Curious - How Many Problems With Your RV

[Wayne M]

My DW said that I should ask the question:

It does not matter the brand or model, make would be nice.

We have a Winnebago. DW has said we should ask for a different one.

We have had many problems in the 3 years we have owned it. I have a booklet of items I have had repaired. If this thread gets a good start I'll break it out and list all of them. In our travels, we have noticed many makes in RV repair lots for some type of problem. I mean, everything from pop-ups to Prevost. I don't think any of us are immune to problems, but we are just curious.

Example: We had:(not inclusive)

• Major Slide problems (3-4 times)
• Leak Problem
• Refrigerator Recall (most likely all of us)
• Slide seal problems
• Slide topper awning problem (still have)
• Patio awning replaced
• Sky Light fan problems
• Drawer latch problem
• Paint peeling in bay. Other bays now showing signs of surface rust. (hmmm! I need to take care of that)
• Dash AC malfunctions (Still does - no one seems to be able to figure it out.)

Is there a "trend" in the industry? We pay a lot of money for our RV. It doesn't matter what type of RV, it's still a lot of money out of YOUR pocket. You should expect a quality product that doesn't have to be repaired every time you take it out of the driveway to go camping.

I don't believe the above is inclusive of what we have had fixed. But it is a good start.

[paty]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

My DW said that I should ask the question:

It does not matter the brand or model, make would be nice.

We have a Winnebago. DW has said we should ask for a different one.

We have had many problems in the 3 years we have owned it. I have a booklet of items I have had repaired. If this thread gets a good start I'll break it out and list all of them. In our travels, we have noticed many makes in RV repair lots for some type of problem. I mean, everything from pop-ups to Prevost. I don't think any of us are immune to problems, but we are just curious.

Example: We had:(not inclusive)

• Major Slide problems (3-4 times)
• Leak Problem
• Refrigerator Recall (most likely all of us)
• Slide seal problems
• Slide topper awning problem (still have)
• Patio awning replaced
• Sky Light fan problems
• Drawer latch problem
• Paint peeling in bay. Other bays now showing signs of surface rust. (hmmm! I need to take care of that)
• Dash AC malfunctions (Still does - no one seems to be able to figure it out.)

Is there a "trend" in the industry? We pay a lot of money for our RV. It doesn't matter what type of RV, it's still a lot of money out of YOUR pocket. You should expect a quality product that doesn't have to be repaired every time you take it out of the driveway to go camping.

I don't believe the above is inclusive of what we have had fixed. But it is a good start.

Cougar

>Black tank blew
>Leak either in gally tank or in pipe (having repair guy coming out...hoping it is pipe and a quick fix.)
>Floor Vents, two out of three broke.
>Cupboard door came off.
>Microwave continues to run and run.....not cooking just running.
>Water pump leak
>Rusting of tongue and back bumper. You'd think they'd use a rust inhibiting paint.
>Awning replaced.
>Decals peeling despite using 303 protectant on them.
>Back up reflective mirror on lower cap starting to come off at one end.
>Day/Night shade (largest) refuses to stay up. (this occured soon after the rig was purchased.)
>Slide Seal problem...probably will need to be replaced.

That is all I can think of at this time. (oh please, let there be no more!)

[RickO]

Ain't it great? I've come to the conclusion most of these issues are industry wide and aren't unique to any particular brand. There's a lot written here about how we should all expect much more because we pay so much money, etc but it is what it is and it's not like we can take our money somewhere else and get a higher quality coach for the same money. We spent the winter at a very swanky RV resort in Palm Springs and we were surrounded by the high dollar rigs. I played golf with a lot of them that winter and came to the conclusion that even the Newell's and Marathons have their share of issues too... but they send a tech to your site to take care of things for you. Amazing what an extra million will buy these days.

I've kept pretty detailed maintenance records on our 2007 Itasca DP and my excel spreadsheet is three pages long...many more items than you've listed. But, I look at it as a part of the game and realize it isn't just my rig that's had trouble. Fortunately I bought an extended warranty with the new rig and it's been great for us.

Things WILL get better... ask DW to hang in there.
Good luck in the morning with that leak.

Rick

[scenic route]

Bought our '05 HR Vacationer on e-bay in Jan. '10. After almost 20K miles, the only things that have broke are: Main awning drive cup - changed the motor/drive cup assy. myself, two dump valve cables - one I change last summer and one to be changed that broke this trip, and a pin hole leak in the fridge's ice maker supply line. The engine (8.1) developed a 'tick' in Soldotna that took me a couple of days to figure out where it was coming from...two loose nuts on the right bank exhaust manifold...got lucky on that one and with a quick re-torque, all is well in the Workhorse world.

We feel REALLY lucky with our purchase (knocking on wood here),but also have the opinion that Holiday Rambler makes an excellent product and the Workhorse chassis is a great base. And yes, we had the brake recall done but had no hang-up problem before the recall was accomplished. Man, I sure hope I haven't jinxed myself...we're in Alaska and a loooong waaaay from home! Bob

[Ray,IN]

A side note for Paty. The day/night shades are adjustable if they will not stay up or conversly are hard to move either direction. The strings are attached to a plastic thimble below the window. Making the string tighter will make it stay up when you want it up, however, too tight will wear through the strings rather quickly, requiring string replacement and possibility string guide replacement.

Now back to the original topic. We cannot equate problems with a MH to a trailer, because a MH is much more complicated mechanically and electrically.
Our 05 5er has had at most a half-dozen problems.
Slides mis-adjusted from factory, dealer tried to adjust and only made things worse. This required a trip to the mfgr.service center to remedy.
Our " guaranteed leak free" 5er came with 4 leaks pre-installed.
The aluminum wall structure broke at a weld, which then broke the fiberglass outer wall completely through to the interior. Another trip to mfgr. service center.
Audio speakers seem to have a mind of their own, and work accordingly.
And of course, our 5er, just like virtually all trailers, came with under-rated tires for the load.

[RVNeophytes2]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Is there a "trend" in the industry?

Wow. I feel kind of lucky. Of these, only the latch applies. I have a new one, will install. We've been freakishly lucky, no problems that needed urgent attention or left us sitting alongside the road. That's since January, when we bought a pristine rig with 84,000 miles on it from friends. It was carefully maintained, so our transition was a non-event. In 6,000 miles, it's done perfectly. Odd, that many members here would've opted for one with no mileage (hence no regular maintenance); they'd rather live in the maintenance shop for their first two years, spend wads of money, but see a lower number on the odometer. I don't get that.

Certainly, lil' things will constantly break on any house that rolls down the highway. For those, I have a maintenance book for tracking writeups, just like at the airline. I'll try to attach a blank page to this, feel free to steal it!

Friends have been taking some big hits lately: a 2005 Essex that needs brakes, a late-model Prevost that needs slide seals, a 2005 Newell that needs... well, just about everything. The Essex and Newells are new acquisitions, whose owners obviously put off doing things for awhile, before selling.

So, no, I don't think your experience is out of the ordinary. You'll climb on top of things soon, and have a perfect machine.

[4Knights]

Don't have to worry about the odometer, it has never worked since we bought it. Neither has the dash A/C

New awnings all around, new starter, new alternator, new batteries- 2 6volt &1 12volt
New freshwater pump, new transfer switch, new windshield wiper reservoir, new antifreeze reservoir
New floor vents, new RGSx3, new autoparkbrake shoes, new fuel filter, new roof membrane, new overhead clearance lights, new muffler and tailpipe, rewired generator, new HWH rear jack solenoid.

NEEDS,
Tires next year maybe sooner, solar battery charger, front roof air, solar roof fridge vent/fan, replace center roof vent with fantastic fan and cover.

Had it 2 years and feel extremely lucky it's in such great shape for a 94! Original owner maintained her well so our expense is minimal. Plan on keeping her for at least another 5-7 years
Ron

[HoRotica]

The shame in all of this is that the industry has performed so poorly over the years that the customers are conditioned that this is normal occurance even when spending this kind of money.

They should be ashamed of themselves!

Chris

[offthewall]

I almost hate to say it but we've had very few problems with our brand new 2010 Itasca Meridian V Class 34Y, bought November 2010.

All very minor, self repairable stuff.

A screw loose here or there, a Dometic refer recall, a loose bathroom drain pipe, a loose/leaking water line to the refer ice maker, striker adjustments on some of the exterior compartment doors.

The biggest problem we had was a mis-adjustment of the entry door latch caused us to not be able to open the door. (see another thread for that saga ) Winnebago and my dealer were fantastic and provided telephone support and overnighted parts, etc and made it as painless as possible.

RVs are a complicated amalgam of various systems. To expect them to be 100% problem free is unrealistic. If you purchase from a reputable manufacturer and a supportive dealer, any issues should be easily mitigated. It also helps to be a little handy yourself.

[YC1]

08 HR Endeavor SKQ

Repairs
Repaired sliding glass door locks in bedroom closets.
Repaired bedroom door
Repaired ceiling fan in bedroom
Repaired slide out leak in bedroom
Replaced defective isolator solenoid in battery compartment twice
Repaired bad connector for entry step area
Replaced master switch at entry area due to backlight failure
Replaced master switch backlight with LED after second failure
Repaired bad connection on vacuum cleaner
Repaired leak in back of toilet
Repaired leaky shower
Braced shaky washer/dryer so it doesn’t move so much
Repaired broken seat wires on passenger seat
Repaired leaky black water pipe connection on top of tank (vent pipe)
Repaired loose generator fuel hose. Was sucking air and dying.
Repaired jammed steering wheel. Rubber boot was cut and hanging up. Foamed it back into place.
Repaired leaky oil hose on engine
Replaced fogged dual pane window
Replaced screws in radiator shroud with nylocks and bolts. Rivets broke loose and screws came out
Black tank flush kit was plugged. Removed, cleaned, drilled holes larger
Replaced bad tire
Front end aligned
Replaced defective receiver amp, surround sound box
Repaired seat bottom button on passenger seat. Upholstery button that is
Repaired broken ice maker water hose
Repaired leaky ice maker. Froze up and hose at top was leaking
Repaired slide step cover
Replaced broken fitting on macerator

But the mods have been fun.

Modifications
Removed headboard mirror
Ran wiring and installed IR extender in bedroom
R&R bedroom tv, upgraded to high def
Installed sat rxr in bedroom
Ran coax to outside compartment for direct hookup to sat dish for bedroom tv
Replaced bedroom sleep number bed with tempurpedic
Painted skylight in bathroom white to reduce heat and light.
Added solar panels and controller
Ran HDMI cable to living room tv
Covered windshield blades with split wrap
Removed love seat
Installed new floor under love seat with carpet
Installed Euro chair
Installed Bidet in bathroom
Installed Bidet heater
Changed incandescent bulbs over bed with LED’s. The other bulbs would burn your fingers if touched
Removed two dividers in overhead entertainment cabinet up front so wires can be moved about easily
Added fans to front entertainment cabinet
Turned shoreline power reel around 180 degrees so it feeds from the top and aligns with the hole
Removed cover blocking macerator so I can service easier
Found fresh water hose when pulled out to far cuts off flow. Marked hose so I don’t pull it out as far
Traced and diagramed video cabling
Removed video switching box
Moved and remounted sat coax connection block
Removed high def stuff for sat receiver since it is not usable with in motion
Removed 10 cd changer
Installed 12 volt fan in refrigerator back
Installed wi-fi repeater and antenna on crank up antenna
Installed two way radio antenna and radio
Installed two cell phone amps and one outside cell phone antenna
Built and installed brake controller
Added dash mat
Added bubble wrap to window above driver
Added pull strings to side window shades so we can reach them when seated.
Installed HD DVR
Installed DVD player in front
Installed cable for ipod input to dash radio
Made cutting board to fit sink
Installed slide out racking under stove for pots and pans
Removed screws from vent piece under sink and reinstalled with Velcro for access for storage
Modified slide out release mechanisms on storage tray. The pin holding the locks hung way out
Added pop screens to fantastic vents for ease of cleaning
Added vent filter to front fantastic vent screen
Sealed roof seams
Added slide out in storage bay
Mounted ladder inside storage bay
Added water softener
Added external ice maker
Added night owl motion detector lights
Added led flip down light in hallway
Modified external rear camera housing so camera will tilt up enough to see back
Modified interior monitor so I can pull it out and attach it to the dash while traveling so I can see it better
Built portable satellite dish stand
Disconnected the turn signal inputs to the camera system so it does not switch to R/L camera when signaling
Installed GPS
Added rope pulls to side screens so we can reach them while seated
Added bubble reflective insulation to hallway windows and driver window upper area
Added water pump switch in bathroom
Added dash cover
Added front windshield cover
Added Genturi generator exhaust system
Added corner protectors for slides to save injuries
Added split wrap to protect from injuries under the slide edges
Covered front side window vent holes with tape to stop wind noise but allows water to exit
Covered entry door hinges to keep wind noise down
Added pads between screen and door to stop rattles
Added step covers to clean shoes
Built stand for tool box in back so can store things under it
Built jack stand boards. Built tire ramps but they were to small
Replaced wiper blades with over the counter ones because could not find replacement blades
Removed air mattress from couch mattress holder and installed tempurpedic topper
Added pedal extenders for brake and gas pedal
Added Venturi to bathroom vent pipe

[blackf3504dr]

Our 92' HR has had a few problems, but considering it's age we've been lucky. Replaced the front roof AC, fuel pump, starter, generator carb rebuilt, replaced the fridge with a residential model and upgraded the battery bank... I don't think it's been too bad for a near twenty year old coach.

[smallpond3500]

We have 1990 HR . Just put 6500 mi on it .Only trouble was viscus clutch on fan witch I replaced in campground for 60.00 and small plastic washers on enterway door broke so going to make new ones out off bearning bronze.before we left home Iput all new brakes on calpers and pads for around 550 I keep trace of all repares to see how much it really cost for owenship

[Nuge]

WOW!! You guys are making me feel GOOD!! On our one big trip in our old (Almost 30 YEAR OLD!!) Beast we discovered four bad tires, had a fuel filter clog up and the rear u-joint come apart on us. I DO have a couple of plumbing leaks to address and the left exhaust manifold is trying to come off and of course the bolts are frozen, but I consider myself quite lucky after reading these posts!!

[padre44]

We got a new Newmar Bay Star in May. Too many things wrong, mostly small which I've fixed myself rather than drive 3 hours to dealer. Dash AC didn't work correctly - spit water. I fixed that too since Newmar has not responded to my correspondence - told me to run in max mode. From what I read here, problems with RV's are the norm. Detroit had that problem years ago and that's when Japan came on strong. Wonder of that's in the future for the RV industry? It is inexcusable to have such poor quality control. You'd think that people who run these companies would have more integrity than to push junk out their doors. They ought to be ashamed.