ORV quality issues

[spogdog]

I agree that if you are not happy you should sell it and move on. However,I would give the factory a try at fixing it. It looks like you live about three hours from the factory. They have spots where you can park the night before your appointment With electric, no water or sewer. They had an appointment first thing the next day and got their issues taken care of. Will require some time off work but at least you have the issues fixed. The worse case is you get the issues fixed so that when you sell it you can get a better price than trying to sell it with a bunch of issues.

[Highway 4x4]

From his words in previous posts I don't see him going to the factory for any help. He has stated his feelings, nothing to do but hang a sign on it.

[Off Road]

I have to say I have long been a supporter of ORV and am on my second one. That said, I have been pretty disappointed in the construction quality of this one. It truly seems like the, “need for speed” in the construction process has resulted in a bunch of stripped screws throughout the trailer. It does take the shine off that pretty new trailer when the window coverings start falling off, furnace intake vent cover falls off, thermostat exits the wall, and drawers randomly open. Not ready to abandon my new trailer but I’m no longer convinced that it is a whole lot better than any other brand. Fortunately I have some basic repair skills so I can fix stuff. Even some of the stuff the factory repaired when we stopped on our way to the campout has come apart again so I just fix it myself. Would I recommend someone buy an ORV product? Yes but no longer with the enthusiasm I had after my first trailer. This one just isn’t as well built or problem free.

[Geargut]

Originally Posted by Lac

Sorry for you minor trouble....it’s only a trailer

I hope you did a very through PD inspection before hooking up and taking it home...there is a PDI punch list you can find on the Irv2 forum.

How far from the factory are? Great people in the service dept...I know they would like your feedback.

Did you do the tour of the orv plant....if not you should have...so you can share your wealth of knowledge to the production crew and your expertise on how to build a trailer. Sounds like you know quite a bit.

How many National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls has ORV been instructed to do.
2 in 10 years that I am aware of. Both were voluntary. Probably lowest in industry.

If you like I will cut and paste all your comments here and send them to the President of Northwood Industries ..he is the head of Arctic Fox and ORV....as it appears you don't have either of the companies email address.
Please let me know.

If you don’t like it sell it....it is people like you on this forum who are the reason I would rather spend time with my grandkids than reading this stuff..life is way too short...for this crap...as indicated in El Paso and Dayton.

Travel safely...and remember a trailer is a trailer is a trailer.

Coops

1. I did a thorough inspection and was very happy with it. However, there's a big difference between a static (not moving) inspection and how things hold up after use (ie: after having towed it a few hundred miles or how things handle frame flex or simply how things stay put when my wife plugs something into the bathroom socket).
2. Todd at ORV does not care for my feedback as evidenced by his lack of response to all the issues I've found and transmitted to him. Quite honestly, I probably would have been happy with a simple "sorry you found some issues and we'll work with our staff to correct them going forward."
3. I did not tour the plant. They probably don't want me instructing them on how to properly install a fastener into wood material. I do know quite a bit. I've been inspecting and repairing fighter aircraft for the better part of the last 20 years. I definitely know what has happened when a fastener gets stripped or when things fail under conditions for which is was not designed. It's not rocket science. A little care and awareness will pay a lot of dividends.
4. "If you like I will cut and paste all your comments here and send them to the President of Northwood Industries ..he is the head of Arctic Fox and ORV....as it appears you don't have either of the companies email address.
Please let me know." I'd prefer to do it myself. I only have Todd's contact information. I do not have the President's contact information but probably would have emailed him directly to start. Please pass it on but I'd prefer to contact him myself.
5. "If you don’t like it sell it....it is people like you on this forum who are the reason I would rather spend time with my grandkids than reading this stuff..life is way too short...for this crap...as indicated in El Paso and Dayton."
You have missed the point completely. Bottom line here is this. If you pay a substantial amount of money for something like this, my expectation is and always will be, that it will be a quality product out of the box. Personally, you probably should have spent the time with your grandkids rather than responding to my post.

[GoLeafsGo]

“Substantial amount of money” is a relative expression. You get what you pay for.

[Geargut]

Originally Posted by GoLeafsGo

“Substantial amount of money” is a relative expression. You get what you pay for.

Exactly, and I didn't feel like I got the kind of quality I was expecting and paid for. ORV advertises the mountain series as "mountain tough" but fasteners were falling out all over the place after just 300 miles down the highway.

I get that everyone has come to expect that you'll have to fix some issues and I anticipate that I'll have to fix some small infrequent issues. However, mine has gone well beyond small and infrequent already. Personally, I refuse to eat a bowl of crap until I like the taste.

[xrcris]

Interesting that there are much if the same type of comments in a Newmar thread.......seems like with the problems across the RV industry you DON'T get what you pay for.

Maybe this is why they sell for pennies on the dollar in the used market.

[GoLeafsGo]

Again, buy used. This is my first “new” trailer. We bought it because the floor plan was only available new. My previous 2 trailers were purchased used and enjoyed by our family for 2-3 years. I sold the first one for $500 more than I paid for it, and the 2nd for exactly what I paid for it.

[Cumminsfan]

I wonder how many RV owners are expecting too much because they've read the glowing reports from kool-aide drinkers and the over hyped propaganda from the MFG?

Before we bought our Fox 235 I read about how great Northwood trailers were. Of course most reviews were from past owners. It seems that pre 2012-2013 units were better built. Sign of the times I guess. Looks like it's now happening with ORV.

[Highway 4x4]

Actually, the ORV products hold their value better than most. One of the few private builders left. My unit has not been perfect but nothing is falling apart, no plumbing, electrical or structure problems, no leaks. The decals still look great after 5 years in the so cal sun. Things will wear out and some things will fail, I'll fix them and keep going. If you want perfection or anything close and RV of any type is not where you want to be. When you have made your case about the issues and you have had it with the factory and you suspect they are done with you, to stay here and just argue and rehash the subject is just too much of a troll. I'm done here.

[Rickeoni]

The knowledge shared by Geargut and excrement have been very enlightening. I for one had no idea that used items sold for less than new, also having RV ownership equated to eating a bowl of feces sheds a whole new light on the problems facing society today.

[Geargut]

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

I wonder how many RV owners are expecting too much because they've read the glowing reports from kool-aide drinkers and the over hyped propaganda from the MFG?

Before we bought our Fox 235 I read about how great Northwood trailers were. Of course most reviews were from past owners. It seems that pre 2012-2013 units were better built. Sign of the times I guess. Looks like it's now happening with ORV.

Before we bought this RV, I spoke with several ORV dealers and not one failed to mention that ORV was run by the same guy as Northwood. I got the feeling they were riding the coat-tails of Northwood. Having previously owned a really great Northwood prior to this factory POS, I was on board with that. Made sense. However, now I realize it is not the same company and definitely not the same workmanship.

It's possible I could have gotten lucky with my previous coach but doubtful.

[Geargut]

Originally Posted by Rickeoni

The knowledge shared by Geargut and excrement have been very enlightening. I for one had no idea that used items sold for less than new, also having RV ownership equated to eating a bowl of feces sheds a whole new light on the problems facing society today.

The nurse should be around shortly with your daily meds. You're not making any sense.

[Geargut]

Originally Posted by GoLeafsGo

Again, buy used. This is my first “new” trailer. We bought it because the floor plan was only available new. My previous 2 trailers were purchased used and enjoyed by our family for 2-3 years. I sold the first one for $500 more than I paid for it, and the 2nd for exactly what I paid for it.

I don't disagree with buying used but I have a personal aversion to used RVs for some reason. Everything else I buy is used.