Should Newbies Steer Clear of Every Buying an RV

[Billyboy46]

Wincrasher - you did great reviews on your B's will you do one on the Tiffin? If not in this forum, then maybe in your blog?

 

[Saldar]

You are "confident in service after the sale". Is it mostly because you are such an amazingly good customer, Wincrasher? We ordered a Travato 59K from Josh just before I read this thread. I hope the dealership is also good to once-in-a-life-timers. At 225 miles away they are about our closest Travato dealer. I'm hoping we don't get a lemon and will be able to take care of most adjustments at home.

I'm glad you all like your vans so much. I learned so much here from the folks who contributed to this post, so we finally did it. And that was after I read the "death spiral" series. Thank you all.

 

[Rok]

When we first bought our Great West Legend SE (Sprinter Based) unit, we read a book that we bought online. The synopsis of the book is that nearly all RV units are bad, and some were just worse than others. Of course, we didn't believe it and bought anyway. We should have listened to them.

Our rig has had nothing but problems from day one--just like the book said, and the video originally posted explained why. That video is a jewel and as far as we can see from our admittedly limited research (from our experience and talking with others on the road), is that it is dead-on.

Are we sorry we've had these experiences? Well, NO. It has been a hell of a learning experience. And, going on the road is really quite fun. The fact that we've had a basic Sprinter as the base of our unit has been a blessing. For the most part they are bullet proof and ours has always got us to the shop for repair (knock on wood).

I would highly recommend the OP's video for anyone considering an RV purchase.

...........Rocky

 

[BBQ-ClassB]

When we first bought our Great West Legend SE (Sprinter Based) unit, we read a book that we bought online. The synopsis of the book is that nearly all RV units are bad, and some were just worse than others. Of course, we didn't believe it and bought anyway. We should have listened to them.

Our rig has had nothing but problems from day one--just like the book said, and the video originally posted explained why. That video is a jewel and as far as we can see from our admittedly limited research (from our experience and talking with others on the road), is that it is dead-on.

Are we sorry we've had these experiences? Well, NO. It has been a hell of a learning experience. And, going on the road is really quite fun. The fact that we've had a basic Sprinter as the base of our unit has been a blessing. For the most part they are bullet proof and ours has always got us to the shop for repair (knock on wood).

I would highly recommend the OP's video for anyone considering an RV purchase.

...........Rocky

LOL I guess you have not owned a trailer or 5th wheel.
They are the worst possible nightmare. Most of them were put together with staples. All of them leak. When they leak, they rot. When they rot, game over.

 

[wincrasher]

Wincrasher - you did great reviews on your B's will you do one on the Tiffin? If not in this forum, then maybe in your blog?

Yes, I will.

I have mega-mods lined up for the next few weeks that I'll be talking about too.

 

[wincrasher]

You are "confident in service after the sale". Is it mostly because you are such an amazingly good customer, Wincrasher? We ordered a Travato 59K from Josh just before I read this thread. I hope the dealership is also good to once-in-a-life-timers. At 225 miles away they are about our closest Travato dealer. I'm hoping we don't get a lemon and will be able to take care of most adjustments at home.

I'm glad you all like your vans so much. I learned so much here from the folks who contributed to this post, so we finally did it. And that was after I read the "death spiral" series. Thank you all.

I'm surprised you had to travel that far for a Winnebago dealer - isn't Tom Johnson one? Anyways, I'm sure you'll be fine with Bob Ledford and Josh in particular.

Yes, I'm sure they love me because of all the $$ I've spent with them. But I have kept coming back because they have fair prices, do a throrough PDI and their techs are better than most. If you run into trouble, be firm and direct about what you want - but don't blow your top - they won't respond to that kind of thing. When you take delivery, make time to stick around the area a couple days (there are numerous campgrounds) and make sure Josh has the understanding you expect priority service if you find a couple things. In fact, if you find anything on your walk-thru, ask that they fix it immediately and be happy to wait. Their standard procedure if for you to do your walk-thru before you go sign your paperwork and pay. If you found something serious, you can always refuse delivery and come back when it's done.

My new coach had numerous issues that they resolved in the week before my delivery. It came in on a Wednesday and they were expecting I'd want to come get it that Friday or Saturday. Instead I scheduled it for the following Saturday - that way they had plenty of time to go thru it and prepare it for delivery. They did and it was time well spent.

 

[Saldar]

Tom Johnson WBO in NC doesn't carry Travatos. The first one in NC just showed up this month at a Camping World in Concord, NC, but they showed no price flexibility. Josh gave a first price on a special order as low as La Mesa in FL and Lichtsinn. And Josh had one to show us when we first started looking. I was surprised when we visited to find out you bought there....A second degree brush with fame and a confidence builder.

I appreciate your recommendation on a smart sequence for taking delivery. Doing it away from home will be somewhat awkward. We will need a good rest after the trip to do a thorough examination, but there is a good La Quinta there. It seems the SC state parks stay open all year with power. The van presumably shows up in March, so we can do a test camp comfortably post-pickup. I couldn't imagine a pickup in MN at Lichtsinn that time of year, and warranty would be especially hard.

I hope you have fun with your new Tiffin, but still have some time to take the van out. Thanks for all your postings. The Tiffin people are now lucky.

 

[Rok]

BBQ:

I may not have had any experience with leaking 5th wheels or trailers, but we have had issues with leaks.

Apparently one of the problems with Great West Vans is that the Skylight in the bathroom (which is otherwise a very nice feature) usually leaks. We've had it and it really sucks because the water routes itself anywhere in the vehicle. It's usually not much, but apparently it's really hard to seal up. We've had attempts to repair it three times so far and we recently discovered that it is still leaking.

.......Rocky

 

[saenzm]

I would suggest to any newcomer to buy used and fix it up mechanically. Class B's keep a decent value so you likely won't lose out on resale.

This path can save tens of thousands and may limit your loss if you end up deciding it's not for you.

This is good advice. Going this route will also let you know if this is right for you.

I bought mine used a few months ago and I am now fixing it up littel by little, but I now know that I LOVE it and will sell this one and buy a newer one(likely more expensive one); however, I will also make money on mine when I sell. Good luck.

 

[Davydd]

BBQ:

I may not have had any experience with leaking 5th wheels or trailers, but we have had issues with leaks.

Apparently one of the problems with Great West Vans is that the Skylight in the bathroom (which is otherwise a very nice feature) usually leaks. We've had it and it really sucks because the water routes itself anywhere in the vehicle. It's usually not much, but apparently it's really hard to seal up. We've had attempts to repair it three times so far and we recently discovered that it is still leaking.

.......Rocky

My GWVan skylight leaked and was fixed by a dealer in Nokomis, FL rather poorly. So I figured out why and did it myself afterwards. Poor design and sloppy workmanship. What it was, was the skylight was too close to the rain gutter and it was impossible to caulk a bead to seal because the nozzle would not reach. In effect there was a bridge of caulk with a channel uncaulked where the frame met the roof. Any minor leak in the sealant was going to let the water pour in.

 

[avanti]

Yeah, mine leaks slightly, too. Seems to be endemic to GWV. Mine's not bad enough to worry too much about. But, I intend to eventually remove and remount it properly using Eternabond tape. By all reports, this works far better than caulking.

 

[Davydd]

I forced the sealant down with a wood dowel and tooled it. That's a step they failed to do. Getting the old sealant off was the major chore.

 

[Rok]

My GWVan skylight leaked and was fixed by a dealer in Nokomis, FL rather poorly. So I figured out why and did it myself afterwards. Poor design and sloppy workmanship. What it was, was the skylight was too close to the rain gutter and it was impossible to caulk a bead to seal because the nozzle would not reach. In effect there was a bridge of caulk with a channel uncaulked where the frame met the roof. Any minor leak in the sealant was going to let the water pour in.

Yep, Ditto for us. I don't know if I can trust anyone to fix our's right, so that may be a spring project for us. On top of that, our plastic dome is cracked a bit.

Did you replace your dome when you fixed yours?

..........Rocky

 

[Davydd]

No. It was acrylic and prone to cracking in the corners. Advanced RV figured this out and changed their dome to a stronger polypropylene but not until after they started out with acrylic. ARV did replace my dome. I went with a clear tinted dome instead of a white opaque that was their standard. I wanted to see the stars.

 

[Gumtree-ClassB]

To Scottbaldassari:

I am a brand new member, and I'm totally spooked by all the decisions I must make before choosing my first RV. I prowl through the forum posts and only manage to triple my confusion. Just now, my spinning head came upon your reply on this thread. It's so blooming' brilliant. I've read it three times and I'm still laughing out loud.I'm happy to think that someone out on the road has a mind such as yours. Thank you, dear stranger, for sharing that mind with us here today.

 

[SiennaGuy]

A couple of additional thoughts...

If I were buying again, I would look for the following:

- No power step.
- No power awning.
- No power couch.
- No power window coverings.
- No macerator.
- No fancy schmancy entertainment center that accidentally hijacks the electrical system.

My tent works first time, every time.

I don't think that it's unreasonable to expect that a Class B be built to the same standards as the vehicle that it's based on. Class Bs are built in small shops, with every opportunity for hands-on inspection. For every problem that any RV has, it was probably seen by several people along the production line. To me, the real problem is that some in management of some of these companies have decided that quality fit and finish isn't important, as long as production numbers are high. Management can't find the time to listen to the assemblers about ways to improve quality.

It's up to us consumers to let them know that crap is not OK. I know that it's easy to fall for the soft-focus happy couples in the ads, but we need to demand simple things like shelves that fit their cabinets, at the very least. If we can't trust them with low-tech wood, why should we trust them with high-tech wires? We need to demand electrical systems that work reliably. If new RVs cost $5000, it might be acceptable, but with anything costing well over $100,000, there should be no questions about quality fit and finish.

Yes, you can buy used. Still, hoping that a previous owner fixed the quality control problems of the manufacturer seems like it's letting the manufacturers off the hook. There really isn't any excuse for the low quality crap that some RV companies manufacture. They do it only because they know that they can get away with it. They may say that if they had to change their quality standards, the prices of their products would have to increase. What should change is not their prices, but the salaries of the management. Although some may act like it, they're not royalty. They're not going to expand the market by wearing a tiara on their heads.

 

[wincrasher]

My tent works first time, every time.

I don't think that it's unreasonable to expect that a Class B be built to the same standards as the vehicle that it's based on. Class Bs are built in small shops, with every opportunity for hands-on inspection. For every problem that any RV has, it was probably seen by several people along the production line. To me, the real problem is that some in management of some of these companies have decided that quality fit and finish isn't important, as long as production numbers are high. Management can't find the time to listen to the assemblers about ways to improve quality.

It's up to us consumers to let them know that crap is not OK. I know that it's easy to fall for the soft-focus happy couples in the ads, but we need to demand simple things like shelves that fit their cabinets, at the very least. If we can't trust them with low-tech wood, why should we trust them with high-tech wires? We need to demand electrical systems that work reliably. If new RVs cost $5000, it might be acceptable, but with anything costing well over $100,000, there should be no questions about quality fit and finish.

Yes, you can buy used. Still, hoping that a previous owner fixed the quality control problems of the manufacturer seems like it's letting the manufacturers off the hook. There really isn't any excuse for the low quality crap that some RV companies manufacture. They do it only because they know that they can get away with it. They may say that if they had to change their quality standards, the prices of their products would have to increase. What should change is not their prices, but the salaries of the management. Although some may act like it, they're not royalty. They're not going to expand the market by wearing a tiara on their heads.

LOL. I can go back on a few of the forums almost 20 years and find the exact same comment.

 

[South Bird]

Your concerns were ones that I had getting into a class B about 16 months ago. We had one breakdown with a radiator hose damaged in manufacture. This was fixed in a gas station in the wilds of Utah. In addition I had to go round and round with the dealer and manufacturer to get the lithium batteries I negotiated at sale installed. It took a while, but it was installed, the tech. was great and it works really well.

We have had 5 or 6 trips in the last year that were truly epic. We really enjoy the class B and the freedom to explore and get off the beaten track. We look forward to every trip, whether for a weekend or a couple of weeks into the Sierra's or Utah.

My thought is to choose the RV that fits your travel style. Get one with a manufacturers warranty. Be ready for some inconvenience every once in a while. If you wait until the industry gets it act together, you will miss out on a lot of fun. Of course my thoughts may change on the first big breakdown. So far, there is some inconvenience, but it is a lot of fun. A price for us worth paying.

 

[fwdanielson]

The RV Daily Report notes that despite millions of new RV's being produced over the past 10 years, the number of RV owners has actually stayed stagnant -- that means that for every potential new RV-er like us one more has dropped out.

I think it's less likely that the drop out rate is that high and more likely that the industry is channel stuffing. As a longtime cigar smoker I saw the same thing happen in the 90's when that became a fad and all of a sudden new brands popped up overnight, there were humidors in every convenience store and bar, and production skyrocketed. The problem was that there really weren't that many more cigars being consumed and most of the new production was going towards filling all of the new warehouses, displays, and fancy cigar bars. Quality went down, prices went up, and as soon as the channel was full the industry crashed.

Living in Central Florida I've seen the number of RV dealerships on the I-4 corridor explode and each one of those lots is full of new campers waiting to be sold. Production is going up but the number of consumers actually buying units is not nearly as high. Pretty soon those dealer's line of credit will max out and they will start going out of business and clearing out RV's at fire sale prices. After that dust has settled the industry will have a better chance of producing a quality product.

Personally I would steer clear of a new RV for the next few years. There are plenty of gently used class B's built on easy to repair Ford, Chevy, and Dodge chassis's available. If you have to travel to find one that is even better. Going places is a big part of the reason to get an RV in the first place.