You guys are making me wonder if im buying junk ?

[DrLewie]

Also, take it for a shakedown trip before you hit the road. Stuff that may not appear when you do your initial inspection may turn up when you actually have it on the road or in a campground.

[robsshots]

Here's the problem IMHO.

Almost everything you need in an RV (fridge, hot water heater, A/C, furnace, pumps, etc) are all made by ONE manufacturer. At the most, two.

Ergo, no competition. No incentive for continuous improvement.

Add in the RV mfr philosophy of cut corners to save every nickel we can to keep prices down and volume up and you have recipe for built in problems. outdated technology abounds. The industry is as slow as a snail to adopt new technology/improvements.

AC is a good example. Domestic AC units sound like a jet fighter revving up to take off from an aircraft carrier. So a newer, quieter unit comes around, and does the industry adopt it? Nope. Only a few offer it, usually as an upgrade. Want to convert your current AC to the quieter one? Cannot do unless a special wire is already in place. This is incredibly stupid stuff, and points to the mom & pop nature of the industry. No way around it, this stuff is batty.

Having said that, we are very very happy with our Rockwood Sig Ultralight fiver. We have now lived in it full time for three solid years. Not one visit to a dealer for repairs, other than a window that needed replacing because the glass shattered one day. Covered under warranty, and handled like a hot knife through warm butter.

Since we live full time, we have put about 20 years worth of what a "normal" RVer's wear and tear would be. yes, we need to replace the rod in our hot water tank. Yup, some stuff is showing some signs of wear. Yup, they put that stinking water filter in an impossible place to reach. Yes, wish we had a frost free fridge (full timers really need that.) Pretty standard stuff that is annoying, but that's the game we signed up for.

And we have loved it so far. BTW, one thing that likely will drive you nuts are the damn day/night shades. Ours wear out in no time, have had to replace five of them so far and have three pre-purchased sitting in our garage. You are supposed to be able to restring them when they wear out/break, but the China manufacturer decided to glue in the end tabs that you need to remove for repair. We have replace ours directly through the company manufacturing them in the U.S. That is really our biggest and most annoying beef. Simply because someone wants to save 50 cents.

Most RVers would happily pay another grand or two to get better quality components, but the mfrs won't offer it. Period.

have fun, we sure are!!!

[rlocicero]

We have had 10 trailers over the last 48 years.
2010Flagstaff - best #1, very little trouble
2000 Sunline - #2 very little issues
1995 Prowler - #3 excellent trailer
1984, 1977, 1972 StarCraft pop ups # 4,5,6
1991 Coachman #7 built ok but very heavy
1999 Wildwood, barely OK #8
1989 Mallard - very cheaply built, poor quality
2006 Holiday Rambler - supposedly the Cadillac of the industry was the biggest piece of junk ever made.

After the Sunline, we never expected to find something as good but the Flagstaff has surpassed it.

After the 1999 Wildwood we swore we would never buy another FR product. I am glad we changed our minds because the 2010 Flagstaff turned out to be the best we ever owned. The one problem we did have was a result of FR using laminated material from an outside supplier. they picked up our tt in Churchville, NY, brought it back to Indiana and repaired it at no cost to me. they did it on our timeline and we had it back in 4 weeks. They even repaired a couple of items that we broke. Great service.

[rlocicero]

Originally Posted by robsshots

Here's the problem IMHO.

Almost everything you need in an RV (fridge, hot water heater, A/C, furnace, pumps, etc) are all made by ONE manufacturer. At the most, two.

Ergo, no competition. No incentive for continuous improvement.

Add in the RV mfr philosophy of cut corners to save every nickel we can to keep prices down and volume up and you have recipe for built in problems. outdated technology abounds. The industry is as slow as a snail to adopt new technology/improvements.

AC is a good example. Domestic AC units sound like a jet fighter revving up to take off from an aircraft carrier. So a newer, quieter unit comes around, and does the industry adopt it? Nope. Only a few offer it, usually as an upgrade. Want to convert your current AC to the quieter one? Cannot do unless a special wire is already in place. This is incredibly stupid stuff, and points to the mom & pop nature of the industry. No way around it, this stuff is batty.

Having said that, we are very very happy with our Rockwood Sig Ultralight fiver. We have now lived in it full time for three solid years. Not one visit to a dealer for repairs, other than a window that needed replacing because the glass shattered one day. Covered under warranty, and handled like a hot knife through warm butter.

Since we live full time, we have put about 20 years worth of what a "normal" RVer's wear and tear would be. yes, we need to replace the rod in our hot water tank. Yup, some stuff is showing some signs of wear. Yup, they put that stinking water filter in an impossible place to reach. Yes, wish we had a frost free fridge (full timers really need that.) Pretty standard stuff that is annoying, but that's the game we signed up for.

And we have loved it so far. BTW, one thing that likely will drive you nuts are the damn day/night shades. Ours wear out in no time, have had to replace five of them so far and have three pre-purchased sitting in our garage. You are supposed to be able to restring them when they wear out/break, but the China manufacturer decided to glue in the end tabs that you need to remove for repair. We have replace ours directly through the company manufacturing them in the U.S. That is really our biggest and most annoying beef. Simply because someone wants to save 50 cents.

Most RVers would happily pay another grand or two to get better quality components, but the mfrs won't offer it. Period.

have fun, we sure are!!!

The Rockwood Signature Ultralite is made at the same plant as our Flagstaff. We have visited and toured the manufacturing facility twice and were impressed with the construction and quality control both times.

[Mountainmanbob]

They do from time to time require some maintenance. If a person can do most of this themself there will be much money saved but if taken to a dealer probably much money spent.

When all costs are figured in sometimes it's not much more expensive to have stayed in a fancy motel but we enjoy the privacy of our own space.

Owner of many motorhomes trailers and campers.

M-Bob

[HangDiver]

Setting expectations.... Recently I was reading some reviews on a campground that I'm planning to go to. One review said the place was great. Nice lake, lots of trees, and remote enough that the reviewer really felt like they were getting away with no cell signal. The next review said the place was terrible. The lake was cold, too many trees to get a satellite signal for the TV, and the kids were going nuts because they couldn't get a cell signal to stay in touch with their friends.

Your camper is like your house. Expect that on occasion some thing could break or go wrong. You just fix it and keep using it.

[johnruff]

What do you use to re-caulk? I am looking to recaulk around the access doors, front cap, etc.

[Mountainmanbob]

Originally Posted by johnruff

What do you use to re-caulk? I am looking to recaulk around the access doors, front cap, etc.

I like 100% silicone the GE brand.

[jtesta1]

Love my Rockwood 8288 . I think some people if they found a 100 dollar bill they would bitch because it was dirty. Some things are bound to fail ,tank sensors, tires regulators and so on. Your supposed to be camping AKA roughing it. Throw your family in the tv and go have an adventure. If you happen to break down ,make the necessary calls and repairs and share the experience with your family. I have met the best people while broken down. It happens so make the best of it.

[Mountainmanbob]

True the glass is either half full or the glass is half empty.

M-Bob

[oldsmasma]

We have camped together for more than 40 years from tent through tent trailer to bumper tow to fifth wheel to motorhome. DH is a tradesman so that helps and I enjoy mods. We purchased our current motorhome from a dealer five hours away on a whim while on a vacation trip trading in our fifth wheel and diesel truck. Drove it off the lot almost five years ago and have never seen a dealer since. Very pleased with FR.

[The_Rhino]

Originally Posted by DENNIS EVERETT

thursday im picking up a used 2012 sandstorm 233slc... In closing , is there anything i should check out in mine?

IMO the RVs built during & just-after the recession had/have less issues than those currently being assembled to meet the demands of the current RV boom... So, IMO, you're 2012 might be a better buy than some newer ones...

In 2014 I purposefully looked at new & used TTs during/just after heavy rains & found new 2014 units that leaked water badly. (I took a flashlight/flash camera & took pictures inside every access panel & cubby. I then scanned through the pictures to view all of the areas I could not physically get to...)

Once the salespersons noticed how picky I was, they steered me clear of the known lemons... They literally said, "That one has a ticket for repair, it is not available to sell right now." But meanwhile, another salesperson sold the(lemon) & I witnessed a couple driving it off later that day... Yikes!

After leaving lots multiple times, empty handed, our salesperson at another dealer called me up when a mildy used (2011) unit arrived. Again, I waited for a rainy day & took 2 hours to inspect it (on my own & then with family on a nicer day). It was bone dry & showed no signs of prior water penetration.

Our dealer included a FREE pressurized leak test & re-caulking and an additional 2.5 hour PDI where they adjusted the slide-out & awning tracking, replaced the CO2 detector & battery, and demonstrated that everything worked correctly on 12V, 110V & propane. They also allowed me to videotape the PDI - so I was confident they weren't hiding any issues...

We completed the sale & drove off the lot (after store hours)... We have now camped for 3+ years without any issues (not caused by me breaking something - I damaged a rim & some trim...) I'm so, so, so glad we bought USED because NEW TTs (same brand, model) had more complaints of fit & finish issues & fading front caps (the new units are brown, ours is white & doesn't fade...)

Also, our dealer's price was actually LOWER than what folks wanted on CL, RVTrader, eBay, etc. because they want to move them off the lot. The extra services they provided are also something a private seller cannot include in the sale... We're so happy with this TT that we have no plans to upgrade until we are ready for a MH.

Good luck with your purchase!

[Sailor Bill]

Like what was said early on, check for water damage/ leakage. This is what will prove to be the most costly damage you can have and in a used trailer they will do everything they can to hide it from a would be buyer.

[jwagner1701]

You always hear the bad but rarely the good. We bought a 2015 Rockwood 8310ss and the only problem we had with it was a burnt out bulb till this year when the vent covers went bad from setting in the sun and a gray water valve that broke when I pulled it. You will have always have small stuff go wrong with most things. We have been happy with our Rockwood trailer.

[DENNIS EVERETT]

WOW ! didnt expect so much help so quick , THANKS !
Im pretty handy and have a ton of tools , worked at Kit Mfg back in the 70's , so ive built them from the ground up , we walked in the one we bought and said "this is it " we knew we found just what we were looking for , like said above , going for a shake down trip next week , then a big trip to Utah next month , lol havnt been able to sleep much thinking about it , only real bummer is i have a garage on the side of the house that the old trailer fits in , new one is too tall , thanks again .. Dennis

[Palinduff]

If you can, go on the roof and check the dicor sealant along the seams. It will eventually wear and you will see little holes (hopefully not big ones). They are easily fixed by cleaning it and applying some self levelling dicor. Trailers will leak and you must check the roof and window seals regularly. I Check my roof at least twice a year.

[Steveinthehills]

Interesting....I was snooping on the Airstream owners forum the other day and found much talk about the poor build quality of airstream's. Owners were talking about buying used as to avoid all the trouble with warranty work. It appears build quality goes across the board.

[MCTroy]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Happy owners outweigh the unhappy ones.
I've been a member of 7 different RV forums and you see lots of unhappy owners of ALL brands.
It's the nature of the Internet. Lots of complainers.

Those that are happy, rarely post that they're happy.

Exactly why I posted a new thread about good news. We are very pleased with our Rockwood Windjammer... People are probably sick of us talking about how much we like it! And recently Dometic stepped up to fix an issue with the awnings. There really are a lot of happy campers out there.

[cariboo camper]

For sure check everything, as mentioned by most people here. Take a small but powerful flashlight. The internet is an excellent way to learn what to look for. Recently went to look at a motorhome that had been under cover in storage all its 10 years. Tapped around like the you tube video shows, sure enough found an area by a window that was totally rotten and I moved on. These forums tend to attract people with problems because that is one of the reasons they are posting, they need help with something. My wife tells me I am beyond help.

[Alan F]

I can certainly understand your feeling. We purchased a new 2017 Forester. While we are generally pleased with the unit, I am underwhelmed with the shoddy workmanship and cheap materials. Trim falling off, lights falling out of ceiling because the screws are screwed into paneling only with no hardwood backing, brace for bunk screwed into paneling only and falling out, drawer latches breaking and screws pulling out of the particle board in drawers, slide motors breaking, door closer falling off, etc. None of these are major items, but an accumulation of smaller items due to poor quality hardware and shoddy workmanship. On the plus side, Coach-Net has helped me with technical assistance, the dealer has been great at fixing the problems and giving real time advice and direction via phone calls, and the manufacturer (Cummins and Lippert) giving good direction and support. I had problems with the leveling system and the MyRv Touchpad, and both were handled promptly by manufacturer of said products. The factory reps I met at the Hershey RV Show have been helpful as well, and they are only a phone call or text message away. One dealer, to whom I took the RV for a warranty item, did more harm than good. I decided to do the repair myself at a cost of $35 and a couple hours of work, rather than returning the unit to them for repair of the mess they created (they replaced a kitchen faucet and destroyed a drawer slide in the process, which wasn't discovered until I returned home from the 90 drive). If I didn't have some handy man abilities, I would be in much worse shape. I have had the Forester since October, have driven it from Virginia to Florida to New Orleans and San Antonio, to Tybee Island, Georgia and back to Virginia, with several side trips in between. Total of over 6,500 miles and 40 nights camping. We have plans for trips to Ohio, Niagara Falls, Myrtle Beach, Gettysburg (FROG Rally), Tennessee, Key West, and a two month tour of National Parks out west. I have some work to do on it between trips. All in all, it was a good decision and we are enjoying it immensely. No major mishaps, and I hope that remains the case.