Is this the fail of all RV fails? I’m not sure, but it’s got to be up there.
I was at an RV show in Pennsylvania with my wife recently. We were looking through the models when I came across something I hadn’t seen before: a storage door that hit and stuck on a nearby ceiling light.
I was so incredulous that I tried it again, several more times. Yup, every time it hit the light. This was on a brand-new RV, sitting on the show floor!
There are those who say that the problems with RV build quality are overblown. I invite those with that opinion to watch this 22-second video.
This RV was a large fifth wheel that costs almost as much as a year’s tuition at a U.S. college. Yeah, it’s that expensive. And at that price, shouldn’t we be able to expect, at an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM, that doors don’t hit lights?
I don’t know; maybe my standards are just too absurdly high! Maybe expecting a thorough walk-through inspection of an RV before it’s sold to an unwitting customer is too much to ask.
I decided not to name the show I was at or the RV manufacturer. I didn’t want to call out one single manufacturer, but the industry as a whole. I saw many problems in other RVs on the floor that I didn’t (unfortunately) record. They included big gaps between walls, and poorly attached trim.
So, although the door hitting the light may have been the most, ahem, illuminating example, it’s clear that build quality problems continue to plague RV manufacturing.
I’ll say it as simply as possible: RV industry, you have to do better.
You can watch the 22-second video below.
##RVT1148
Tech will get right on that. He just has to find where he put the chainsaw. 🙂 🙂
LMAO!
I’m sure the manufacturers fix to the tech would be to just to cut off an inch off the top of the door.
or cut off the bottom of the light cover!
Why waste time cutting off an inch on the whole door. Just sawzall off the corner in place until it opens.
That’s less of a quality issue and more of an example of apathy.
Think about how many representatives of the OEM have walked right past that…..
Thank you, Keith. 🙂 Yes, that is certainly startling, but is it an anomaly with the specific RV, or is it true for all units of that particular manufacturer, model, and floorplan? We have too little information to distinguish between the two, but clearly an aspect of “quality control” should have caught this failing. Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
After selling our motorhome we missed it and attended a local rv show with thoughts of buying a new fifth wheel. I was looking at a NEW fifth wheel with all the slides out and noticed that the trim going up the inner wheel well was not attached properly. Out of the thirteen screws holding the trim on nine of them had the heads missing . The screw itself was in the hole but the screw had been tightened so tight that the head had been twisted off and nothing was holding the trim on, in one place there was a quarter inch space in the trim and the body. Changed our mind and went and bought a hotdog instead.
This all relates to getting it out the door as fast as possible. Maybe the QC people and design engineers were also out enjoying a Hot Dog.
Keith Ward, Why did you decide NOT to name the manufacturer? To me, RVTravel is a community that shares information which helps us all make decisions on many things RV related, including purchasing a certain brand or not…smh.
Hi Matt. Thanks for your comment. I didn’t want to call out a specific brand in this, as I see it as representative of so much of the problem that plagues the whole industry. Hope you understand.
This appears to be an engineering fault as the plan must have been approved by someone before production began. I wonder if the ceiling or roof has sagged or has a broken rafter? Of did someone on the line install the wrong lite or lens? Whatever, it should have never left the factory that way or the dealers lot for that matter!
Also could be that the lights supplied were changed for some reason. Availability, price, or just a running change in spec.
Still, no excuse for shipping the product to the dealer this way.
I talked with a lady the other day, they were on their 3rd tiffen class b. First 2 never had work done 3rd was a Thor model and it was very poorly constructed in her opinion. Constantly in the shop. My Thor built trailer appears to be sloppily stapled and glued together with staples not even in a neat row hidden by trim. Absolutely horrendous workmanship that should be an embarrassment for the Company. Water lines improperly installed and not tight. On and on. Dealers need weeks to repair at a minimum and most cannot get you in in a reasonable amount of time at all. Water filler has a 50 Amp warning sticker above it on the opposite side of the trailer as the 30 Amp plug. Clown show.
This sort of silliness happens in new buildings as well. Cabinet maker and electrician both did as they were told. Designer and supervisor fell down on this one.
I have a Sundance 5th wheel…I could not in any sense of good conscience sell this thing to anyone. It is a pile of junk from one end to the other…you name the problem, it has it. I will never buy another RV made by any manufacturer, and I spread the word about the horrible quality to everyone I know. Do better, MUCH better manufactures.
Is it safe to say problems are worse before Covid, after or the same! Our 2021 seems to have suffered the lack of employees fate when it was built, therefore thrown together to make quota!
Well, on the “bright” side, the light does work.