Poor build quality article

[LETMGROW]

The only problem isn't just the manufacturers. There is little to no pride in workmanship anymore.The people working on these units simply don't care. Close enough is good enough. If they got laid off they would go back on unemployment and draw their benefits and let someone take their place willingly.
This whole 'Covid' thing has made people lazy and eager for the 'Give me's'.

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

The only problem isn't just the manufacturers. There is little to no pride in workmanship anymore.The people working on these units simply don't care. Close enough is good enough. If they got laid off they would go back on unemployment and draw their benefits and let someone take their place willingly.
This whole 'Covid' thing has made people lazy and eager for the 'Give me's'.

In most cases employers don't lay off incompetent workers, they're fired and if it's for reason they can't draw unemployment compensation. Can't fire bad workers however if there's no one to hire. If my workers aren't doing the job correctly it's not their fault it's mine. Blaming the workers is issuing a free pass to management. When the overriding objective of management is to maximize profit, at all other costs, then that philosophy, like sh**, runs downhill. You get what you pay for and that applies to what an employer pays their workers, how their workers are treated in the workplace, and what kind of work/life the workers can expect. Take Sam's Clubs and Costco for example. Costco pays entry level workers, that's often the guy gathering shopping carts, $2.00 more an hour than Sam's, Sunday's are always time and a half at Costco, Sam's only after 40 hours, ( or 8 in a day per State laws). Sam's has a turnover rate per year of 75-90%, Costco 15-20%. Those stores are often on the same street. So which would you think has the better service?

[rollondown]

It was happening pre covid.... our 2017 DRV Mobile Suites is the biggest POS I've ever bought.... and I've owned boats.....

[MRUSA14]

When I first started shopping for an RV 20 years ago, I read these same articles on what was then a new phenomenon, the online RV bulletin board. People were saying the same thing then. It's not due to Covid. Nothing has changed in 20 years.

[propchef]

Originally Posted by Onyrlef

IIf my workers aren't doing the job correctly it's not their fault it's mine. Blaming the workers is issuing a free pass to management.

100%

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

When I first started shopping for an RV 20 years ago, I read these same articles on what was then a new phenomenon, the online RV bulletin board. People were saying the same thing then. It's not due to Covid. Nothing has changed in 20 years.

[TJFogelberg]

The article leads.. "Shoddy work. Unhappy buyers. A near death experience. When the lifestyle goes wrong". It's a very sensationalist spin on a lifestyle/hobby that brings millions of Americans great joy and pleasure. Spending time around the campfire with family and friends. Seeing this great country. Ability to visit many different places and sleep in your own bed. etc. A fire and total loss of the RV is a very unfortunate event, but a rare occurrence. Yes, we all deal with our share of maintenance and repair issues...it comes with the territory.

[Ray,IN]

We the buying public are responsible IMO. We expect Prevost quality for the price of an entry model MH, otherwise high quality is out of our price range, so we buy what is available. IMO, answer is do not buy low quality, walk away and do without.

I expect that aspect to slow considerably if inflation is not thwarted this winter. I expect retailers to demand higher credit ratings, down payments, shorter loan terms, and higher interest rates to reduce the amount of default loans and repossessions in an attempt to reduce overhead.


But what do I know; I haven't even stayed in a Howard Johnson motel this century.

[propchef]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

We the buying public are responsible IMO. We expect Prevost quality for the price of an entry model MH, otherwise high quality is out of our price range, so we buy what is available. IMO, answer is do not buy low quality, walk away and do without.

I expect that aspect to slow considerably if inflation is not thwarted this winter. I expect retailers to demand higher credit ratings, down payments, shorter loan terms, and higher interest rates to reduce the amount of default loans and repossessions in an attempt to reduce overhead.


But what do I know; I haven't even stayed in a Howard Johnson motel this century.

Honestly, I think most people know the difference between a Kia and a Mercedes and have reasonable expectations regarding price v relative "quality." What would really be nice is a manufacturer with a dealer network that is (relatively) easy to deal with regarding warranty claims and initial defects, including getting things corrected the first time and in a timely manner. The other part of the warranty issue that needs solving is when dealers refuse to work on trailers they don't sell. It's a TRAVEL trailer and it's a reasonable expectation that it may need service while traveling.

Yes, I've had issues with my local car dealership, but they've never kept my car for weeks (or months) on end without a resolution. This seems to be par for the course with RVs.

[DR60]

I remember the krappy cars being made here in the 70s and 80s. what made them change? Japan. I could buy a Toyota, Honda, or Mazda, that did not have to go right back to the service bay after purchase. When Detroit started getting their butts kicked by foreign company's they cleaned up their act. DR

[Riley1]

Originally Posted by propchef

Honestly, I think most people know the difference between a Kia and a Mercedes and have reasonable expectations regarding price v relative "quality."

Some might not be aware of the difference

[Ray,IN]

Propchief; RV's, unlike automobiles, lack the spare parts inventory to get them running promptly.
The service manage of Camping World explained to me how the RV repair system works.


1. You make an appt. to drop off your RV. This is just that, to drop off your RV and relate the problems you want corrected.


2. Your RV is added to the bottom of the rotation list for inspection and diagnosis.


3.When your RV reaches the top of the list it is pulled into a bay, inspected and diagnosed, then returned to the storage lot. Parts are ordered.


4. When ordered parts arrive your RV is added to the bottom of the waiting repair list, and the rotation process repeats.


5.If for some reason ordered parts do not fit or correct the problem, the entire process begins again, starting with number 2.


Right or wrong, that's how it happens with RV repair shops.


A little-known fact: motorhome end caps are discontinued when that model ceases production. Molds are sold to a vendor usually and made when ordered only. Sometimes molds are simply destroyed due to lack of storage space.
A local body shop showed me a 2019 gas MH in his lot that hit 2 deer. Front cap destroyed. It had been there since Jan.2021 while they tried to locate a used front cap, as the original molds had already been destroyed.
The MH was too new for a supply of used caps in salvage yards, so waiting was the only option.
Meanwhile the MH owner was making monthly payments = insurance etc. and unable to use their "new" MH.
As far as I know It's still there today, either waiting on parts or insurance company to declare it totaled.

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by Riley1

Some might not be aware of the difference

I think that fairly well demonstrates the myth that paying more is to be be conflated with reliability and quality. What you actually get is more bling. Same goes for RV's, sure, I know a gasser chassis on leaf springs isn't going to ride like a DP, have the towing capacity of a DP, etc., but in an apples to apples comparison, that doesn't mean I should also expect the upholstery to go to hell, or the slides to malfunction regularly, the water tank to fall off, or just sloppy workmanship, because one gasser cost less than another. That "you get what you pay for" nonsense is only excusing the industries quantity over quality, maximization of profit ethos. Especially this past few years. A well built RV doesn't cost a dime more than a poorly built, there's just more profit in the poorly built.

[Atlee]

Originally Posted by rollondown

It was happening pre covid.... our 2017 DRV Mobile Suites is the biggest POS I've ever bought.... and I've owned boats.....

I think construction quality did get worse (hard to believe, I know) after the pandemic began. Remember during that time, so many people turned to RV's to get away since most other avenues for recreation were closed. Remember many RV lots were so barren of product, they looked like they were going out of business?

RV shipments were at record highs, and manufacturers were shipping product out the door as fast as possible. Hard to imagine quality could fall further, but it did.

I would say the construction quality of my current 2021 Coachmen Freedom Express 20SE (built in Jan 2021) isn't nearly as good as the construction of my old 2017 Jayco Jay Flight 23RB, which I also bought new.

[Punkinhead]

Management chooses the quality level of the materials. Management sets the assembly line speed. Management provides the tools. Management provides worker training. Management creates the quality control plans. Management sees detailed breakdowns of warranty costs.

Clearly the poor quality of RVs is the workers' fault.