Bounder: Love our new RV but ?????

[Donut lover]

Wow...thanks to this thread, I am NOW going to look at my new Winnebago View thru a different set of glasses. As I speak, my 2015 View (had it two weeks) has spent 6 days in the shop. I went into a $116,000 (out the door) MBZ diesel believing I was going to get a $116k Mercedes Benz motor home...wrong!!! 3 blown radio fuses, a shower stall that doesn't close, a bathroom door that doesn't lock or even stay closed, an inside the wall crushed HDMI cable that rendered my TV totally useless, my black tank handle stuck in the open position...twice (fortunately while only demonstrating it to my wife BEFORE using it, a fuse box with fuse labels written by an 8 year old...unreadable and a generator that wouldn't start during the pre delivery walk thru, a refrigerator outside vent that blew off and almost decapitated a bicyclist...and more! I am a DIYer so I will be fixing quite a bit myself. whoever said it was like a Merecedes Benz gone to Costco for parts to build the coach nailed it! I'm getting it back tomorrow with "some" of these issues resolved...so they say, but because of Christmas next week, I'll probably be waiting a couple of weeks (after New Year) to get the new radio put in and a few other issues.

I'm just so glad to see I am nowhere near the only one with these issues. ..Thank you all for your input!

[wildtoad]

I've owned four rv's thus far, all of ranging from lightly use to very used. As a result there has always been items that need to be maintained, upgraded, fixed. I get that. I have to do stuff around my home all the time too. Every time I've had work done by a contractor there has always been a list of items that needed to be touched up or remedied.

What gets me is all the problems with new units, especially ones costing over $100k. It is not too much to ask that a brand new unit comes from the factory and everything works as expected and there are no leaks. The fact that the house part is a collection of parts is a poor excuse. Winnebago ( as an example ) put their name on the finished product and should make sure what they deliver works. Years ago Zenith had a slogan "The quality goes in before the name goes on". Something the RV industry needs to adopt. Seems every time I see a RV ceo on tv talking about product quality my stomach begins to ache.

Still my next RV may be a new one if I can find one that works.

[flaggship1]

Originally Posted by RodgerS

If you judge a mh by the standards of a luxury car, you are never going to be happy. Despite the money you spent, you have bought a costco with one item of each on a separate shelf manufactured by somebody else. All they did was take the stuff out of the boxes and plug it together.

No, there isn't anybody watching the farm. The industry has developed a customized product that is a whole lot of separate products plugged together from different businesses.

No, they don't have quality control systems, they have you. You and your fellow owners have trained them to use you to make your rv work for them. Buyers routinely pick up their rv without doing a complete, detailed and thorough inspection of everything - yes that would take a couple of weeks.

You simply paid the money and drove off, losing your leverage.

Nobody but you has to look. All the quality control is done after you buy your rv based upon what you discover they screwed up at the factory and some dealers have good services and some don't.

The fact you don't know this means you didn't do your homework before you bought a new mh. You will always be constantly fixing and repairing and maintaining and spending lots of money and frustration.

You must find joy in this as others have found.

Don't worry, be happy! Enjoy your plug and pray contrivance.

Yes, you decided to play the game with unreasonable expectations, low knowledge, and too much credit and money for your own good...but it will work well enough at some point and you will grow to love that monster.

Roger - I'm curious what your experience with these monsters is. I looked for your New Member intro but couldn't find it using the phone app. Will look again when I get my laptop set up. I see you posting on the full timer forum and a few other places on occasion and am curios as to where and how you have established so much insight.

Regarding something you posted elsewhere - I wouldn't worry too much about finding tennis partners on the road. There are courts everywhere and all skill levels - some places even have pros. Many parks are near communities with tennis leagues and clubs. It won't be your current friends and partners but another group of new friends at each stop along the way.

To the OP- the bugs will get worked out and life will be good until something fails - and it will. You're right - new coaches shouldn't be turned out with issues. And I'm not sure why they are. But if the RV life is something you really want - you will get through this time - learn how to fix some things yourself, do preventative maintenance, and sometimes have to pay for help. It's just part of life. I would venture to guess that the types of issues you are having occur in some number on even the most expensive coaches. A jillion wires - contacts - connections - little parts and large. Not making excuses for manufactures - just need to keep perspective and calm and see it through. All the best.

[DMTTRANSPORT]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

Wow, you folks are dumb. You should have bought an old motorhome because they never break! NOT!

I'm dumb, I would never spend that kind of jack on something that's going to depreciate a 100k when you drive it out the door and then have problems, lets go back to college....spend 400k have headaches or spend 100k and have the Headaches taken care of by the one that lost the 300k, NEW is not what it's all hyped to be especially if your only using it 6-8 thousand miles a year!! Love our 10 year old Coach, we have put 4800 miles on it sense May and nothing has fallen in my lap!!

[Dakrism]

Originally Posted by Clayobx

Thanks, the journey truly is the best of life. I'm next to a fellow with a 12 year old Beaver. Man it looks NEW! Hope our paths cross

Clayobx
I notice you are at Willow Lakes. We will be spending Feb at The Great Outdoors and We want to visit Willow Lakes to check it out as we are still searching for a winter base in Fl. What lot are you on I will stop and chat if you are around..

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by Dakrism

Clayobx

I notice you are at Willow Lakes. We will be spending Feb at The Great Outdoors and We want to visit Willow Lakes to check it out as we are still searching for a winter base in Fl. What lot are you on I will stop and chat if you are around..

Drive down to the Fort Myers area. It's south of the Caloosahatchee which is a big deal temp wise in the winter. There are a number of resorts around there. We are owners at Cypress Woods off exit 139 and it's a great place to winter. Lots of snowbirds from everywhere with many activities.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[JBP]

2014 35K Fleetwood and dealer have been great to work with. All warranty items fixed. Have not had to take it back for the same issue twice. I have a great dealer ship in my area.
I have had two new coaches. Two different dealers. Very pleased with both.
I agree that a good used coach that has been well taken care of is really the way to go.

[Dakrism]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

Drive down to the Fort Myers area. It's south of the Caloosahatchee which is a big deal temp wise in the winter. There are a number of resorts around there. We are owners at Cypress Woods off exit 139 and it's a great place to winter. Lots of snowbirds from everywhere with many activities.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

Thanks Steve,
We are actually spending Jan in Punta Gorda at Waters Edge.Hoping it is warmer and we can play some golf!

Dan

[Papa_Jim]

Originally Posted by larrykathy

I just don't get it.
I've taken the coach in for warranty work 2 times so far. At least 20 items and there are still problems.
...
My point of all this is...... Is anybody watching the farm? Is there a quality control group? Seriously, does anyone look?

Would we expect this kind of product if it was a luxury car?

Nobody is watching the farm. There is no quality control group. Seriously, nobody looks.

We would never accept this level of quality in any new car today, even in base model cars.

This way of doing business was accepted in the automotive industry as the norm 40 years ago, but global competition changed all that.

Hopefully, someday, and we can hope that someday will happen soon, global competition might change what's going on in the RV manufacturing world.

I believe that the biggest scam is the RV manufacturer claiming that the individual suppliers of the parts that are used to build the RV are to blame for the problems with the RV. Where did that come from? If I buy a Ford car, I don't care what the problem is with that car, it's Ford's problem. It is of no concern to me that Ford chooses to purchase most of the parts to build that car from outside and off shore providers. These providers are supposed to be supplying parts to Ford's standards, not Ford using parts provided by the parts providers' standards.

For now, you buy a new RV, you've bought into having a personal relationship with the manufacturer and its dealers. Between the manufacturer's inability to assemble their product properly, and their inability to provide good workmanship to repair the problems, you might wish you had never bought into this project. If you have no mechanical aptitude, then I suppose this is the world you have to live in.

I have noticed that those with mechanical aptitude that do buy a new RV generally seem to solve the problems themselves, and go on to enjoy their new RV.

So. I am in the camp of believers in the process of purchasing a used RV and using my mechanical aptitudes to repair the RV as needed to keep it working properly for as long as I choose to own it.

Jim

[adamfolger]

If you and I did not buy new the world would have no used products to purchase, FACT !! So, be glad all you used coach brothers and sisters that we exist!.


I AM VERY GREATFULL for my coaches original owner, who always kept "my coach" in his heated garage and treated it with love and care and then trade it in for less than wholesale so that I could actually afford to by it and fulfill my wife's desire for more bells and whistles. My apologies if I sounded like I believe I have all the answers...I don't ! I was not even berating the OP. My intent was to "help" future MH purchasers to make informed purchases. But I am not a great believer in siting around the campfire singing Cum by ah and hoping the world will be a better place because I wish it so...Buyer be ware!!!


I am especially grateful for all my fellow IRV2ers who have helped me along the way. Some on here truly do know it all....

[Mike and Cha]

Buying new or used is not a right or wrong decision, it's merely a matter of opinion. I bought new for several reasons. I would rather have a few issues with a new MH to deal with than to buy a used one and have to worry about buying someone elses problems or living in something that was lived in by others,and I would rather have up to date technology, again just a matter of opinion and what works for us.

The thing I find funny is most people who buy new don't put down those that buy used. But if you read thru alot of these threads people who buy used tend to in a matter of words, call people who buy new stupid, or they don't know how to spend their money, or sell me your used one so I can save thousands. And they justify buying used as "someone else worked all the bugs out". That is just not true, just a matter of personal preference. I've had my new MH for almost a year and put about 8000 miles on it. It has had only a few minor issues and adjusments that needed to be taken care of. Total time in the shop was 4 hours on two different trips to the dealer, and taken home the same day on both occassions. Bottom line is you get what you pay for so do your research, and make sure you stay on top of anything that is not working correctly. And those buying used will still experience things that need repair, that is just the nature of the beast so to speak, things will break

As to depreciation, that's kinda like buying a house. You don't realize your appreciation/equity on a house unless you sell it, same with a MH you don't realize the depreciation unless you sell it. Basically any Car,RV boat, ect will depreciate. I know that nobody is going to buy my well taken care of babied MH for thousands less than I bought it for as a previous poster said, for two reasons 1) I don't plan on buying a new one every couple of years, and 2) if I did buy a new one I will most likely give this one to my kids so they can join us on our RV'ing adventures. If I'm going to give anyone "thousands of dollars" of my money, it's going to be my kids, not someone just looking for a good deal.

Although I'm sure there are some good deals out there, I really don't believe that all those buying used are saving as much money buying used as they report(some saying 50-60k, others over 100k), it just helps them justify buying used vs new in their own mind. And nobody needs to justify how or why they buy, other than we all do it to enjoy the RV'ing experience. It's all about the journey, not just the destination, and it's all a matter of opinion..

[adamfolger]

Say it isn't so....no one said anyone was stupid but will gladly take the blame for killing this thread. BANG BANG.... NUFF SAID

[WOODYDEL]

I was dumb enough to think this post was about WIPERS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncbEucjsNFU

[mojoracing]

Read my latest thread Factory Service Visit. We had the usual growing pains of a new coach. (our Third new coach). The difference is in the dealer you buy it from. We had a much smaller list with our bounder compared to the two previous coaches. The problem was the dealer couldn't and in a few cases refused to fix some of the problems. In our case, a trip to the factory was nothing short of wonderful. They called me last night saying it would be ready to pick up next tuesday. I will report back when I get home but I have full confidence that everything will handled to my liking. I would urge anyone that had the ability to take delivery and or return to the factory for warranty to do so. The level of professionalism is far above what I have received from my dealer. Yes it is unfortunate but I consider the problems I experienced with the coach to be normal and expected with such a complicated machine. I really do love our coach and now that the few quirks are worked out I'm sure ill love it more.