ok ...like seriously ...

[D-mo]

This is not a complainer thread here .. but an observation.
Do you as consumers, do you not think, that RVs in general are not built substandard?.
I mean really ... the major issue here with all of us is water penetration. The secound issue is warrenty service.
Would you buy an automobile with an origional warrenty of one or two years? At 27 to 65 K plus?

I look at the problems ... and right now, i dont see any solutions.

D-mo

[DDC]

Certainly can't disagree although our new house was over three hundred thousand and it only had a seven year LIMITED warranty.

[wyo700]

Originally Posted by DDC

Certainly can't disagree although our new house was over three hundred thousand and it only had a seven year LIMITED warranty.

Dang wish I had that on our brand new house. Mine only came with a one year warranty. Except for the foundation which came a twenty year. But if something happen I am sure they would try their hardest make it be my problem.

[Twisty]

There really is no standard(s) so substandard?
I did a huge amount of research b4 buying and I honestly feel that we got a very good deal considering the size, weight and features we got with our TT.
The manuf.'s only give what they have to.
Many products that are overbuilt and come with extensive warranties are expensive - far too expensive for the average consumer.

[crasher]

Well, people buy on price and then turn around and complain about quality. You can't build something for 25% of MSRP and then be surprised if many units coming off the line are junk. You as a shopper have to be extremely careful what you buy, inspect it thoroughly before purchase, protect it from the elements, and not beat on it too badly. Even with all that, some luck comes into play.

[rattleNsmoke]

7 year home warranty? Damn. I also had 1 year. I think that's industry standard. Back to topic. Yes RV's do not seem to be built to a standard we are used to. There should be quality minimums as we see in the auto industry. I'd love to see the tag line with my Cedar Creek...."Quality is job #1"
Mike

[caper]

Some problems are hard to see. Screws are only attached to air under the roof membrane, fiberglass not adhered to plywood on outside walls causing delamination of walls after warranty is over. There are many items that you can not see and will cause problems after warranty. You can do everything in your power to keep your TT in good repair but if the unit is not made to standards then you are out of luck. You purchase the TT at the price point that you can afford. If you can only afford a $15k trailer you expect this to last more then 2 or 3 years before you have major structure problems. Part of the problem is the worker you are not paid a proper wage and don't take care in what they do. The only workers that do get a decent wage are the electricians.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Twisty

There really is no standard(s) so substandard?
I did a huge amount of research b4 buying and I honestly feel that we got a very good deal considering the size, weight and features we got with our TT.
The manuf.'s only give what they have to.

Many products that are overbuilt and come with extensive warranties are expensive - far too expensive for the average consumer.

Yep, RVIA is all there is. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association: Standards
It is a "generally accepted" way of building campers.

As you can see there is always a conflict between "building to last" and weight. Heavier materials require fuel hog tow vehicles. The consumer demand for 1/2 ton towable has resulted in an industry wide search for weight reduction materials and construction techniques.

What you rail against as "sub-standard" is being weighed against how your house has been built. If you used house grade kitchen cabinets in your camper you would need a Peterbuilt to tow it.

Lightweight also applies to the wall structure and frames that are not what they used to be either. To keep weight down, frames are "skinnier" and many types are constructed out of welded up flat steel instead of one piece extrusions as in the past for that length camper. These frames have a lower designed service life than the old ones, but weigh much less.

"Ultra-lite" comes with a price that is not so obvious on the surface. I love my Ultra-lite Flagstaff, but I am under no illusion that it will last as long as the term of my loan. While I hope it will, but at some point routine maintenance will dictate heavy repairs to frame or structure or a trade up to a new one.

[Cowracer]

RV's are built to exactly the level of quality we are willing to pay for. They could easily make the Stradivarius of campers, but it would cost you 100K. I paid 18 grand and change for mine. I'm ok with slightly flimsy construction for something I use basically a handfull of times a year.

Tim

[lindy]

One issue I think is that most consumers look at their RV's as a 2nd home and expect them to perform to the same standard, forgetting all the shake, rattle, and roll they put their RVs thru every time they tow them. I catch flack for this but THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE can build an RV that will NEVER have one problem or another due to the ABUSE we users put them thru. That being said could the industry due a better job building them - YES.

[Top B]

Most trailers are built the same, but some of the materials and workmanship leave a lot to be desired. Some use good quality sealant that lasts for years. My FR came with sealant that cracked the first year, so I resealed it with a quality sealant so water wouldn't seep into the walls/floor from the outside. I crawled under mine when I bought it and found all kinds of loose screws. A good quality assurance inspection should have found these. How many people have had to add something that they feel should have come from the factory? Something like a hard start solenoid for the A/C that would have only cost the manufactures about $5 to put in the TT. I think it all comes down to making them as fast as they can to make money. I think they know most of us will fix the minor things without having to deal with the hassle of warranty repairs.

[MillerTime]

Yep they could be better, but I bet if there was a homeowner forum people would be compaining about all the things that they had wrong, that just how we are.

I just finished building my house about 1.5 years ago, that I actually built with some subs. If I had all top of the line everything, my 2,600sq' house with a detached garage about the same would have been in the millions of $. But we had a buget as we did on our trailer purchase, so we have to make compromises.

We Pick what we feel we need better quality in and can deal with less in others. And yes I have had component problems in my house(a/c-A coil, top of the line dishwasher, gfi outlets and others). We live in a imperfect world and we have to accept it, as frustrating as it can be!

We need to be sure we are being all we can be, and maybe others will do the same!!
My $.02

[VinceU]

Ok enough whining. Heres a well built tt of our youth, see what happenens if you overload it??

[VinceU]

[jar3316]

If you want impressive, able to hold up to road traveling allover, and all the creature comforts of home; do what the music stars do and plunk down 700k (and up to millions) and get a coach or bus like a Blue Bird.

Personally I got what I expected for what I paid. As for a warranty, I got the extended warranty thrown in. As far as quality on a mass scale. You're not going to see that until every family has 2 or 3 in their driveway.

I'm not that old and can remember cars only came with a 12 month 12k mile warranty from the factory stock, and you were lucky if your car made it to 36K with out a major problem.

[hockeytownmom]

I only expect it not to fall apart completely in the first 5 years...but I do expect things to break. I didn't expect water damage for flawed seams on my front bunk just after the 1 year mark. I contacted FR and they are is fixing it free of charge. I do hope I get a decent/fair trade in when we upgrade in a few years and still in working condition.

[Kerryj]

We got a 7 year warranty w/ our new 2013 Columbus, and bought an additional year from the manufacturer for only $150. So 8 years total. Unit is built to RVIA "standards", and must say that it "appears" to be a very solid built unit!