DRV Mobile Suites Then & Now

[Bob_C]

Price doesn't mean squat.....there are good and bad units in any price range.....we only hear about the problems on these forums......if you like it, buy it!......then you can fix the stuff you run into.....I'd never return to a dealer, I'll fix my own stuff....if some kid can put these together, an old guy can fix it....

[stanleyz]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

Price doesn't mean squat.....there are good and bad units in any price range.....we only hear about the problems on these forums......if you like it, buy it!......then you can fix the stuff you run into.....I'd never return to a dealer, I'll fix my own stuff....if some kid can put these together, an old guy can fix it....

You got it. I avoid repair places at great costs and effort.

[stanleyz]

Originally Posted by stanleyz

Yeah, the Aire is like a Montana or cardinal or whatever. just another product line. They are built cheaper to sell cheaper, I'm sure. I know of no definition of a "full time" unit. The Cardinal I had was called a "full time" unit and I guess it could be used to live in full time. I guess if you're in the right situation a 78 Ford station wagon can be used as a "full time" unit.

I'm curious about where the public statement about cutting high end units 10% was found. I mean com'on, that don't even make sense. Why would you need to reduce the high end unit quality so you could build a cheaper mid level trailer. If you wanted to compete in that price range you would just build it, you don't need to cut the quality of the other products to start a new product line. Besides, if you were going to do that only an idiot would announce it outside the board room.

There is a lot of information on the internet, some of it true. But until someone can point me to a published DRV document with that statement on it I'm calling "fake news" or BS if you prefer.

OOOPs, sorry JT builds. I thought you were quoting something from Thior or DRV. On review I see you were expressing an opinion. My bad!!!!

[jtbuilds]

Originally Posted by stanleyz

OOOPs, sorry JT builds. I thought you were quoting something from Thior or DRV. On review I see you were expressing an opinion. My bad!!!!

No issue. I was going to let you know it was my view but there was too much to do before we left on our latest trip.

Safe Travels

[wingnut60]

We just moved into our '15 DRV to begin our full-time experience--would not like to think about trying this in a Montana, tho many do. I have seen full-timers in 24ft TTs--some can make it work. If this one lasts us 10 years as the '05 did, it will be worth the what we paid.

[jacknife]

You buy what you can afford.

[Dfb]

Start writing congress about THOR BECOMING A MONOPOLY,! Prices and quality suffers!

[MtnTrek]

Originally Posted by Dfb

Start writing congress about THOR BECOMING A MONOPOLY,! Prices and quality suffers!

You intended this as an oxymoron, right? I know we're supposed to avoid the appearance of politically charged content, but this really makes my mind wander in a twisted satiric way. uh, moderator...

Be well.

[Dfb]

Originally Posted by MtnTrek

You intended this as an oxymoron, right? I know we're supposed to avoid the appearance of politically charged content, but this really makes my mind wander in a twisted satiric way. uh, moderator...

Be well.

In case you're not aware, THOR has bought nearly every Rv manufacture on the market. Back in the 90s Thor made Tahoe. Now they make Montana, airstream, Mobile Suites, Redwood, K-z and many more. I gave seen the Montanas before Thor took over. I have owned a K-Z when they were Sportsman. There is no competition when a monopoly happens. This is not an oxy moron, nor political. Just a fact..I see the new Kz and it is just like a keystone,....No differences except name...The telephone company was broken up because of no competition... in my opinion... it's not good....Except for Thor...

[mocarski]

we just did the drv factory tour and saw a lot to like. what I didn't like was the cabinetry was crap and the plastic faucet in the shower. was told you couldn't upgrade it and that it was dictated by Thor that they use the crappy faucet in the shower. seemed odd since the rest of the faucets and fixtures was decent quality.

[dave&ginny]

I've had RVs for many years. I loved the 5th wheels because they seemed so roomy and before I bought the Motor Home I was seriously looking at a MS. Unfortunately, I don't think you can get the wood quality or build quality in the 5er because of weight concerns unless you go to a custom built unit.

[Fulltimdream]

Originally Posted by stanleyz

Interesting thread. As the owner of an 05 MS for the past 9 years and a Cardinal for 7 years before that I'd like to add to it. We don't full time but we are out a minimum of 5 months a year and more like 6 to 7 most years. I can't comment on the new MSs because I haven't used mine up yet. At 12 years old I am having to do a bit more repairs and preventative maintenance but it is still a solid trailer which is the point of this mini rant.

Some points:

It is reported that there are 2000 people a day retiring and many want a fifth wheel. So if you want one you better buy it.

The same group of execs and workers build almost all these trailers in Indiana. When one brand gets a bad rep or quits selling they shut it down, change the name of the company and update the product with a new brand name. It's being built by mostly the same people.

When they get behind on the line which is probably daily given the number they are selling, they take short cuts to catch up. Those short cuts are the little nit pick things a lot of buyers whine about on forums. Thing is they all do it so when comparing brands it is a tie.

MS is a quality trailer. If you are in there looking at the cabinets and the molding and the colors of the drapes and making a decision on that junk, you are missing the point. These are "trailers". You intend to hook them to a truck and pull them all over the USA and Canada. (our map is completely filled in) In case you haven't heard President Trump, our roads across the USA often suck. That trailer will take very many very very hard jolts as you travel. The brakes will get worked overtime on a lot of mountain roads, the springs will work their butts off on back roads from Biloxi to Cody and back again. The screws, glues and rivets will be stressed beyond belief and every thing else will be under stress each and every time you move.

The MS is twice the trailer the Cardinal was but not in stuff cause it had almost all the stuff the MS has. The difference is in the quality of construction. Not the construction of the window blinds or the curtain rods but in construction of the TRAILER. So get out of the living room and get under and on top of the unit. For starts what is the size and heft of the frame, the axles, the brake size, the springs, shocks and the roof. That's the stuff that counts. What tires are on it, anything under H invites an exciting event in your future life. Same for anything made anywhere that has direct flights to Shanghai.

Now, look at how the unit is assembled. Any trailer with the small 3/4 inch outside moldings holding the front panels together with screws and glue will fail there, it's just a matter of when. The caps front and rear should be solid as possible. Look at the front and rear caps on a MS and use it as a point of comparison. I'm talking about the real MS not the down grade one that is a fancy Montana. Look at all the seams and see how they are built. Probably the greatest enemy of a fifth wheel trailer is water intrusion, whats worse is undiscovered water intrusion and if you drive in the rain that intrusion can come from the bottom up. Take a second and third look at those joints. Will they be totally water proof after 3 years or 10.

I say all this to make a point. If you will look at the real MS and inspect all those things then compare it with other 5ers I think your decision will be easy. And I don't care if it's an 05 like mine or a 17 like I looked at last winter. They are built to last.

. I found a 2011 on line in my area that I like .I think the quality is better in the older ones,there are so many retires looking to sell off and travel.I really hear less complaints on the Ms older ones than many of the new of any brand

[whiterhino]

Interesting read. We've been MH people for years but started shopping for a 5th wheel about 2 years ago. Although there were several brands we liked in our price range, I wasn't satisfied with the quality of any of them. We then found a 2013 MS that we really like. After going over it front to back and top to bottom, there is so much to like about this unit over the newer production models. The stiffer frame, axles, 5* leveling jacks, insulation, and more. I had read about the Schwintek slides being a problem but research told me that the issue was 1) alignment and 2) motor size. The Schwintek slides worked great on smaller slides but when manufacturers started putting them in larger slides, problems arose, especially if they were out of alignment. The solution was to go from the 301 to the 501 motor, which has a greater gear reduction. Sure nuff, the unit we are looking at moves fine but super slow, indicating the 501 motor.

With all that said, we have sold our Tiffin MH and pick up our new (to us) MS next week.

[09 harley]

Buy a New Horizons. You will have the only unit rated for full time use with a five star rating. Most manufacturers use the same products but I believe that they restrict their use of those known to cause problems. Might as well skip all the cheap junk out there and buy the best unit first. My second choice would be Spacecraft.
Go on their website and then come back and tell me you really want something lower quality. You won't.
Came back to add that both Thor and Forest River products have taken a nosedive in quality and support. It is not up for debate.