess now I'm down to Lance, Arctic Fox and ORV.

[CurtPutnam]

Our Sonoma 280RKS had a few problems most of which were cosmetic and no big deal. We returned to the dealer who kept it a long time but we had no plans to use it anyway. We did have a bad water pump that did not actually fail and was replaced under warranty.

The only thing, not yet fixed, either by the original dealer or our local independent is a plastic molding strip in the shower that keeps falling out. All in all, the TT has been a success. My wife really enjoys the large kitchen and I enjoy the recliners.

[Bdlnky]

PREACHIN TO THE CHOIR! I agree 100% we bought a 2018 tracer breeze and have not had a problem (we have had a screw or two work loose) no big deal...you tighten and reset it and go on and yes, i do all the required maintenance myself .My understanding is the intent of the forum is to help other rv’ers, NOT bash the manufacturer or dealer. Besides, it shows hypocrisy to consistently bash everyone involved and then buy another RV. I do understand that there is a lack of quality control in the industry...do your own “do diligence“ and research and the PDI inspection and YouTube is your friend....like i told a bitter old lady (in a $200,000 motor home), who was complaining about everything including campfires and the smoke.....”maybe you need a new hobby, like knitting “

[Skip12]

My experience is more middle of the road. No major issues but lots of minor issues. Some I try to fix. Some I try to live with. Some I figure are inevitable. Others I wish the designer put more thought into or the builder put more effort into.

It is a rolling house, so I expect some issues, just like I have issues in my house.

This is our third camper. We went from a SOB popup to a FR trailer to a FR 5er. Quality seems about the same.

[Iwritecode]

The site team has done some cleanup here. What was a reasonable thread about a positive experience has turned into a back and forth member bashing discussion that goes against the rules of our friendly forums.

Our philosophy is that we want Forest River Forums to be an online reflection of the RV'ing community. Treat each other with respect just as you would around a campfire.

That said, this thread is being closed to further replies.