Quality and Workmanship is CR@P!

[Campin Cajun]

CR@P this thread is getting out of hand.

[gasman94]

Agree x2


Rich

[tnbendr]

Originally Posted by accumack

Every problem I have had has been with something that ForestRiver did not manufacture. The supplier are the problem in my book. You only have so much control. Everyone wants it to be perfect at this price point how can you expect that? Randy and the Berkshire crew are the best in the industry in my book. We get one heck of a value for the money that is why I bought it! You want it perfect be prepared for sticker shock and I guarantee you wouldn't buy it!

Your conclusion is just a little nearsighted...yes a lot of the issues are not manufactured by FR but they are endorsed and installed by FR. Additionally, I have many examples that are simply sloppy workmanship in areas that are not necessarily in plain sight. As far as Randy and his team, I have mentioned before, they are great for customer service! Unfortunately it's after the fact.

[tnbendr]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I fully understand the frustration with the quality of the units, but I doubt very seriously if anyone with complaints has ever worked a day on their own job without making mistakes or taking shortcuts when the boss is on your case constantly. Lighten up a little folks. The workers at FR are mostly Amish and are diligent, hard working individuals just trying to do the best they can in an environment they didn't create. Y'all need to direct your gripes to the folks that deserve it which is management and certainly not constantly bad mouth the poor workers on the line. They only do what they are told to do.

Well I hate to disappoint you, but I have worked in industry (aviation) for 38 years and if I made some of the same kind of mistakes that I have seen in my rig and just left them be, it could have resulted in loss of life. So don't be too quick to excuse the sloppy workmanship or the person writing this post.

[glenn56h]

I bought the 05 375 ts because of its interior volume and design it is bright colored
and looks much larger than it is I use it for 3-4 MONTHS in Florida and we do not get claustrophobic.


I don't get sticker shock !! I have reached the point where I am looking at PHOETONS etc I don't need the grief this motorhome is causing

[tnbendr]

Most of the folks on this thread are losing the original thought. I said I was tired of posting negative issues and I AM trying to love my berk too, but 21 days of operation compared to 30 days now and counting of non operation due to broke down or in for repair, is not helping. Most comments pertained to accessories or components as a way to explain that FR is not responsible for the failures...did you see the photo I posted? ? And I could post more, all of which are not components, just sloppy work. Or maybe we'll just stick our heads in the sand?
Now someone mentioned in a separate post that they heard FR might start reading the forums? Well hopefully they are and they need to be held accountable for the product they put out. ..even if it's not a 600K rig

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by tnbendr

Most of the folks on this thread are losing the original thought. I said I was tired of posting negative issues and I AM trying to love my berk too, but 21 days of operation compared to 30 days now and counting of non operation due to broke down or in for repair, is not helping. Most comments pertained to accessories or components as a way to explain that FR is not responsible for the failures...did you see the photo I posted? ? And I could post more, all of which are not components, just sloppy work. Or maybe we'll just stick our heads in the sand?
Now someone mentioned in a separate post that they heard FR might start reading the forums? Well hopefully they are and they need to be held accountable for the product they put out. ..even if it's not a 600K rig

Well why not just keep the post going. Sorry any comments posted were not up to your expectations. Obviously the main point of your post was to make sure everyone knew how disappointed you are with FR so go ahead and continue with the I'm mad a FR post and I will unsubscribe. When you get around to asking questions about how to get things fixed and how to best deal with broken parts on a MH let me know. Everyone here has had to deal with something. It's expected on just about any RV you buy. It's the nature of the beast so to speak. You want it fixed it takes some work.
I'm not going to apologize for the rant. I seriously doubt you have had anymore issues than most other owners.

[B47]

Originally Posted by tnbendr

Well I hate to disappoint you, but I have worked in industry (aviation) for 38 years and if I made some of the same kind of mistakes that I have seen in my rig and just left them be, it could have resulted in loss of life. So don't be too quick to excuse the sloppy workmanship or the person writing this post.

X2 - exactly.

[B47]

Originally Posted by accumack

Every problem I have had has been with something that ForestRiver did not manufacture. The supplier are the problem in my book. You only have so much control. Everyone wants it to be perfect at this price point how can you expect that? Randy and the Berkshire crew are the best in the industry in my book. We get one heck of a value for the money that is why I bought it! You want it perfect be prepared for sticker shock and I guarantee you wouldn't buy it!

I couldn't disagree more with your " the supplier are the problem in my book. You only have so much control."statement.

FR is the buyer of all the vendor supplied appliances which makes FR ultimately responsible for them. If FR said they would only build the stripped down unit void of all appliances and have the purchaser specify what appliances they want in it,then you might have a point.
But FR doesn't do that. If you brought a Chevy and then put a Ford engine in it,would you blame Chevy for any engine problems you might have afterwards?

Along with their ultimate responsibility for the quality of their units, FR does have control regarding what appliances go in them. If the appliances are crap,then FR should stop buying those appliances until those appliances are improved.

I think if all FR customers who have problems with appliances were forced to deal only with that appliance manufacturer,you would see more corrective action and improvements made by the manufacturer.

[accumack]

You have no clue! They are making things right. Please tell me what Berkshire is is doing wrong! I bought a new house and have had many more problems with my new house that cost many times more than a Berkshire. You want to go to a Phaeton go ahead the subsystems are made by the same suppliers as the Berkshire. The problem to me seems to be the dealers that employ people that have no clue as to how to repair our units.

[accumack]

Do you think they were only produced for for FR? They are in every unit out there. You want to go to multi million dollar units maybe not. That is not what I bought. Buy a new home and then talk!

[B47]

Originally Posted by accumack

Do you think they were only produced for for FR? They are in every unit out there. You want to go to multi million dollar units maybe not. That is not what I bought. Buy a new home and then talk!

If you are speaking to me, I can only say Slow Down Cowboy.

I admit I was going to place a caveat at the end of my posts that said this was not only a FR issue,but failed to do so.

"Buy a new home and then talk!" We have brought 4 new homes and if the furniture we brought for each one them were crap, we went to the furniture manufacturers and not the home builder.

[tnbendr]

Originally Posted by Phil57

Well why not just keep the post going. Sorry any comments posted were not up to your expectations. Obviously the main point of your post was to make sure everyone knew how disappointed you are with FR so go ahead and continue with the I'm mad a FR post and I will unsubscribe. When you get around to asking questions about how to get things fixed and how to best deal with broken parts on a MH let me know. Everyone here has had to deal with something. It's expected on just about any RV you buy. It's the nature of the beast so to speak. You want it fixed it takes some work.
I'm not going to apologize for the rant. I seriously doubt you have had anymore issues than most other owners.

Phil, I have respected and appreciated the advice and encouragement that you and some of the other senior guys have imparted since I have been on this forum. Yes I am very disappointed with the product that I have and yes I have had more than normal issues, this is according to Mike Bukoswki himself, not by me. But my main intent was not to just vent, I am trying to figure out how to deal with the frustrations of a once in a lifetime opportunity after spending good money to purchase, equip and operate something that keeps breaking. Do you know of anyone who has had the pulley bracket ripped right out of the wall? Or the engine not start after stopping at a rest area, maybe the drain hose being melted around the rear corner of the heater and flooding the entire area behind the fireplace? Is your heater itself secured to its mounts or is it flopping around and only held in by the outside panel? How about misdrilled 4 inch hole saw cuts that were never seal up much less repaired? Like I said, I have more down time than up time (not including storage) and that's just not right...can you boast that stat?

[Campin Cajun]

I think it's time for the admins to close this thread. What started out as a complaint thread has turned into personal attacks.


Can't we just all get along?

[accumack]

Where are the attacks? I see discussions which are good different points of view keep it going.

[15berkxl]

I can honestly tell you from an inside source that problems began in 2008 when the economy took a #2. RV industry took a huge dump into their black tank. In doing so wages for new hires in particular were a lot less than existing workforce in order to stay competitive. Then RV industry started to recover and other companies started to acquire a large percentage of those semi skilled employees leaving an untrained workforce including some managers which may not understand the job or secrets in doing it successfully. With FR residing in a huge industry area there are a lot of manufacturers make it worse for the existing companies losing employees. The other issues is the supplier base the RV industry is forced to use some are producing not well engineered products and some are producing crap. Companies are gobbling up other smaller and successful suppliers and using the profits to make their wallets thinker. Some are not using the profits to build better products.
You can disagree with all of this but listen to all of those on these forums and the nature of the complaints.

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by tnbendr

Phil, I have respected and appreciated the advice and encouragement that you and some of the other senior guys have imparted since I have been on this forum. Yes I am very disappointed with the product that I have and yes I have had more than normal issues, this is according to Mike Bukoswki himself, not by me. But my main intent was not to just vent, I am trying to figure out how to deal with the frustrations of a once in a lifetime opportunity after spending good money to purchase, equip and operate something that keeps breaking. Do you know of anyone who has had the pulley bracket ripped right out of the wall? Or the engine not start after stopping at a rest area, maybe the drain hose being melted around the rear corner of the heater and flooding the entire area behind the fireplace? Is your heater itself secured to its mounts or is it flopping around and only held in by the outside panel? How about misdrilled 4 inch hole saw cuts that were never seal up much less repaired? Like I said, I have more down time than up time (not including storage) and that's just not right...can you boast that stat?

You are kidding right. I have had and worked through many many issues and have never ever been disappointed by FR response. I have asked for and been given great advice to fix my own when I could. So I'm understanding issues but choose to remain positive and work at getting things fixed. We belong to several rally groups and I promise you issue with repair are not limited to FR.
I will help anyone with advice and all the help I can to get the repairs done but I'm sorry to say I am not interested in just hearing complaints. I said I was unsubscribing and its my fault I'm still here.
I will do what I can as everyone in this forum will to help anyone. No hard feelings I hope but for crying out loud lets get back to helpful positive posts.

[Paulie Boy]

Phil, here, here, X2


Paul
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[Mmnsc]

Amen


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[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by tmmar

How many dealerships do you think would take the time or expense to send a tech to the factory for training? And which brand would they choose to have the tech trained on? Also, you think that the dealer takes forever to repair a coach? Wait until you bring in your unit and the dealer says that the tech trained on your brand has x number or walk throughs, PDI's and other coaches of your brand ahead of you waiting for work. It would take a lot longer to get work done on your unit. JMHO

Most dealerships would no be able to get by with 1 tech !!!
Do you not think that training a tech is part of owning a dealership ???
Do you want some one working on your RV,,, that knows less that you do ??? Properly training workers is part of owning a business !!!