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01-21-2018, 08:17 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 1,629
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Tampa RV Show - Disappointed in Fit and Finish
We went to the Tampa RV Show on Friday, which we enjoy doing every year. We bought our TT at the show three years ago and love it. We peruse different units in anticipation of buying a motor home in three to four years. What we noticed is that the prices are staying about the same, but the interior fit and finish is getting cheaper and cheaper! We looked at the Georgetown and really disliked the quality of the materials used. The countertops look like a cheap plastic, not even a nice Formica laminate. The cabinetry is looking cheaper and cheaper. No longer do you see beautiful wood grain cabinets in a pretty hickory or cherry finish.
We came away feeling better about the TT we have and the fit and finish in it, which includes solid surface countertops in the kitchen, pretty laminate wood plank looking flooring, and leather like couch and recliners. It is a little depressing to think that when we are ready to purchase in three or four years that the interiors will look so cheap that we will have trouble finding what we want. We did find what we want in SOB, but it was only with one manufacturer, out of all the manufacturers we looked at.
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2010 Ford F-150 Crew Cab
2015 Salem Hemisphere 263RL
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01-21-2018, 08:54 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Warsaw,NC
Posts: 7,184
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I like to look and dream about different campers but I’ll probably keep what we have
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01-21-2018, 09:23 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Lower Michigan
Posts: 1,471
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We were there Thursday and Friday. I would have to agree after all the units we looked at they don’t seem as nice. I noticed gaps in the trim, cheaper looking fixtures and all around poor quality. And the price of the food and drink was outrageous!
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Bill & Pam
2014 Trilogy 3650RE
2015 F350 PSD
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01-21-2018, 10:00 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CampingGator
.....
We peruse different units in anticipation of buying a motor home in three to four years. What we noticed is that the prices are staying about the same, but the interior fit and finish is getting cheaper and cheaper! We looked at the Georgetown and really disliked the quality of the materials used. The countertops look like a cheap plastic, not even a nice Formica laminate. The cabinetry is looking cheaper and cheaper. No longer do you see beautiful wood grain cabinets in a pretty hickory or cherry finish....
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I've noticed this "trend" in quite a few manufacturers lately. We are looking to update our Sprinter based RV sometime in the future and most of them now have that heavy, heavy melamine based cabinetry with the "fake" wood veneer....
Of course, for manufacturer's, this is an excellent product to work with. Cheap, straight (unlike real wood), but, for the consumer there are many problems other than the ugly/cheap look. ...
Anyone who's tried to screw anything into melamine knows that you have to use screw anchors. That'll get your melamine screwed together...fine for home use where things don't usually move. But, on the road !!! With all the vibrations, pot holes, etc....and wiggle-woggle, wiggle-woggle, that stuff comes apart.
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01-21-2018, 11:35 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Danville, IL
Posts: 320
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I always "window shop" when the new models are released and honestly don't see much difference in what we currently have and what is new. Granted it's only a couple years old, but still nothing really different just the model year.
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2016 Cedar Creek 36CKTS
2013 F-450
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01-21-2018, 01:40 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 325
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CampingGator
. We did find what we want in SOB, but it was only with one manufacturer, out of all the manufacturers we looked at.
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I'm curious, was this manufacturer from outside of Indiana?
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01-21-2018, 02:33 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 833
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Quote:
Originally Posted by banda
I'm curious, was this manufacturer from outside of Indiana?
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Were you comparing apples VS apples?? ie...Your present make and model with the same make/model-manufacturer?
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01-21-2018, 03:11 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Lecanto, FL
Posts: 313
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We went to the Tampa RV show yesterday and those are the same thoughts we had about the fit and finish, materials used etc...CHEAP & POOR construction. AND yes Jim, we were comparing apples to apples where it applied, but we also noticed these problems with all sorts of other manufacturers. We came away form the show saying that we were happier with what we have vs what's on the market now.
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01-21-2018, 03:53 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 1,629
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Quote:
Originally Posted by banda
I'm curious, was this manufacturer from outside of Indiana?
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Yes.
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2010 Ford F-150 Crew Cab
2015 Salem Hemisphere 263RL
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01-21-2018, 03:56 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 1,629
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim in Halifax
Were you comparing apples VS apples?? ie...Your present make and model with the same make/model-manufacturer?
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We have a TT, but were looking at motor homes. We looked at just about every manufacturer who had similar value motor homes. We were comparing apples to apples. We have looked at the Georgetown every year and noticed that the fit and finish is deteriorating. Georgetown is not the only one we noticed having the same problem.
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2010 Ford F-150 Crew Cab
2015 Salem Hemisphere 263RL
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01-21-2018, 04:33 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 306
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Answer...don't buy any of their cheap crap for awhile...only then will this mercenary industry change the way it builds it's products.
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01-21-2018, 05:08 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CampingGator
Yes.
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Was it LTV's ?
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01-21-2018, 05:12 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 1,629
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chaching
Was it LTV's ?
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Not sure what LTV is. Looking at Winnebago.
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2010 Ford F-150 Crew Cab
2015 Salem Hemisphere 263RL
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01-21-2018, 06:18 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CampingGator
Not sure what LTV is. Looking at Winnebago.
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Leisure Travel Vans.
Awesome quality.... limited product line.
Have a look at their interior cabinetry, fit and finish. I mean it's outstanding stuff.
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01-21-2018, 07:39 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 5
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Went to the KC RV show and came to same conclusion. Basically, to hold prices the materials and time spent on fit and finish are diminished. We have a 2015 Vlite and felt it is better than what we were seeing.
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01-21-2018, 11:04 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ft Myers FL
Posts: 227
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WOW, kinda surprised about what you guys saw at the Tampa show in the Georgetowns....We are on our first full month of "snow birding" in our '18 Georgetown XL 378. I have just the opposite observations. I am just about finished waxing her, only have the rear cap to do. Haven't found even a scratch on the exterior. The interior wood is
The dark walnut/high gloss, everything fits perfectly. We did a top to bottom cleaning with good furniture polish and DW is very happy. We all know "if momma ain't happy....."
Do have issues with rear AC/Furnace function and drivers seat wiring & a switch. Other than that I've been happy. We traded our '16 Sunseeker 3050S on this rig and there was one scratch on it. The sales manager loved it and we got a pretty good deal on the trade....
So, as far has this FROG is concerned, we're happy with what we've got and seen. Factory tour of new Georgetown plant last August was impressive, I would hope that carries into current & future product output....
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2018 Georgetown 378 XL
Loved her, listed her, sold her
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01-22-2018, 09:40 AM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ortep
We went to the Tampa RV show yesterday and those are the same thoughts we had about the fit and finish, materials used etc...CHEAP & POOR construction. AND yes Jim, we were comparing apples to apples where it applied, but we also noticed these problems with all sorts of other manufacturers. We came away form the show saying that we were happier with what we have vs what's on the market now.
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Ditto for me too, at all of the manufacturers.
This was the first time we came home from the show with not a WOW factor of a unit we must have. We thought of going back the next day because we figured we missed something, but we didn't go. We are good with what we have for another year.
Also there were soooo many 5th wheel units that had the same floorplan with living room at the rear. Was looking for something different, kitchen at the rear.
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The Hanselmans!
We Have These Moments to Remember...
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01-22-2018, 10:30 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 5,401
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Quote:
Originally Posted by corkybird
Ditto for me too, at all of the manufacturers.
This was the first time we came home from the show with not a WOW factor of a unit we must have. We thought of going back the next day because we figured we missed something, but we didn't go. We are good with what we have for another year.
Also there were soooo many 5th wheel units that had the same floorplan with living room at the rear. Was looking for something different, kitchen at the rear.
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Sorry to hear about the poor showing at Tampa, I do not know what River Stone had there but here is their version with rear kitchen
http://www.forestriverinc.com/produc...elID=3959#Main
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01-22-2018, 10:36 AM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 1
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tampa show
we are from lake alfred fl and we went on sat. and some of travel trailers where made pretty cheap. we are new to travel trailers and thinking of beagin snow birds. might look at used ones
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01-22-2018, 11:24 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,363
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I was at the NJ RV Show this weekend and like you was extremely disappointed. Quality of materials seemed horrible. Everything appeared like low budget plastic and contact paper. Many of the units we looked at also had pieces falling apart. Moldings cracked, doors falling off, faucets broken it really was disheartening. I mean these were brand new units already falling apart. I did not see one unit at the show that was comparable in quality to my 2016 unit.
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2016 Forester GTS 2801QSF
2011 Jeep JK Toad
Habitual RV Modifier
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