RV Quality?

[StoneyG]

I'm not sure that many minimum wage employees are assembling our RVs, but aluminum studs cost more than wood, screws more than nail or staples, solid wood more than veneer, 8,000lb axles more than 6,000lb axles, disk brakes more than drum brakes, ... Also it costs more to stop the assembly process to check water connections, electrical connections, hydraulics, etc. And yes, employees who are more skilled, more careful cost more to employ and retain.

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Sorry, it's all salted and heavily buttered with REAL butter!

Where is the quality in that???

[Oaklevel]

This is good ..................................


Before Stanley Furniture moved most of its production to China. (was an over 1000 employee high end furniture company) Employee spousal insurance coverage was costing them more than raw wood...........

Our 2013 is built very similar to our 1973 Terry was..... today with many improvements........... Try buying a decent truck for $25,000, or a house or an airplane (or the cost of maintenance). With the quality of our roads try riding in a trailer (don't recommend it) I have heard its like about a continuous earthquake of about 4.0 on the Richter scale.

Pass the popcorn..........


Neither of our Puma's have been back to the dealer for much of anything.

[northstar1960]

Try buying a decent truck for $25,000, or a house or an airplane (or the cost of maintenance). With the quality of our roads try riding in a trailer (don't recommend it) I have heard its like about a continuous earthquake of about 4.0 on the Richter scale.

plenty of great used trucks for under 25,000 in fact you can buy new for that base modles and have several 100thousand trouble free miles . you are talking apples and oranges here . houses , trucks and planes have actual codes that need to be followed and state , county , and federal inspectors to make sure it happens . RV different no body watching them , as far as pulling the trailer over the road are these not engineered for that ? or do they not even take that into account when building ?
seems the only measurable things are on the rectal scale of those that are getting the shaft

[gfarmcafe]

Originally Posted by X96mnn

Where is the quality in that???

Where should I begin?
- Loose and hanging wires underneath
- Toilet paper holder falling off the wall
- Panel seams that don't match
- Panel staples that missed their mark
- Caulking on roof seams that look like a 2 year old did it
- Sawdust and woodshavings everywhere
- Dinette cushions that don't fit
- Loose straps that secure fresh water tank

I don't care if it's a $20,000, or $200,000 RV; it makes me mad. I think the ultimate solution is to have oversea interest start producing quality RV's just like Toyota, Nissan (Datsun), VW, Hyundai, and Kia did with the automobile industry. The big three had to improve their engineering and workmanship to compete with them, and I'm glad they did!

[OldCoot]

Buttered, salted popcorn anyone?

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Buttered, salted popcorn anyone?

Tiny but mighty popcorn?
http://tinybutmightyfoods.com/

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "2 nights"

[Stormrider151]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Sorry, it's all salted and heavily buttered with REAL butter!

I'll take a larger and a Dr Pepper please.

[lgray]

Originally Posted by X96mnn

Where is the quality in that???

You need to ignore this type of Forum filibuster efforts from those who cannot contribute with objective contributions, and feebly attempt to kill a thread; simply because they don’t like the discussion.

After a certain age, we all revert back to childhood. Give them more fiber!

[vinmaker]

I have to put in that I am very impressed with pricing of these units. I for one am amazed at how low the prices are compared to what you get. Those of you that have ever tried to do a rebuild know that the sum of the parts highly exceeds the total when you buy a complete RV.

The factory is basically building this unit for free for you. If you needed to buy all these parts to assemble this unit to your High Quality standards, it would be more expensive.

I look at it this way. I take advantage of the RV pricing that they offer for the units and then use that savings to make any repairs or corrections I need to. Just because the unit is new does not mean it is not a fixer upper.

The capital system dictates that you spend as little money as you have to to build it and charge the most you can to sell it. Buying an RV is like buying a computer. These guys just assemble the thing. They make the box and everything in it is basically off the shelf stuff that they install. If it breaks, I just order a piece off the shelf and go on with my life.

Vin.

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by vinmaker

I have to put in that I am very impressed with pricing of these units. I for one am amazed at how low the prices are compared to what you get. Those of you that have ever tried to do a rebuild know that the sum of the parts highly exceeds the total when you buy a complete RV.

The factory is basically building this unit for free for you. If you needed to buy all these parts to assemble this unit to your High Quality standards, it would be more expensive.

I look at it this way. I take advantage of the RV pricing that they offer for the units and then use that savings to make any repairs or corrections I need to. Just because the unit is new does not mean it is not a fixer upper.

The capital system dictates that you spend as little money as you have to to build it and charge the most you can to sell it. Buying an RV is like buying a computer. These guys just assemble the thing. They make the box and everything in it is basically off the shelf stuff that they install. If it breaks, I just order a piece off the shelf and go on with my life.

Vin.

Exactly!

I want the most bells and whistles that I can afford in the floorplan I want. I do look for some signs of quality, things like weight, in my mind two trailers, exact same floorplan, one weighs 11000pds, one ways 8900pds, there is 2100pds of quality into heavier one. Other then that spend the money to get what you pay for or do not ruin the opertunity for someone who cannot afford a 6k jump in the price of an RV.

Eventually at the rate people are ranting two things are going to happen.
1: The 20k unit will cost 25k with "regulation" and your going to get the same end product. This will eliminate many of the young families getting into RVing today.

2: Regulation on the roads where registration of your camper will cost you commercial rates, (example for my camper is $260ish for recreation and $819 if it gets classifies as commercial). This will happen when a mess is made with someone hauling 19000pds with their 1500 truck and kills a politician....or lobbiest.

[Oaklevel]

Please pass the popcorn..............

Can't please everyone...... or is it anyone............


Very happy with our RV the minor issues are not issues........

Don't be confused by the .............. never mind.........

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by gfarmcafe

Where should I begin?
- Loose and hanging wires underneath
- Toilet paper holder falling off the wall
- Panel seams that don't match
- Panel staples that missed their mark
- Caulking on roof seams that look like a 2 year old did it
- Sawdust and woodshavings everywhere
- Dinette cushions that don't fit
- Loose straps that secure fresh water tank

I don't care if it's a $20,000, or $200,000 RV; it makes me mad. I think the ultimate solution is to have oversea interest start producing quality RV's just like Toyota, Nissan (Datsun), VW, Hyundai, and Kia did with the automobile industry. The big three had to improve their engineering and workmanship to compete with them, and I'm glad they did!

This actually proves my point. Back in 1989 the average price paid for a Ford Taurus was $14000 which would be roughly $25000 in today money. the average price paid for a Ford Taurus today is $34000. That's about $9000 more for the quality that your some glad they did. Lots of people today can't afford a new car with a little warranty and that feeling you get the first day you drive something no body else has used becuase of it. But that's ok, your some glad!

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by X96mnn

This actually proves my point. Back in 1989 the average price paid for a Ford Taurus was $14000 which would be roughly $25000 in today money. the average price paid for a Ford Taurus today is $34000. That's about $9000 more for the quality that your some glad they did. Lots of people today can't afford a new car with a little warranty and that feeling you get the first day you drive something no body else has used becuase of it. But that's ok, your some glad!

Sorry really not seeing the point here......... Gas was about 40 cents a gallon now its much higher, insurance rates, taxes, labor, government regulation costs, and so on are higher today for manufacturers..........( & my 1986 Taurus was $16600) Is your point that is why they have been bankrupt & loosing money??

Thought the point of the thread is RV quality could be better ??? But my observation unfortunately is the quality of a 1973, 1988, 2006, 2013 is about the same but the newer ones have better features like slide rooms. Truthfully I had more issues with my 1988 Terry than I do my 2013 Puma.

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Sorry really not seeing the point here......... Gas was about 40 cents a gallon now its much higher, insurance rates, taxes, labor, government regulation costs, and so on are higher today for manufacturers..........( & my 1986 Taurus was $16600) Is your point that is why they have been bankrupt & loosing money??

Thought the point of the thread is RV quality could be better ??? But my observation unfortunately is the quality of a 1973, 1988, 2006, 2013 is about the same but the newer ones have better features like slide rooms. Truthfully I had more issues with my 1988 Terry than I do my 2013 Puma.

My point is, as stated the price of the car is valued at 14000 based on what the average buyer spends, ( range of 12k to 26k), in 89' taking everything you just listed, inflation and such 14k in 89 is the equivalent of 25k in 2015, (range of 26k to 40k) If everything you list is calculated into the conversion of having $1 in 89 would be the same as having $1.79 in your pocket today.

With this, a car that carried an average price of 14k should carry an average price of 25k today but it does not. You are paying 9k more for the improvements they have made, the factor that the auto industry had to get better is true, but they past that cost directly on to the consumer?

Yes this is all about Quality as my argument is it exists in the industry today, but you get what you pay for is my stance. That if you want perfection it exists but your 20k camper may cost you 30k. The argument is that you should receive the same quality unit even for your 20k, more features in the 30k unit and that be the price difference. My argument to that is you will increase the cost of these base units in doing that, just like the auto industry did with their cars.

[StoneyG]

Originally Posted by northstar1960

Try buying a decent truck for $25,000, or a house or an airplane (or the cost of maintenance). With the quality of our roads try riding in a trailer (don't recommend it) I have heard its like about a continuous earthquake of about 4.0 on the Richter scale.

plenty of great used trucks for under 25,000 in fact you can buy new for that base modles and have several 100thousand trouble free miles . you are talking apples and oranges here . houses , trucks and planes have actual codes that need to be followed and state , county , and federal inspectors to make sure it happens . RV different no body watching them , as far as pulling the trailer over the road are these not engineered for that ? or do they not even take that into account when building ?
seems the only measurable things are on the rectal scale of those that are getting the shaft

I would offer the observation that US made cars and trucks weren't quality products until after Datsuns were introduced into this country in the 70's. It was that competition that caused The Big Three to improve their products. Our government is more concerned with safety items.

[schrederman]

Well this thread has grown legs. It's funny how different people view things. I still don't understand how people think it's OK for someone to plunk down hard-earned cash for something and expect to be able to enjoy their recreation time, only to have that time ripped off by a cheap product built by a lazy employee. There should not be the number of problems some people face.... and the dealers and manufacturers should pony up and fix these things in a timely fashion... Let's face it... they don't.

[TURBS]

Love my forest river product and I'll buy another!
They've been great in my experience.
They even fixed things I didn't ask for!
Wow who does that!



TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "2 nights"

[SkipnTerri]

We really do like our Forester. In the beginning, not so much. How can a special ordered unit get through with something as obvious as a huge staple protruding through the counter? That was only one of the numerous discrepancies noted with our unit. All have been rectified except for the refrigerator fan issue. In our estimation, today's workforce lacks work ethic and pride -- not to mention QC. {Just hide it, no one will see} If the same effort was given to production level as a prototype, there would be little discussion as to quality because engineering and hand-picked technicians really want this to work.

[schrederman]

Gents.... this isn't just about Forest River, but the entire industry. My TT has been OK, but I've had to fix way too much on it, simply because it's less hassle for me to do it than to hassle with the dealer and manufacturer.


With all the problems with the Forester, don't you think those issues should have been taken care of before you drove it off the lot? Good that most are done, but what about your time in dealing with them? Couldn't it have been better spent? I know mine could...


Turbs... glad you're happy...