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Didn’t realize the RV industry had gotten this bad


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Yepper! Took me 4 years to get a working refrigerator in my brandy new camper! Just one of the over 24 things wrong with it on delivery.:angry: Dealer couldn't of cared less, but at least worked with me for a while. They destroyed the entry door replacing the fridge, drop shipped me a brand new one but told me I was in my own to remove and replace it. A chore I look forward to with a bad arm now that I finally have a working fridge. :angry::FlagAm:

Edited by Eyesa Horg
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13 minutes ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

I didn’t watch much after hearing the disclaimer in the first few minutes. I don’t understand why anyone would sign a contract like that. It’s not like it’s fine print. It pretty much says the customer is guaranteed to be screwed and without recourse. 

I’m sure the sales person reassures everyone that it’s just legalese and they will take care of you because they are such a reputable business.

According to this lawyer it’s pretty much the SOP for large RV dealers 

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Thor is one of the worst brands currently making RVs. They also own Dutchman and Coleman. Forest River is the other major manufacturer.  Not only is the end product poorly assembled, The major components like Heat, AC, refrigerators are also junk.

 

 

Many brands that once had good reputations have been sold to less reputable manufacturers and are now are junk.

 

Went to an RV show about 2 years ago On the surface the RVs looked great lots of innovative floor plans and lots of storage. But a closer look showed exceptionally poor quality. 

 

One design to avoid like the plague are the 1/2 towable RVs. To get the weight down the frames are made from steel that is too thin to support the weight. When they break the RV company blames the frame manufacturer (Lippert) and Lippert says they made the frame per the RV mfg specifications and are not liable.

 

 

 

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Somebody must be buying them. There are 3 dealerships within 15 miles of my small town and they have a crapload of them on the lots. At least dozens, maybe 100. Lots of money sitting there, and they've been in business for some years even thru the last few bad years.

My 2 cents,

JHC

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RV's have always been poorly made.

 

But got way worse after 2020. 

 

We would like to have a new one. But are sticking with the old one.

Because of how bad the industry has become. 

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I had a 2018 Raptor toy hauler. I had numerous problems with it. One thing being...too light axles under it. It was 39 foot and only had 7000 lb axles. I now have a Palomino Columbus...and they are now owned by Forest River. It so far, seems to be a much better unit. 5000 lbs lighter and has 10,000 lb axles. There were many more problems with the Raptor than just the axles though.

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Campers: People spending thousands of dollars to live like the homeless!:lol:

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Camping World has a horrible reputation in the RV community.   They are fine for buying sewer hoses and black tank treatment tablets but I would never consider buying an RV from them or taking my RV to them for service.   They are the modern version of a sneaky used car dealer.  You're much better off either doing your own maintenance/repairs or finding a mom and pop dealership you trust. 

 

Camping World.  We're not happy till your not happy.

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My POS is a 2020 Forest River Cherokee. My frame is only 1/8" like the video. No frame issues with mine thankfully!

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Next door neighbor solve his problem.  He bought a second hand ambulance and converted it himself.  

 

It's NOT a camper, it's a well made, surprisingly large capacity motor home that will sleep four, has 6'6" headroom in most of it, and has everything I could want except a bath tub.  Shower only.  When everything is stowed for travel it will seat four in comfort and would suit me just fine....if I ever decided to travel anywhere again.

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I have a 2011 Denali 28" travel trailer made by Dutchman. It replaced a 24 Dutchman which had gotten  a little small as we were planning a 3 month trip to Alaska back then. Dutchman was an independent manufacturer who made a great product. Today, I'm not sure what I'd buy IF I WAS IN THE MARKET! My Denali has been stored since it was new, indoors. Sure keeps the UV damage to the finish to a minimum. I am 82 and the Denali completely fulfills my wife and my expectations. 

 

I learned a long time ago to do all the maintenance myself as we have owned rv's for over 50 years. 

Trailer and flags.JPG

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We wanted to replace our 5th wheel in 2019. Doing research I couldn't find a single consumer recommendation for Camping World. High prices, high interest, warrantee service was next to nothing. Common problems in the industry, frames and axels too light, refrigerators don't work or can't keep temp. AC's are undersized, assembly is done by a bunch of meth heads.

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The fridges are mostly electric now, 12volt, so plan on upgrading your batteries and adding solar. Sure do miss the old propane ones, but the electrics have more room.

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36 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

The fridges are mostly electric now, 12volt, so plan on upgrading your batteries and adding solar. Sure do miss the old propane ones, but the electrics have more room.

I'll stick with mine, propane and 110V electric. I had a cabover camper with a 110v/12v/propane refer. I used the 12 v a couple of times, very inefficient and really sucked the battery dry even when driving.

Edited by Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life
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I have a Forest River, Class C 23 foot Sun Seeker on a Ford Chassis.

I bought it in 2014 and I've had no trouble with it!

BUT, it's a 2013 they had used as a rental the year before and all the crap got fixed before I bought it or they couldn't rent it!!!!!!!!! BUHAHAHAHA

Seriously, there is a real problem of quality control, throughout the industry, if the comments of the current owners in the forum, are any indication.

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I prefer a Coleman.

 

Coleman tent, that is.

 

If I was in the market for a camper I'd look at Airstream from the 80s. Very well built.

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On 2/4/2024 at 9:50 PM, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

I have a Forest River, Class C 23 foot Sun Seeker on a Ford Chassis.

I bought it in 2014 and I've had no trouble with it!

BUT, it's a 2013 they had used as a rental the year before and all the crap got fixed before I bought it or they couldn't rent it!!!!!!!!! BUHAHAHAHA

Seriously, there is a real problem of quality control, throughout the industry, if the comments of the current owners in the forum, are any indication.

I have the same year and model, but with a Chevy engine.  It has been pretty much worry free, except for poor quality ( cheap)cabinetry and a roof leak that was definitely a design issue. I bought it from Camping World and have avoided their super high repair rates and found repairs as needed , with local shops that I research carefully before using 

 

Camping World did do a good job, under warranty of sealing some windows that leaked the first time we got in  a serious rainstorm.  That storm, however, would have caused leaks in a submarine 

 

I have no experience with the newer models, but have gone Texas to Alaska, returning by way of Kentucky with no serious problems 

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