Has your RV measured up to your expectations when you purchased it? Has it been even better than you imagined it would be? Or has it been a disaster? (We hope not, but it does happen.)
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Once we’ve gotten through the initial BS repair stage, our Cougar TT has been great. It started out like crap, but we’ve reinforced things and made our TT tougher and better. We’ve put 6K axles under it, Goodyear Endurance tires, and made all of our piss poor drawers way better.
We bought a 2012 Itasca Reyo 25′ 5″ mini-Class A in April 2017 with 12,800 miles. At first, everything went fine. But as soon as we needed repairs or service on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter diesel chassis costs went through the roof! A further irritant was that this turbo diesel can only use B20 in “emergency” situations. It’s getting harder to find B5 or Diesel #2. Mercedes-Benz gets a “D” and Winnebago gets a “B”.
Welcome to German engineering !
We bought our “new” 2002 Mountain Aire in 2017 and couldn’t be happier, other than a few roof leaks caused by jack leg service and a dead a/c it’s been great. Built on the Workhorse chassis it’s got more than enough power and the mpg is far better than the Ford F53 we got rid of, never have one of them again, the old saying you only get one chance to make a good first impression and Ford blew it with me.
I have a 2014 Rockwood HW-277 – a top of the line high-wall popup.
Towing on washboard gravel roads shakes my camper apart. These are county-maintained roads where people live.
It’s 11 miles one way to the small lake that allows boondock camping.
The chatter is tough, but my TV doesn’t fall apart the way my camper does. In fact, I NEVER get to my destination only to discover parts and fasteners on the floor, and I have a 13 year old truck
I have had to repair so many different things on my camper that it’s ridiculous. I carry a large parts bin with nuts, bolts and screws, and I use Gorilla Glue as a form of Loctite to hold wood screws in wood…or in many cases, particle board.
My rig has a Torflex axle. I can’t imagine how much worse it would be with a leaf spring suspension.
This is a CAMPER…not a motor home. The fact that it routinely shakes itself apart every time I go CAMPING is indefensible.
We bought our class c 1989 Minnie Winnie 2 years ago with 20,000 miles on it. We put 20K since. It has out performed our wildest expectations! We love “Opal.”
Bought our 5th wheel in 2016. Though I baby my camper it has been every bit as good as I hoped. It is a Forest River Rockwood signature e lite 8289ws. Our second camper. Have not had anything major go wrong so far. We travel maybe 3 to 4000 miles a year and lived in it 5 mos. while we built our house. We are retired but help out a lot with grandchildren probably a lot more than we expected.? Hope to have more good years. It is a shame though that there are so many lemon Rvs. Just glad we didn’t get one. Thanks
I spent 2 years researching the brand and issues of the my motor coach. No surprises here.
2014 Roadtrek Ranger RT. Spent 10 years before retirement looking at RVs. Tent and VW van camped all our lives before this retirement buy. Had to iron out a couple of Chevy van problems at first. Not a single problem with the coach part. Daily driver and 3 to 4,000 mile trip a year. I’m glad we got it before Hymer, Thor and Sprinters got involved.
My 2017 Montana High Country had a few cosmetic issues. One piece of trim needed replaced so when a year was almost up, had the dealer take care of that and install stackable washer and dryer. I changed to Sailun tires and some upgrades to make it fit us. After thousands of miles and over 400 nights we could not be happier.
I answered “about what I expected” as to the performance of my RV in this poll. There are; however, two parts to my answer. The first part is is I am very happy with the performance of the Ford chassis of my motor home although I wish the mileage were better.The second part is that the Fleetwood Bounder built on that chassis lacked quality control in the construction of the motor home, but it was about what I expected. I have tightened, installed, and repaired many defects that were built into the motor home through poor design or workmanship. Sorry to say I expected that, but feel sorry for those buyers not capable of”repairing” those defects and becoming victims of poor design and workmanship. I must say however that these homes on wheels take one heck of a pounding going down the road and constant upkeep is a reality on the best of them.
As far as the workmanship of my Landmark 5th wheel, I have had several minor cosmetic issues, but nothing major. There are some things that make you question the sanity of the designers at Heartland. My Landmark has a water filter (good thing). It is located behind the wall in my basement near my hot water heater and other things wet related. In order to change out the filter, I have to remove EVERYTHING from my basement and remove two walls in order to easily access this filter.
The bathroom in our 2017 Landmark doesn’t have a medicine cabinet. (Later on in the model year, someone at Heartland woke up and ensured this was added.) The bathroom in our 2017 Landmark doesn’t have a toilet tissue holder. What were you thinking (or were you)??
I gave Heartland a below expectations grade based on the apparent lack of forethought.
We bought a 2006 National RV 3 years ago with 13000 and have put 20000 on it since then. Have few issues as this was a well made unit. I tinker so I’ve upgraded a lot of small things to make our trips more enjoyable
We too bought a 2003 National RV last year and are pleased with the quality of the workmanship. Have done a couple of upgrades and a little TLC, but that is it. The older units seem to be better built.
My husband has been pleasantly surprised with how easy and how well our 2017 Catalina 243rbs tows behind our half ton Chevy. The only issue has been with the truck motor when pulling up some of the steep hills here in WV. Other than that, he is impressed with how easy the camper tows/follows. For me, the size and features of our camper have been acceptable, but it loses some points for interior quality and useability. My two biggest beefs have been the jackknife sofa and the shelving (especially the pantry). The sofa is very uncomfortable and creates wasted space because it is impossible to store anything underneath. That’s a lot of wasted space! The pantry is quite large, but the flimsy shelves won’t hold up if we have to load more than a weekend’s worth of food/supplies. So I guess it’s just disheartening to realize that we will have to purchase an upgraded sofa and do some modification to the pantry if we want to get full use of our brand new camper. When it’s just us, (and two small furbabies) and we are just weekend camping, we can make it work. When our two grandkids join us and/or we camp for a week or more at a time, it’s a nightmare to figure out where and how to stow extra food, blankets, pillows, clothing, etc. and frustrating to know there is a ton of unused, inaccessible space. We only had one technical problem with the awning and slide not being wired properly. That was discovered on our walk-through (blamed on the Amish not understanding how electricity works lol) while we were still on the lot, and was fixed before we left. Our slide area leaked once during a torrential downpour, but that was our fault because the camper was not sitting level. So, compared to other horror stories I have been reading, I feel I shouldn’t complain at all.
Winnebago 2016 View 24J. 30 problems upon delivery. Slide had loud banging noise on ride home. Had to go to factory because dealer could not fix most. Poor quality control. Poor design. Winnebago did fix most problems. Slide still makes noise when driving. Had a Thor Sprinter before this. It was even worse. Industry needs to improve production quality and update design. Have made several recommendations to Wiinebago. Most would be little or no cost but none adapted. Terry
we bought a 2019 wolf pup from forest river, it has no sink in the bathroom ( husband can’t shave there) and no room to dress after a shower or even turn around a wet bath would have been a much wiser choice, which is extremely small and no storage for towels and etc., no insulation, very pour design, we had to ad two cabinets for storage, had to ad drawers under the bed area for clothes storage, you could not reach the dinette area storage with out completely tearing it apart each time so we installed two doors inside for better use, there was no outside storage in this area, we will be changing the toilet out for a composting one at this stage of our lives we do not want to deal with sewage or the mess, changing the water heater(6 gallons, isn’t enough) we are in our 70’s and climbing to reach cabinets overhead is a problem I was very disappointed in the quality, and the dealer could not explain the solar hook up to us so we are exploring on our own in this area, the only thing I do like is the slide out and there is NO vent to leak onto our bed which I always thought was a bad idea to begin with… all in all I think it was overpriced and we will have to be creative in trying to insulate it… also absolutely no storage for food and no oven, we had to install a convection oven, and carry a roll around kitchen island to ad to the teeny tiny kitchen, guess we will cook outside most of the time and the kitchen sink is a joke way to small…
Gosh guys. Did you buy the trailer while blindfolded? Just a little common sense analytical effort would have revealed most of the issues you mention. These are things that people are supposed to weed out while RV shopping. OMG. They shouldn’t build such crap, but this brand is known as crap anyway.
Did you buy it over the internet?
It seems to me that most of the items you talk about should have been seen before you bought the trailer. My wife and I are also in our 70’s and when we bought our trailer we looked carefully at everything in it to make sure it fits our needs. We haven’t been disappointed. The six gallon heater should be adequate. We’ve never run out of hot water with ours. No sink in the bathroom? Why complain since that was visible before you bought it.
I’m sorry your not happy with your RV but perhaps some enjoyable trips in it will change your mind.
Our camper has been just about what my wife and I expected. It is a 24′ Hybrid travel trailer. And we have had it now for going on our fifth season camping with two years of being on a seasonal site and trailing it out of state about 300 miles round trip each year for vacation. I well know that you are going to have things break or come loose or just plain wear out. I do my best to keep on top of things. I do carry a lot of tools and extra things I might need to do sometimes large repairs. But we do have it fixed by a RV repair person in some cases if I do not think I can repair or the job might be to large for me to handle.
Owning a RV and having to take care of it to me is part of the fun!
Our DRV Mobile Suites, like all trailers, had a few minor issues that were quickly corrected by the factory. Our rig is is three years old and we are full timers. However, we did not expect the very poor quality of furniture that we have already replaced. Nor did we expect the refrigerator to require replacement in the first month. Or the front landing jacks to fail completely after 15 months. A slide ram has been replaced. A slide gear box has been replaced. Additionally, we have to replace the water inlet valve about every six months and always after extended use of the fresh water tank and the pump because it is so poorly designed. Our mattress was replaced at 11 months and should be again. Did we purchase a lemon? We don’t Think so. We hope not! Would we ever purchase another trailer at this price point? Likely not! It has not proven any better than trailers costing $50K less.
We love our new motorhome but there have been many more issues to fix than we could have imagined. After a year we are still returning to the factory to have issues worked on.
Adding one more comment- We had a 2004 34′ Coachman Aurora (before Forest River bought out) for 10 years and had only 2 problems- needed new step motor and a wasps nest in AC prevented the fan from turning. Unlike our new 40′ diesel….
Our Motorhome is a 1993 Safari Trek on an Isuzu chassis with a 3.9 liter turbo diesel. She is only 24 feet long outside, but we call her 34 feet inside cuz the queen bed stores on the ceiling during the day. She is never too big to go anywhere, gets great mileage, has all the features of a much larger rig without the downsides related to size. Welded aluminum frame, riveted aluminum sidewalls, fiberglass roof, 100% real hardwood cabinetry, etc. Wanted one since they made the first in 1991 having been in other lesser rigs since 1973, finally got her in 2011. Have already put 100K on her since purchase (currently 162K total, and going strong.
Bret
We spent two+ years reading RV magazines and blogs before purchase–so we knew what to expect. We’ve had it two years and no major problems. Replaced cheap tires and cheap battery early on.
Like you I was prepared, for a long list of poor quality mistakes regarding assembly. I was made aware the factories were working above design capacity. This newsletter was a big help on this issue. But I also know you only get what you pay for; often less, but never more. So we put our money to buying the best structure & component parts not the most features we could easily afford and have money for repairs or upgrades. For example we could have received an outside kitchen and other so called enhancements for the same price from some lesser built units. Given that we have been happy with our choice of our Montana HC 305rl. In two years we have gone coast to coast, Michigan to Florida, and many smaller trips from Pittsburgh. Trim and small assembly items were bad. Tires were thin but made it over 15,000 miles. Only an axel failed to preform. Warrenty covered it. Electrical is my biggest complaints. Electrical assembly was done buy unqualified and untrained workers. I say this with 40 years experience on land and sea from hands on to supervisor.
People must do their due diligence before purchasing any product, especially an RV. For people with no mechanical or electrical skill it is a must to have a lot of money and time to wait to have the upkeep and repairs made. My brother in California bought a new Grand Design Imagine TT last August and Returned it to dealer for repairs in October and he is still waiting for it to be repaired. This is the reason I will always by used ( bought new twice in lifetime, big mistake). I am a tinkerer and love spending my time fixing things, upgrading and keeping rv in tip top shape. If you don’t fit into either category then don’t buy an RV, RENT, RENT RENT! Don’t give up on going camping and seeing this great country we live in!
Too bad the RV manufacturer and dealers have very little quality control and only care to get the product off the lot and will run you ragged until you give up and go away.
My latest is a 2015 FR3 30DS and it’s been one of the better ones for the price. Can’t beat the Ford F53 and the V10 with Five Star Tune-up!
I checked with an extended warranty company before buying any 5th wheel. They told me what NOT to buy. They charge $ 450 to have it independently checked before they ever offer a warranty price. Saved me a huge amount of money and time
I sleep very well at night
We bought a 2007 Itasca Meridian 36ft, two years ago. We took it to Alaska last summer and the only issue was a fuze in the slide… it cost less than $200 to fix when we got back to the lower 48, other than that, we put in a fuel pump at $1200. We have put about 30K miles on it since we bought it. It is marvelous.
Have a 2018 Coach House Platinum 271xl (27 ft) fiberglass body, Ford E450 chassis. Driven 5,000+ miles and handled like a dream from Florida to Pennsylvania, across midwest to Dakotas and back. Through heat, pouring rain, snow and ice. A real test of all the systems. Boondocking and some full hookup. Only one lose wire. Everything has worked wonderfully. And this from two fussy old folks with minimal DIY experience with RVs. Could not be happier.
I have a CJ27 Citation 2004 travel trailer . It was made by Thor industries . Its been the best made trailer . Nothing has gone wrong ,kept up normal maintenance changed out the backing plates with new brakes and magnets ,Checked bearings about every 2 years . Its been great ! We want to move up to a 5th wheel but aren’t looking at anything new because of all the problems.
We purchased a Jayco Octane 222 toy hauler new in 2015.
The first week end we had it home I started rebuilding, replacing and reinforcing from the hitch to the tail gate.
None of the work would be warranty, just poor craftsmanship. Also, if I took the RV to the dealer to have all the work performed that I did, I would never have had my trailer to use.
It took a couple of seasons to straighten out, but now we are good to go.
I like to think that between me and Jayco we built a really nice RV, 70% me and 30% Jayco.
One issue I do still have is the refrigerator will not hold temp when on the road, traveling between camp grounds. The dealer worked on this under warranty, but could not solve the problem. It appears to be a design flaw in the installation of the frig. in the trailer.
We purchased a absolutely beautiful 38GK Redwood in May of 2015. We took a trip the first weekend we bought it. Loved it. However,,,,Upon our return we had to return it back to the dealership for a list of repairs all under warranty. The first 20 weeks we owned it we could only wish it were at home with us to use it. It remained at the dealership with lie after lie from both Redwood and the Dealership. We got it back for one month and used it for another trip. Then back to the dealership for another 4 weeks. Roof had to be replaced due to faulty workmanship at the factory. The RV industry as a whole is one big Hoax. As I have talked with many fellow RV’ers it is the same story from most. The Dealerships are full liars. Service departments are backed up for months. And the Manufacturer will do whatever they can to bilk you out of your money and will not stand behind their product. Your manufacturer’s warranty is not worth much. Would I own another Redwood? Yes, but after owning multiple RV’s I am much wiser now and will be a royal pain for any salesman who lies or is lacking in knowledge about what he is trying to sell me. I have many friends with RV’s from differing brands and manufacturers. They are all pretty much the same unless you step up and purchase a custom built to your specs RV. But for us who cannot afford that we are stuck with what they produce.
Try dealing with Grand Design.
I purchased 2 motor homes. 25 plus years old. I expected tires and batteries on both. I expected water leaks. Repaired all three at home. I installed solar on both, at home. I did not expect power train issues, exhaust manifolds TFI IV issues. Each was in the shop for 4 months in last 3 years
We’ve had our 2017 Casita Spirit Deluxe for a couple of years now. The supplied wheels were junk (lateral and radial run-out). With those replaced, the trailer has been mostly trouble free. It has visited numerous states and is certainly a conversation starter no matter where we park it.
We purchased a used 2005 Allegro Bus. After less than satisfactory repairs by the dealer we made a trip to Red Bay, AL. Tiffin is fantastic to work with you.
We have received numerous compliments on our rig, the most common of which is, “Wow you have so much room and tons of cabinets”. Needless to say, we love our ‘ol gal!!
We bought a 2017 Fleetwood motorhome last August with 3,200 miles on it.Sofar the left rear leveling jack leaks oil, the awning bracket broke can’ t use the awning, the drivers wiper arm can’t be adjusted wiper pivot has to much play in it.
And of course all of these items come under one year warranty. So much for the warranty. We can buy a cheap car and get (3) year warranty, but we can spend over one hundred thousand dollars and basically get nothing.
Own a 2014 Thor Fourwinds and love it. No major issues until this year when the slide got caught on the strip of carpet in kitchen area and we had to take it to a repair shop. Otherwise just basic wear and tear issues (tires, occasional loose water line fittings, dead battery, etc.). Mechanically sound and passes inspection every year with flying colors.
Bought a 2004 Suncruiser 15 years ago and love it. 125,000 miles: 49 states; all 30 MLB fields, spent equivalent of 6 years in the RV. Still out there exploring.
Bought 2007 Allegro Open Road FRED in 2014 w/ 5000 on odometer, 2 slides; now has 30K. We’re f/t & drive roughly twice a year between and among various federal, state & regional parks, NWRs, and Ntl Rec areas to volunteer (or work for pay) for a full season, then find another interesting location for next season. Love love love it! Only a couple significant issues: extended warranty replaced entire jack system & mother board, now good as new; and engine needed fan clutch. Anything else (and not THAT many things) I fix myself.
Bought a 2017 Georgetown XL 369 new . Second time using it had an electrical short in dash/driving lights. Roof leak, went back to factory (4 months ) and came back dirty and damage. Now back at dealer to fix factory damage.
Our 2009 Winnebago Aspect — purchased last year –has been a delight! We have had some things that we chose to update or modify. We have had to do expected maintenance on an older rig — tires, batteries, et al. But it has been the most dependable rig we have ever owned. We put over 8000 miles on it last year, driving from east coast to west, through mountains and some gosh-awful roads, and not one problem.
What we admire about this rig is Winnebago’s ability to fit a lot of life into a small area, and the obvious quality in the build. Not the most expensive or the fanciest rig we have owned, but the most dependable we have driven in over 30 years of RVing.
Purchased a 2016 model 3100 Phoenix Cruiser new from factory. Drove from Florida to Alaska in 2017. Lived in it for 5 months, drove total of 15,000 miles towing a Ford Fiesta. Had one problem. The micro quit working. Found out a connection vibrated loose while driving Top of The World Highway. That was 100 miles of road so rough that often I was going only 15 mph. But the scenery was awesome. No other problems since. This is our 3rd RV.
Do the factory tour at Phoenix Cruiser, Elkhart, IN.
Bob, I have toured the factory and it is an impressive operation. They are very well built RVs. I was told that the newbie worker on the assembly line had been there 10 years, so they do know what they are doing. It’s one RV I would recommend, and I have no connection with the company.
Congrats Bob! After 2 years of non-stop problems with a Winnebago and extensive research we too migrated to a Phoenix Cruiser 2350. The new units were out of our price range but we found a 2014 model well-seasoned with over 80,000 miles. A professional inspection proved the unit to be fully functional and after a year of major travels we couldn’t be more pleased, no doubt we’ll roll this one well past 200,000 miles. Perhaps less “bling” than our Winnie but so many thoughtful, convenient amenities throughout AND the outstanding build quality (no staples here!) let me know that it was designed by someone who spends time in an RV and that everyone involved with the construction cared about the quality of “their” product. I wish you many more miles of trouble-free travels and if your unit is anything like ours you should expect the best!
It took about two years for our new 2009 Allegro Red motorhome to work through most of its problems. When we started out on a trip we never knew what would malfunction or break or if we would make it to our destination. Thank goodness for Bob Tiffin. Last several years have been great.
We bought a new Montana in 2005. In the 3 years we used it I fixed the multitude of deficiencies myself because mostly they weren’t worth the 200km roundtrip to the dealer. I thought it was junk.
In 2008 we factory ordered a new Mobile Suites. It was nice——BUT, I couldn’t begin to list the dozens of minor to critical things that I repaired myself, but I took it to professional independent shops to repair the slide and the poorly engineered brake system. Kodiak happily replaced the brake rotor and pads, but it got really nasty before DRV finally gave me half of the $700 I paid to have their poorly designed hydraulic system re-worked.
It made me think the Montana was pretty well built.
In 2012 we bought an ’06 Travel Supreme Motorhome, specifically to get away from the frustration of dealing with warranty. We new that it would have problems, but they would be 100% our problems. I can only say we have not been disappointed.
We bought a Leisure Travel Vans Unity a year ago and took it on a 7 month trip after a few local “shakedown” trips. The quality of the Leisure build is outstanding and the factory is a pleasure to deal with. I’ve never had such great customer service!
The problems we encountered were with the components, the AC unit developed a leak and dealing with Dometic to get it replaced was a nightmare. I had to get the Leisure people to contact Dometic just to get a response out of them. The Dometic thermostat has always been 10 degrees off which the manufacturer seems to think is normal. The fridge (also Dometic) has never really worked well but it does work. The rain sensors on the noisy roof fans (Fantastic by Dometic) close the vents when you take a shower and the propane regulator (Fairview) failed.
I can’t say enough positive things about the Truma Aqua Go. We did have a minor problem with an erroneous error code but it never stopped working and the customer support they provided was outstanding. They sent me a new circuit board with replacement instructions and the tool to do it, a five minute job.
The Mercedes and Leisure Travel parts of the RV perform extremely well. It took us a year to work out all the little kinks in the components but now the coach works even better than I expected.
RV was listed as wheelchair-accessible – 36″ entry doors and interior doors, linoleum floor, etc. Found out floor joists 24″ on center with styrofoam/plywood laminate floor. Laminate could support person with two feet [about 72 square inches or area]but not a wheelchair concentrated in less than 4 square inches of space. The styrofoam cracked causing the floor to sag between joists. manufacturer says “not our fault”.and things wear out with use. Engineers at Forest River should have their license pulled for this goof-up.
Bought our 2010 Arctic Fox 30U in 2014 from original owner. Unit does not perform as well in the cold as hoped, but we spend most of our time South now anyway. Some poor design issues, but nothing has broken or left us stranded. Well built overall, solid, heavy. We still like it.
It was about what expected. Really enjoy my trailer with exception of the mattress.
we bought our class C on the cheap with a salvage title – spent about $1200 upfront to get it both mechanically and cabin sound – since then we’ve been on 3 trips in excess of 3000 miles each without a problem – so while we regretted it at first, it turned out to be a great deal…
We purchased a 2010 Carriage DOMANI which has exceeded all of our expectations. It has not only performed well it is one of the nicest looking TT on the road. We are constantly answering questions and giving tours.
I answered “about as expected.” In 2010 we purchased a new Carriage Cameo after much research re: which companies made well-built 5th-wheels for the extended travel we were doing and our plans to full-time. Carriage had been in business 40+ years then and had a good reputation for its products. We chose Carriage over our second choice, Mobile Suites, because of the more modern interiors and slightly lower weight.
Unfortunately, Carriage went belly-up 20 months into our 24-month bumper-to-bumper warranty. Fortunately, Jim is very handy and has done all but one of the necessary warranty repairs and upgrades (like disc brakes) himself. During the first two years Carriage was good about sending us the necessary parts for free and Jim did the work. Fox RV in Indiana did one slide repair because they could do it sooner than Carriage. (Highly recommend Fox.)
Our rig is still in great shape, thanks to better-than-average original workmanship and parts and Jim’s regular maintenance. All the original major systems are still working well after nine years of heavy use, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, Big Foot levelers, motorized awning, refrigerator, microwave, water heater, etc. Interior features, including flooring and cabinets, still look very nice. Exterior graphics are shot so we’re removing them. We highly recommend used Carriage rigs that have been well-maintained.
We bought our 2018 Keystone Cougar 28rls in Jan 2018. After 2 months I retired and we went to full time and started touring the country. Last summer till now we have pulled it around 10,000 miles and lived in it. Overall I would say it has performed very well, with no major breakdown or faults. Worst comment I can make about it is some of the sloppiness on how things were nailed or glued at the factory. A little quality control would have been very helpful. Still pleased with overall performance.
The interesting question is, “what defines one’s expectations?”. If you have thoroughly researched the rv industry, the products, product reviews, and participated in rv forums, your expectations are not very high going into it. So when someone answers, “better than I ever expected” what were their expectations when they made the purchase? Sketchy to dismal? What I have discovered about consumer reviews is that the owner of a product will not generally admit that they had made a mistake.
I have to agree. I fully expect some issues as we use our camper. I have heard the comment that driving or pulling the RV is like “pulling your house thru a hurricane during a earthquake”. Sounds funny, but it also sounds correct. Do I think they could improve their quality, absolutely! – but given how people drive, road conditions and the speeds, it is not surprising that we see small issues. I am an Industrial Engineer, and I am sure that a little more process control would improve the overall quality of units coming out of the MFG’g plants. Quality does not cost, it saves. Guess the RV management does not know that yet.
We bought our 2016 Forest River Sunseeker (25 ft. no slides, Chevy chassis) new. We had our Dometic air conditioner and a leaking window gasket replaced at the FR owner’s group rally after the first year. We have had a few issues with plastic pex fittings in close proximity to the water pump cracking. I have replaced them myself with brass fittings. I have also found the factory caulking on the outside seals to be substandard and have removed and replaced most of it. Having said all that, we have never been out of commission for even one day. We have not had to leave the RV at a shop for any period of time or ever missed a trip. We have looked at new rigs, but can’t find one that better suits our needs. It’s paid for so we’ll probably keep it for a while.
2007 Safari Trek 2830. We expected a lot and she’s done naught but deliver! Scout is our third RV and every one we’ve had has exceeded our expectations – of course, since the 1995 purchase of a new Trek of the same model, we only buy Safari Trek RVs.
Sadly, since Monaco stopped making them in 2008 (I THINK), the brand has suffered a steep decline in quality. We won’t be buying another. Instead we’ll keep Scout on the road until these two grama’s hang up our keys.
We went from a C to an A because we wanted more space. We had multiple issues with it. The craziest thing was the AC and heat. The AC worked, we knew that because we bought it in July and it was tested. When it got cold, the rear heat wouldn’t come on. Took it to the shop and discovered that a new unit had been put in and everything was reversed. We have gas in the back and electric up front. Also had to get a new thermostat. We’ve since tested it in cold weather and stayed toasty warm. It’s just been a huge learning curve as far as driving and learning all the systems. We love the A, though. It’s a 2011 Fleetwood Bounder 35H.
We went from a 2013 18′ trailer with no bump out to a 2002 31′ class C motor home with 1 bump out. One month after purchasing it we discovered a massive leak in the overhead cab bed and had to put about $3000.00 to repair it and re-calk the whole RV. The dealer, unfortunately for us, declared that we were responsible for the repair. We bit the bullet and paid for the repair and since then, this RV has been an absolute dream for us!! We love the space, ease of travel in it and everything about it. The outside decals are beginning to peel and I hope to soon work on removing them and repainting the swoops and whirls myself. (Thank you You-Tube!!)
We purchased a 2018 Winnebago Intent, from Carolina RV in Myrtle Beach. They told us that the retract all button on the leveling system didn’t work on this model and we had to do it manually on the control panel. I commented that was strange since the retract all button was right there, but nope didn’t work (should have trusted my gut). Then about a week after we had it, we noticed a big gash on the bottom of the slide out, took it back and they looked it over and said they called Winnie and since it couldn’t be determined what caused it they wouldn’t pay for repair. Later found out that the dealership lied about both problems. So, they gave us a piece of tape to cover gash. Within 5 months many problems surfaced: trim fell off inside, caulking on both slide outs has smeared across the sides (looks like gum smeared), the leveling system wasn’t working properly, water leaked from hot water tank, nozzle from fresh water tank broke inside hose and leaked, outside water valves leaked. Called Winnebago myself for other problems and turns out they suggest fix for the gash and the retract all button should work. Took to Winnie dealer near me, they fixed some of the problems but didn’t have time to fix all. Scheduling an appointment takes 2 months!! Within the first year there has been 3 recalls. Just super disappointed, I thought Winnebago was better and used quality materials and hoped wouldn’t have as many problems considering it is a brand new RV! Figured a couple things would go wrong, but not the long list we have and it seems to keep growing!!
Are you asking about new or used RV’s????
Bought new 2018 cedar Creek silverback, stove is not level, toilet seal leaks so water doesn’t stay in bowl, bracket that holds the wheel flare had broken screw,s,DVD player was never plugged in, the dish connection are not wired correct, I will fix these problem,s but think they should have been done right at the factory reset
Bought a new 2013 Open Range Lite and overall things were fine. We experienced a leak in the bedroom slide and the dealer was the issue getting it fixed. Because of that, we traded for a new 2015 Montana HC-353 and basically it has been a great unit. We had a problem with the large slide but that was repaired under warranty by Camping World (YES by CW) and we have a good experience. Beyond that- nothing that was a show stopper. But I am a pretty good mechanic so some things I took care of and I don’t count as issues.
We purchased a 2018 Keystone Summerland, so far so good. We have used it nearly everyday since May 2018. I know it is not as well built as our 2002 was but so far we are satisfied
I just love reading the comments from those who identify themselves as tinkerers and mechanically inclined, and love to work on projects, and will always buy used. It brings a smile to my face, because although I’m not mechanically inclined I had enough “projects” in my youth to be able to analyze a problem and usually detect the root cause. Now the problem, I don’t have the skills to fix it. But I can communicate with a mechanic effectively. I’m 73, and don’t feel the inclination to take on a project. I do my due diligence and purchase new, making sure that all repairs are done before I accept it. Then I make sure all preventative maintenance and periodic maintenance is done. I have experienced very few problems and those I have experienced have been because of mistakes I made when hurrying. I have since trained myself to slow down, it will be there, when I get there is my attitude. Oh and I will continue to buy new as I don’t want anyone else’s problems. I have it professionally inspected prior to delivery, and no payment or acceptance until it is right. That is the other side. One size does not fit all…
Love our 2015Redwood 38RE. Awesome rv.
We purchased our 2015 KZ Vision 20RBS TT in October of 2015 on the way home from a miserable tent trip in Arkansas. We were still 350 miles from home but our local RV dealerships had terrible reputations, so without any research we bought it. The trailer was exactly what I had in my minds eye for a travel trailer.We have not had a single problem with this trailer (except 1/2 of the LED lights on the awning quit working the second trip out. We have looked at hundreds of larger trailers since and have not been able to find anything that can come close to replacing the “living space/per unit foot” that our little 20 footer has. KZ no longer has the Vision line but continue to make this same trailer under one of their other lines, and expect them to continue for some time. Like others of you I replaced the cheap original tires with much higher quality tires and aside from that I take very good care of it. After getting into trailering I was horrified by the stories people shared about the various manufactures including KZ. That’s probably the real reason I don’t want to upgrade, I’ve got a good one and don’t want to turn loose of her. Same goes for my wife.
Now for the answer to the question: What I got was what I expected!
😀 Thanks, Tim! Glad to hear you’re happy with your TT and your wife! —Diane at RVtravel.com
We upgraded to our current 2016 Keystone Sprinter TT, 319MKS, in the fall of 2015. Previously had a 2012 Layton that the main problem we had to get corrected was the black and gray dump lines were reversed. Now how in the world does that happen at the factory??? Anyway, our Sprinter has been pretty good with a few minor fixes needed. One was a section of bad paint on the front cap from what the paint guy said was an apparent repair at the factory. That plus three bad seals on slides at the top where it meets the roof and bad electric jack switches, all covered by warranty. What was not covered later, out of the One year warranty was a frozen cable on the front gray tank. It’s only used for the washer, which we don’t have yet, so didn’t get a lot of action, which it does now to keep it from locking up again. Currently have a 2 sq ft area on the side that the finish is going bad. My dealer is sending it to Keystone to see if they will help. By the way, I have a really good dealer. They got three things covered out of warranty for me. Other than the above, which I consider not major, the unit has performed well. Just completed a 3000 mile jaunt through the southeast and nary a problem. We use our rig quite a bit with our camping group and start doing some camp hosting next month. Safe travels everyone.
Upgraded to a 2018 Heartland Bighorn in August 2018. Our mistake buying sight unseen from nearest Bighorn dealer 600 miles away as dealer promised us a thorough PDI and when we got the trailer home there were many issues- including but not limited to auto level not working, furnace not working, shower lines not hooked up. We are still working through the issues with a local repair guy authorized by Heartland however many of the “standard” items advertised in the brochure apparently are not “standard”. My husband and I have both said we should go buy our old 2007 Grand Junction back as the only issue it ever had was the jack motor not being sufficient for the trailer weight and we upgraded it.
We started small with a 19′ Vintage Cruiser. We bought New to eliminate problems. After the trip home from the dealership I found the thermostat hanging off the wall, two screens popped out, and a cabinet door laying on the floor. Yes they fixed them but I had to return three times & its a 60 mile round trip ! Then on our first road trip four of the five studs on the left wheel sheared off because the wheel came loose at 65 mph. (The dealer said they don’t check them in pre service) The electrical system failed because the battery connections pulled apart & the waterline under the sink came apart due to not being crimped. All of this within the first 1000 miles ! I’m stuck with it but won’t buy another Gulf Stream product again !
We bought a 38 ‘ Jayco fifth wheel new in 2015. We soon started having problems with our swintec slides, one in particular. It caused us to miss more than one reservation and despite multiple mobile techs and a dealership working on it over time, one slide remained a consistent worry. I finally discovered a “hanging chad” of metal in channel housing one of the motors and removed it. The slide has been working about 2 years without that issue and the trailer as a whole is working up to expectations.
Friends should not let friends buy an FR3. Forest River slammed my rig together just well enough to ensure it looked good on the dealer’s lot but I have spent thousands on repeat issues and have recently decided to sell it at a great loss. I know every RV manufacturer has issues but this FR3 has had issues with every major system and it is only 3 years old. I only hope the next owner has better luck.
10 years ago we bought our first RV ever, a 38ft 1995 Monaco Executive on eBay, private sale outside Fresno. After looking at the online pictures, we transferred the money sight unseen and a week later drove down in the Jeep. The seller bought us a tow bar. We stayed in it in their driveway 5 days, got familiar with the rig. these folks were the best. The whole thing was beyond our expectation… everything in perfect working order, super clean. minor repairs over the years. Every winter we boondock in the AZ desert and CA. I love just being in it when it’s parked in the driveway in the summer. We live on Vancouver Island Canada.
It has not been a “disaster” BUT, if I knew then, what I know now, I would have kept my old unit longer and would NOT have purchased the unit I currently have. When spending ~ a QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS on an RV, it is NOT unreasonable to have high expectations for said RV. FAR too many modern RVs in that price range (and higher) have TOO many issues which, had a PROPER inspection been done BEFORE the RV left the factory, would have been caught and (I hope) remedied.