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11-27-2022, 11:02 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 122
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The state of the RV industry Oct 2022
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11-27-2022, 11:08 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 122
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The quality of RVs has been declining for at least the last 15 years, according to Ron Burdge, an Ohio attorney who has spent decades suing RV manufacturers over defective products.
Companies owned by Thor Industries, the largest RV maker in the country, recalled more than 156,000 RVs this year. Forest River, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, recalled nearly 200,000 RVs this year. Winnebago Industries recalled more than 125,000 RVs this year.
All are among the highest for each company in the last five years.
Some belong to families who sold their houses to commit to the RV lifestyle full time. Some are owned by retirees with grand plans for their golden years and money to burn. Others are first-time owners. Their horror stories show up in lawsuits and a jump in recall notices.
The RV industry disputes claims of quality issues.
Thor Industries, the largest RV maker in the country and owner of Heartland RV, which made Doman's fifth wheel, said all of its companies have "robust quality standards," from its vendors and raw materials to the final inspections before the products are delivered to the dealers.
https://www.indystar.com/in-depth/ne...s/67998316007/
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11-27-2022, 01:49 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 4,283
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It's almost always the cheap appliances they buy. "Can you make it cheaper, sure at the expense of quality" Especially:
Water heaters
Furnaces
Pumps.
But below the frame the chassis maker's do a better job. And pass the better quality on to the cheap RV companies.
5 RVs. No problems with the chassis. But hundreds above.
__________________
Full Timers.
2015 Fleetwood Discovery 40E on a Freightliner XCS chassis with a Cummins ISL9 pulling 1 and/or 2 motorcycles, '07 Honda Accord OR a 17' Runabout Boat.
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11-27-2022, 01:51 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HDRider1960
The quality of RVs has been declining for at least the last 15 years, according to Ron Burdge, an Ohio attorney who has spent decades suing RV manufacturers over defective products.
Companies owned by Thor Industries, the largest RV maker in the country, recalled more than 156,000 RVs this year. Forest River, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, recalled nearly 200,000 RVs this year. Winnebago Industries recalled more than 125,000 RVs this year.
All are among the highest for each company in the last five years.
Some belong to families who sold their houses to commit to the RV lifestyle full time. Some are owned by retirees with grand plans for their golden years and money to burn. Others are first-time owners. Their horror stories show up in lawsuits and a jump in recall notices.
The RV industry disputes claims of quality issues.
Thor Industries, the largest RV maker in the country and owner of Heartland RV, which made Doman's fifth wheel, said all of its companies have "robust quality standards," from its vendors and raw materials to the final inspections before the products are delivered to the dealers.
https://www.indystar.com/in-depth/ne...s/67998316007/
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Absolutely amazing article in your link. Not that most of us didn't already have an idea of what goes on but to get it from actual workers and to hear their stories was very enlightening.
Thanks
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11-27-2022, 03:41 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2022
Posts: 782
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This is not an “RV Industry” specific issue. It goes much deeper than a single industry or manufacturer. Every manufacture relies on vendors and the quality of vendors overall have been affecting “everything” in manufacturing. Heck, Ford just issued a recall of over 500K vehicles. Toyota, the panicle of automotive manufacturing released this year their new Tundra truck that has been plaque with issues. It gets tiresome for arm chair quarterbacks on YouTube continuing to flame the RV industry when they have no clue to the underlying hurdles in manufacturing. And what they rely on.
__________________
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2022 Newmar Ventana 4369
2017 Toyota Tundra Custom Overlander (for the serious primitive off grid)
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11-27-2022, 03:58 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,744
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Every industry Warren Buffett touches gets destroyed.
Pre2008 he was no where to be seen and it was great.
__________________
2020 Winnebago Horizon 42Q
2022 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited
99 Storm 30H, 04 Southwind 32 VS, 07 Ellipse 40FD
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11-27-2022, 04:25 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 122
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BayRunner
This is not an “RV Industry” specific issue. It goes much deeper than a single industry or manufacturer. Every manufacture relies on vendors and the quality of vendors overall have been affecting “everything” in manufacturing. Heck, Ford just issued a recall of over 500K vehicles. Toyota, the panicle of automotive manufacturing released this year their new Tundra truck that has been plaque with issues. It gets tiresome for arm chair quarterbacks on YouTube continuing to flame the RV industry when they have no clue to the underlying hurdles in manufacturing. And what they rely on.
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You think RV quality is on par with car quality?
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11-27-2022, 05:07 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2022
Posts: 782
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HDRider1960
You think RV quality is on par with car quality?
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I’m saying the automotive manufacturing has the same woes as the RV industry that are causing problems. But is also not limited to jus these 2 industries. Anyone running a business right now fully understands the major obstacles that have been amplified exponentially since the Covid downtime. Supply chain reliability and personnel issues have been the most disruptive factors in todays quality.
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11-27-2022, 05:58 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HDRider1960
The quality of RVs has been declining for at least the last 15 years, according to Ron Burdge, an Ohio attorney who has spent decades suing RV manufacturers over defective products.
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I'm in no way surprised that Mr. Burdge is now writing columns for RV Travel, the predominant Gloom and Doom publisher, having taken over when Greg Gerber stopped writing his RV Daily Report Gloom and Doom newsletter.
Does anyone really believe that Mr. Burdge wants to see his livelihood suddenly disappear? Or is it more likely that by promoting his services he is helping himself?
Quote:
Companies owned by Thor Industries, the largest RV maker in the country, recalled more than 156,000 RVs this year. Forest River, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, recalled nearly 200,000 RVs this year. Winnebago Industries recalled more than 125,000 RVs this year.
All are among the highest for each company in the last five years.
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Yeah, except for the teeny tiny little fact that the 200,000 RVs recalled by Forest River and the high numbers recalled by other RV manufacturers was caused by just one supplier, a supplier who used porous brass for a propane quick connect fitting and who also seems to have over-torqued them when they were installed into the manifold.
Here's the recall notice on the first 99,278 from Forest River: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/202...2V243-6653.PDF
I do not think that the number of recalls on an RV is in any way an indication of neglect by RV manufacturers, especially when it's a $2 part. The big recall for leaking ovens was a Suburban problem. The big recall on windows falling off was a Lippert/HEHR problem. Etc. But the parts vendor does not initiate the recall, the final builder does so they take the reputation hit.
Sure, there are a lot of not good things that the RV manufacturers are responsible for but this is what happens when there are no high-quality cost-competitive manufacturers coming into the market. It also happens when their customers are not educated in the product they're buying. People equate high cost with high quality and that's rarely the case.
And it happens when industry lobbyists, a business that should be outlawed, "influences" lawmakers to favor their clients.
Ray
__________________
2020 Forest River Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
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