Coachmen quality

[bwhunter65]

I have a question first of all I own a freedom express I like it have really had problems so for and I had it for a year now. My friend owns a coachman also and was looking at getting a toy hauler. He went to look at some coachmans and he said he was not happy with the quality of them he said they are going down hill was wondering what are your thoughts for those that have seen them in the last month or so.

[steeleshark2]

You will get people say that about every brand. Others like me have had hardly any issues with mine.

[ryand]

We bought ours used as a 2011 model only 6 months old....no complaints other than a cabinet hinge pulling the screws out, the screen door Iatch breaking and the horrible excuse for a mattress. I guess one could really pick apart a trailer for little things....scratches, loose screws and so on....even with a warranty I found it more effective to fix these little items myself rather than take time off of work plus fuel to tow the trailer back to the dealer.

We have been very happy with Coachmen.

[bjcohn]

Originally Posted by bwhunter65

I have a question first of all I own a freedom express I like it have really had problems so for and I had it for a year now. My friend owns a coachman also and was looking at getting a toy hauler. He went to look at some coachmans and he said he was not happy with the quality of them he said they are going down hill was wondering what are your thoughts for those that have seen them in the last month or so.

Our 2012 292BHDS has spent more days in the repair shop than in the campgrounds this season. "Coachman" and "quality" should not be used in the same sentence. If I had it to do all over again I probably would buy a Jayco ( even if it cost me more $").
"You can put lipstick on a pig but at the end of the day you still have a pig".

[bwhunter65]

Mine TT is a 2012 but I got it last July and had no problems. My friend has a coachman but wanted to get a new one and his TT is only a couple of years old he liked his TT so he wanted to get another coachman but he said the quality is not like it was and I have read some reviews and it seems the new models aren't stacking up so I was just trying to see if it was only him.

[myredracer]

We have a 2010 Coachmen Catalina 20RD. It is our first trailer and didn't know a lot about RVs when we bought it. After looking at a lot of trailers, we bought this one. Partly because it was at the end of the season and we got it for a low blow-out price, and secondly because it has a large picture window looking out the rear.

The salesman at the dealership told us that Coachmen went out of business and was bought out by Forest River and that we were buying the last one they were going to bring in. Never did see anything on Google to substantiate that. If true, you would think that something might have improved in terms of quality?

I am pretty disgusted with the build quality of our unit, but being an engineer and in the construction bus. a long time, I am probably more critical than others. Did a lot of interior mods/upgrades this past winter and got a lot of surprises. Cabinetry isn't plumb, level, square or straight. Counter top has about 3/8" warp in it from end to other. Things are really badly stapled and screwed together. Poor finishing details. Poorly insulated. Wires in ceiling laying on top of numerous sharp-pointed screws. No care/thought to plumbing layout causing a lot of wasted space inside cabinets. Lift up queen bed plywood and frame so poorly built and out of whack I had to rebuild it. Could go on more....

A couple of weeks ago, we ended up camping next to a coworker of DW (unplanned). They had a Coachmen 28' or so trailer about 4 years old. They have had a TON of problems with theirs, especially with the long slide. Makes our trailer seem pretty nice in comparison.

Having said this, I now understand that poor quality is more the norm than the exception in the RV industry. There's no excuses for that IMHO. While we love our new TT to death (because of size, layout and my mods.), we would NOT buy another Coachmen unit unless they went through a Hyundai-like quality transformation.

[pwrplay]

We have had our 2012 292BHDS for only a few of months and since it is our first one, we have nothing to compare it to. We initially had a couple of issues, like the dinette table didn't sit flush when used as a bed causing it to wabble like a table on an uneven floor (dealer fixed). The silver floor trim at the entrance door had one screw pop up on the end (dealer fixed). The water pump failed during sanitization (dealer fixed). So like almost every other TT out there, I have had some minor issues that I identified even before our first trip out. The great part about all of it was that my dealer has been fantastic (Ruston RV in Burlington Ontario). They fixed every issue right away, in fact they replaced the waterpump in an hour while I waited.


We have since been out camping 3 times this year and so far so good, no other issues have cropped up. Hopefully any other issues show up before the warranty is up.

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by bwhunter65

I have a question first of all I own a freedom express I like it have really had problems so for and I had it for a year now. My friend owns a coachman also and was looking at getting a toy hauler. He went to look at some coachmans and he said he was not happy with the quality of them he said they are going down hill was wondering what are your thoughts for those that have seen them in the last month or so.

freedom express low priced vehicle made by coachmen to camping world specs.

coacmen brand usually superior

[Ft W crew]

We have only had a few outing but so far so good, minor stuff, all that I fixed myself, not worth the time to take to dealer for a $10 part. Getting ready for our third outing. As far as build quality of a manufacturer, I think it really depends on the the day of the week and who was working on the coach when it was built. I have had all types of RV's and cars and I personally don't think it a brand name but when the unit was built and by whom.

With that being said, keep in mind when you are driving or towing your coach you are exposing it to almost hurricane force winds, and the unit is constantly bouncing, if you were to do that to your home I am sure you will have some issue.

I would be more concerned with big items, like delamination (sp?), roof leaks, and slide functions and not pick a part the little things.

I find more people complain than compliment so keep that in mind on any vehicle and any forum.

Good luck and happy trails.

[bwhunter65]

Originally Posted by Ft W crew

We have only had a few outing but so far so good, minor stuff, all that I fixed myself, not worth the time to take to dealer for a $10 part. Getting ready for our third outing. As far as build quality of a manufacturer, I think it really depends on the the day of the week and who was working on the coach when it was built. I have had all types of RV's and cars and I personally don't think it a brand name but when the unit was built and by whom.

With that being said, keep in mind when you are driving or towing your coach you are exposing it to almost hurricane force winds, and the unit is constantly bouncing, if you were to do that to your home I am sure you will have some issue.

I would be more concerned with big items, like delamination (sp?), roof leaks, and slide functions and not pick a part the little things.

I find more people complain than compliment so keep that in mind on any vehicle and any forum.

Good luck and happy trails.

I agree I am not nick picking I realize fixtures are not going to be like a home. But we spend lots of money for our TT and want them to last and stay nice. I hope they keep up there quality up to the standards that were used to make mine. I spent a week in my TT for first time. It was the first time I was able to and I spent it nice and comfortable.

[sledhead77]

I went with the Coachmen F.E. 292BHDS for it's size and weight. It seemed to weigh less then other comparable RV's with quad bunks and a big slide. The quality seems nice to me although this is our first ever RV. Comparing it to my in-laws 5'er (Copper Canyon by Keystone) I would say the quality is a touch better and seems to be on par with my parent's Crossroads 5'er. I would say that the quality of the Walkabouts or the Cougar's is probably a touch better but you will pay more. Overall I think the price and quality of the unit seem to be fair.

[mike06081969]

Originally Posted by gerrym51

freedom express low priced vehicle made by coachmen to camping world specs.

coacmen brand usually superior

If they put their name on it, they should build quality in it. Otherwise, Coachmen gets a bad name. They build crap, they earn the reputation for it, no matter whose standards they use.

[Koolaid76]

Originally Posted by Ft W crew

We have only had a few outing but so far so good, minor stuff, all that I fixed myself, not worth the time to take to dealer for a $10 part. Getting ready for our third outing. As far as build quality of a manufacturer, I think it really depends on the the day of the week and who was working on the coach when it was built. I have had all types of RV's and cars and I personally don't think it a brand name but when the unit was built and by whom.

With that being said, keep in mind when you are driving or towing your coach you are exposing it to almost hurricane force winds, and the unit is constantly bouncing, if you were to do that to your home I am sure you will have some issue.

I would be more concerned with big items, like delamination (sp?), roof leaks, and slide functions and not pick a part the little things.

I find more people complain than compliment so keep that in mind on any vehicle and any forum.

Good luck and happy trails.

I have a delamination issue around the Heater exhaust exterior. Coachmen has been giving me the run around to fix it on my 2 year old this month 291 QBS. The dealer says its delaminating. Anyone can offer advise or warrenty details as i cant find any?

[_nelsonc]

I have a 2013 Coachmen Class A (Mirada 35DL). I have had a few minor issues and one big one. The big one was the main slide was not coming back in evenly. The dealer was able to fix that. The other issues were ones I could probably take care of myself, but since it is under warranty, I would rather they do it. It is in the shop today getting some things looked at as a matter of fact.

I bought this coach after owning a 2000 Coachmen Mirada 34MBS and seeing how well it held up. The difference in design is night and day. Even the materials are better. That said, there are little details they could have done better. And some finishing could have been done better. But even after all that, I love this coach. I think the quality is fine.

[bradnailer]

We have a 2013 Freedom Express and are happy with it.

[Koolaid76]

I bought my Freedom Express 291 QBH new 2 years ago last month and the laminite is bubbling up around the heater exhaust vent. Which i noticed in March after using it in the cold months. I had a $300 cover for it the first year and a carport for it this last year. Camp once a month. The outdoor elements are negligible for the issue. The dealer says it has delaminated due to little or poor glue. Coachmen wants to say its my fault for water contamination - the investigation to be continued with me cutting open the laminate at my expense to discover the reason. After many pictures sent by the dealer (Coachmen authorized dealer) stating glue failure. Does anyone know the Coachmen structure warranty? I found the floor has a ten year warranty but not clear on the other structures.

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by Koolaid76

I bought my Freedom Express 291 QBH new 2 years ago last month and the laminite is bubbling up around the heater exhaust vent. Which i noticed in March after using it in the cold months. I had a $300 cover for it the first year and a carport for it this last year. Camp once a month. The outdoor elements are negligible for the issue. The dealer says it has delaminated due to little or poor glue. Coachmen wants to say its my fault for water contamination - the investigation to be continued with me cutting open the laminate at my expense to discover the reason. After many pictures sent by the dealer (Coachmen authorized dealer) stating glue failure. Does anyone know the Coachmen structure warranty? I found the floor has a ten year warranty but not clear on the other structures.

That might be an easy one. If the hot exhaust is too close to the glued together siding, of course the glue may fail, its not designed for those temps. Ones I've seen the guard plate should dissipate the heat, if too close it can't.

[Koolaid76]

I can agree with you about the heat dissipate. I feel Coachman is avoiding their responsibility to fix it. I have owned 3 used campers prior to purchasing brand new and I did lots of research to find Coachmen to be the biggest bang for the buck - in short. I gave up on buying used because unsure of the lack of prior care I always end up fixing at a large expense. I even bought an extended 7 year warranty on all mechanical parts for my new Coachmen. This has been a great camper and I get lots of compliments at the parks. But very disappointment at the moment with Coachmen's run around.

[hcondon]

I have a 2012, 335RBS Coachmen Chaparral, have not had any problems what so ever yet. Quality seems to be very good, every thing works fine.
As was stated before, they take a beating on some roads, and with strong winds and heavy rain.
Love it so far.

[jeeplj8]

I was waiting to get Coachmen's response to this issue before replying here. I have their response, and unfortunately my oppinion of Coachmen's qaulity and customer service is sinking by the minute. Here is the thread I started with my roof issue:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...sed-42740.html

Coachmen refuses to do anything about this. As stated in the other thread, they claim the aluminum shaving is not piercing the roof material, and therefore will not address this problem.

Keep in mind the trailer is actually at the dealer for replacement of delaminating rear cap that Coachmen denied for 9 months. It also there for leaks in the slide; propane exhaust smell in unit, failed cabinet door hinges, and broken power center door. This will be the second time it has been in for leaks. It also had a failed water pump.

While much of that list is the normal things with virtually every new camper, the roof situation is serious as is the rear cap. I will give Coachmen one more chance to fix the roof. But I cannot give nay positive comments about their workmanship, quality or customer service.