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With the increase in mergers and consolidations, in the last few years....corners and more had to be cut. Just service the $$$ spent to buy these other companies. There are only a few parent companies making RVs today, and the investor class gets paid first !
@@desertlandscapecreations577 What issues are leading RV parks to refuse entry? Perhaps a definition of what 'older' means. Liz seemed to be describing the recent differences from 2018 until present day models. Do parks have distinct time limit of how old a unit can be allowed to enter?
I don’t know why I click on this vid but this lady give more useful information in 5 minutes that all the youtubers I seen all day… an am not even in the market for an RV😂
My soon to be wife and I went to an RV show in January and we’re getting ready to spend $100k on a brand new Class C RV. This CHANGED EVERYTHING! I am now the proud owner of a well built well maintained low mile class C Dutchmen for less than $15k and with our interior remodel and upgrades which will include a solar package we will have everything for less than $20k but BETTER built! THANK YOU!!!!
Any pre Warren Buffet trailer will be MUCH better. The RV industry was in trouble long before covid. Warren buffet bought up everything and started cost cutting and profit taking. Quality plummeted. Dealers are really pissed and suffering as garbage shows up on the lot and falls apart and the manufacturers (Warren’s companies) NO LONGER honor their warrantee work and expenses.
The same thing that has happened to every other manual-labor-intensive industry since Covid: the very skilled, usually older workforce got fed up and left. The remaining management team quickly hired non-skilled labor to replace them and started cutting manufacturing corners to retain profitability. Those two things usually signal the death knell to every industry they touch.
@@adotintheshark4848 Correction most people don't want to work for the compensation package being offered. I like the company I work for, I like the team and I like and respect my manager and director. Most importantly the company pays me a good wage for my skills and time. At the end of the day however, it is a business transaction and I treat it as such. You owe the company you work for nothing, they owe you, usually monthly in arrears.
I've lived in Elkhart county, Indiana for nearly 40 years. RVs may have been a better level of crap 20 years ago but they were still crap. Say what you want about workers but the problem STARTS with ownership. 2nd and 3rd generations of families are only interested in profits and the family owned manufacturers that sold to corporations are worse. It's all for profit and they don't give a hang about quality. And that's before COVID. I know lots of people who have been in and out of the RV industry and now is not the time to buy a new one, no matter the price. Fix the one you have.
LOL! You Nailed it! This is why I'm building a mini travel camper my self. This is also why I'm hanging onto my 1999 F150 with over 222,000 miles on it. Today's pick-up-trucks are over priced JUNK.
Certified mechanic/welder here, last yr me and my gal crawled around under some units at a camper dealership. 5 minutes in I informed her we will not be buying new. I built a better trailer frame for my canoe hauling trailer behind our wheelers!
I built them in the late 70’s around Elkhart IN, most were made around that location as well as all of the materials needed. We had pride in what we were building and the money was great for back then. My last camper trailer was an 1988, built when they were still built right.
Proud owner of a 1987 Prowler 18' travel trailer. I've had it twenty years now and only replaced the water pump (easily accesible). Nothing else, not even leaks! And I've done NOTHING to the roof. I live in hot AZ and granted I only use it about 5 times a year but I've literally done nothing to it but enjoy the heck out of it. Alot of fun for just $2,600 (which I could get tomorrow for it). Basically, 20 years of free camping.
Born and raised right outside of Bristol(Mottville Mich). I cut my teeth on the industry. Coachman, even the Manufacturing House places Such as Dutch homes. They are so crap now.
YOU GO GIRL! Thank you for your willingness to confront the RV manufacturers. Without “tell it the way it is”, nothing will ever change. You are my hero!
I used to work in the service department in a large RV dealer and you are 100 % correct. Total junk being built and the manufacturers don't stand behind their product. In my state the consumer has no protections either.....LEMON LAWS do not apply because they are a RECREATIONAL VEHICLE and not a motor vehicle. Consumer is on their own. I saw staples put right into water pipes etc. On a positive note Winnebago seemed to be only manufacturer that cared and stood behind their product....the rest NOT SO MUCH. I got out of industry because customers were always mad at us because of the junk built and we took all the heat. I used to get customers tell me that they were going to stop making payments because it was such a lemon.....sad thing is this only hurt them and banks went after them; no impact on industry.
Thanks for sharing this. I hope by holding their feet to the fire that the RV industry will start to do better. At this rate they won't stay in business unless they shape up.
I was at an RV show, I think it was 2021..or maybe even early 2022...so the pandemic was sort of over. The show was mass packed and all I saw were 'sold' stickers on the units on display. They were offering 7% interest if you buy it NOW. I wanted to check out to see what was out there but so many of what they had were sold and all I thought was, did people just say 'yes' and that's it. Apparently, that is what happened. In past, people would take a minute to think about it but that day I went, it was like, you have to buy it now or the person behind you will. It was like a fire sale for RV's, this is your last chance to get this...get it now or you will never be able to buy one. I had a clue that there was something up because the pandemic shut everything down and now all of a sudden, all these rv's are popping up. Either they were hiding somewhere or these rv's were made super-fast. No time to think or inspect, just glue it together and roll it out.
Lemon Law not applying, is a Federal thing. Makes no difference what state you are in. You are however correct that Lemon Law applies to motor vehicles (for transportation), and not for recreation.
Has nothing to do with the RV industry the problem is if it’s made in the USA, it’s expensive junk. If you want junk then spend little money on Chinese made stuff. If you want quality spend the money you would spend on Made In the USA product on a made in China product and you will see highest quality. Manufacturing in this country is done because there is no workforce left, I work in manufacturing and I came here from overseas (Germany) the best manufacturing equipment these days is delivered to China! US build cars like Ford have one recall after another, Boeing airplane loose doors while flying ,RVs fall apart and about the defense industry junk we don’t have to talk…
A few years ago I almost bought a brand new 2022 Travel Trailer but for some reason I end up buying a 2013 Travel Trailer after watching this video I'm glad I got an older RV and I love it.
In 2016, my wife and I purchased a 2001 Winnebago Minnie 31C class C motorhome. It is in great shape and we have had absolutely no issues with anything other than the fuel pump had to be replaced. It has been solid and no leaks anywhere. We plan to keep it as long as possible
I bought a 1994 camping trailer a few years ago. Only cost me $2600. It was in fair condition. Mainly needed a fresh 2020's paint job, and a few other things. I got rid of the old 9" TV , then installed LED lights to replace the old ones. The quality, durability, integrity, and feel of it (after modernizing) is uncanny. SOOO much superior than comparable sized trailers made today. NO WAY would I buy anything made today with their cheap materials, flimsy doors, weak roofs, and unreliable electronics (really, who needs Bluetooth in a trailer?!). I'm sure when brand new campers made today are in the junkyard, mine will still be ready for a weekend!
@timbrock1000 Are you sure its uncanny? A strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way. Or are you just using words that you don't know how to use?
Bluetooth is very convenient, and most modern electronics use bluetooth for connectivity as opposed to cabling. I am almost 65 and love the ease of bluetooth to be able to connect to an external device to listen to music or play videos from a phone or tablet instead of hauling DVDs or CDs like we used to have to do.. As for your 1994 trailer, many RV parks won't allow it to be parked there. If you don't mind that limitation, that's great.
When I purchased a small new travel trailer from my local RV dealer, they would not sell it to me unless I paid an additional $3000 for a 5 year warranty. They told me the warranties from the RV manufacturer are worthless. I didn't like it, but I agreed and paid it at time of purchase. I am so glad I did. The few problems I've had with the travel trailer were all covered by the extended warranty I purchased. The dealer explained that they wanted happy customers and this was a way to that end. I appreciate the honesty of my dealer and would do business with them again.
I bought a 2015 keystone alpine 5th wheel in 2020 and purchased an extended warranty for 5 yrs, which I live in full time...no road travel 4 yrs. later no major repairs...getting ready to reseal the roof and replace the fabric that covers the slideouts... I was fortunate that a friend of mine was an RV salesman and was given info on exactly what you said...buy newer used!! I'm happy I did...thanks for your video
After watching your video and reading on different FB pages for RVs, we are so thankful for the fact that when we bought our Dutch Star last June a 2016 was the most we could afford. We ended up with a 2015 which we love and haven't had any problems except for replacing some parts for the jacks.
Liz. You are doing a great service to all us RV'ers! By you exposing these bad manufactures I hope they will change their bad RV practices, and terrible builds. I purchased my Keystone Carbon 349 in 2018, and aside from minor problems, it has been terrific for us. Glad I bought before the pandemic. I am very handy, so I can fix all the minor problems. As I always tell friends looing for RV's, " you better be a very handy DYI person, or have lots of money and time to keep bringing your RV back to the dealer time and time again". I too went to the RV show in Utah a few weeks ago. I am still amazed at the poor design of many RV's. Keep up the pressure on these mgr.'s, exposed all the BAD ones, so we can avoid getting bad ones.
I used to build yachts. It's the same progression. Fine wood and screws would change to cheaper screws and veneer. The craftmenship on the first few would be amazing.
SAME with parade of homes...the price tags went sky high but the interiors were not upgraded at all. For that much cash why would I want an inferior tract home design & materials.
@@savannahsmiles1797 At least with homes, regardless of how they were built, command a much higher price tag (depending o the market) and manage to retain it value (with upgrades and maintenance) for the next buyer. We cannot say the same for boats and RVs. It is totally up to the next buyer on how aesthetically they want to value those things (boats and RVs), and what they are willing to pay for them.
I rented a Yukon for a month, with my GF, split the costs, tossed in a camping tent, stove etc..traveled all over the USA for a month and loved it. Turned it back in and walked away from any maintenance problems. We stayed in some motels/hotels when we got tired of camping and went into the wilderness too. It's a better way to travel. Love the USA for it's beauty, ease of travel and loved that Yukon.
Add Holiday Rambler to your list and you're pretty much right on the nose. I bought an '04 because of their quality - solid wood, all metal roof, interlocking aluminum house frame, etc.
You might also ask what happened to the refrigerator industry? The refrigerators nowadays are total junk and you are lucky to get 8 to 10 years out of them. I think the standard is five to eight. What is going on? When I raised my kids we had the same refrigerator for 15 years and it was still working fine when we left that house. Growing up we had the same one for over 20 years. Industry in America has sold us down the river and the government has zero objections. This is seriously messed up.
Well said, we're going through the same issues, albeit so far, RUclips has let me do 'fix-it's to both our fridge and dishwasher, so I can at least cobble them up with new parts still, but with everything being plastic, I guess they are going to only last a select amount of time unfortunate, to force us to buy another new one. Or, as I do, fix it myself after watching a RUclips video on the issue.
Liz, we were in the retail furniture business for 20 years here in Canada and I can assure you it’s not just RVs, it’s furniture, mattresses, cars, in fact everything made here in North America. Corporate greed is the basic reason. We too went to the Tampa RV show and were shocked to see how bad some RVs were made, especially the high end rigs. Also we visited some factories in Elkhart in May and what we saw was terrible. We have visited many many manufacturers production facilities and truss us how they are making RVs is not what it should be. We are looking at smaller independent manufacturers for our next rig.
Yes, that is smart of you. I did a video about Oliver Trailers and will do more in the future of smaller independent mfrs. Thanks for watching and stay tuned.
I have a 2022 Thor Scope, the FB forum speaks of poor quality, I must have had mine built on a good day since I have had very little issues. The dealership has been good to me also (Lazy Days)
It's not only corporate greed. People simply wont spend what is required for a high quality NA product. You can produce that, but your share of the market would be so small that your economy of scale would break you.
Nice video, Liz. I have heard the same comments from many, many people the last few years. I have helped people in campgrounds with their units to get generators started, jacks retracted, circuit breakers tripping, water leaks. Scary. We have a 1989 21’ Winnebago Warrior on a Ford E-350 chassis. That whole rig is so solid and after 127, 000+ miles, nothing is loose or falling off and we have been on some ugly roads, I tell ya. Minor screw tightening, the typical adjustments of door latches, steps, etc. are normal after being on rough roads or frame-twisting curb cuts. Everything works right, it’s clean inside, no rodent damage, plus I keep the unit under a cover, run the engine and all appliances once a month and it’s ready to go. But…we have switched over to a 2019 Airstream 23FB pulled by a 2017 Chevy Colorado with a Duramax diesel. Very nice combination and mileage is twice what our Warrior was. We spent a lot of nights in the old unit and I still love it. Just more comfy to have a bed on same level as everything else in the trailer. I’m not sure why we are keeping the Warrior. Just can’t bear to sell it? We started out in a little Scamp in 1977 and progressed from there. Airstreams are well built but still have a certain amount of hoki-ness and sloppy workmanship built in. I have done enough modifications and work on ours to have seen it myself. Thanks for the good show. Stay safe out there!
Hi Brian, thanks for sharing this. Sounds like you have good reasons to hang on to that 1989 Winnebago. And thanks for your kind words, stay safe as well.
Having owned an RV repair business, my opinion has always been that most of them are junk. "Build them quick, and ship them out". I will stick with my 1991 Class C. Even though I have replaced most of the common components, I have spent less, abut yet all the "working stuff" is pretty new. Nice job on this content.
They definitely have always been built to fail with cheap material that once get wet it's over. Cheap chipboard roof decking and luan boards. As far as I know the cabinets have always been made of particle board in these campers.
We went out west with friends that had the 2005 vectors. He loaded it with the works (Tracking satellite, sound system, large flat screen, etc. ). It was truly a home on wheels with monster diesel to boot.
I just found you. You are very good in conveying your points and I will continue to follow you as I plan to get back on the road. Did full-time 25 years ago for a couple years and now want to get back to it. Really appreciate your perspective. Steve
And again a beautiful job, Liz, you hit the nail on the head. Over our last two years of fulltime RVing we hear more and more about the decline in quality within the last couple of years. People rather buy an older model or keep their own older ones. Keep going Liz, brave people like you can make a change. Good luck from your friends Brook & Wolfie
I've owned several RV's and was a full timer for over a decade. My RV's were either HR, Air Stream or Silver Streak. I wanted the aluminum ribs and solid construction. I'm a retired Master Carpenter and know all about leaks and rotted wood in RV's. I've rebuilt and repaired several for clients and friends. The fit and finish of the older models was hands down much better than recent ones. My oldest was a 28 foot, 1970 Silver Streak and my newest was a 35 foot, 1995 Holiday Rambler. If you get anything between those years you'll have a gem!
That's why I bought a 1976 Serro Scotty. It may be mostly 3/4 plywood and yeah I have to peel and redo the luan in the roof, but it's rather simple and just requires willingness, elbow grease and time.
All very valid points. It is just a shame what has happened to Air Stream. Dealerships are also no help many many times. Thank you for sharing. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
I think Thor owns Airstream. There is a video from Colonial Airstream that posts lots of video. I saw the wiring they did and it looked as sloppy as the Winnebago. Not many companies nowadays puts pride in their work. I rather look at builders from up North like in Canada. I know that Pleasureway is still one the better ones, and Northern Lites. But not Airstream, I think they are overpriced for what they are. All of these companies main goal is volume to raise the stock price but they sacrifice quality and customer service.
I have not been in the travel trailer thing for long, our first for my wife and I was a meager 2015 Forest River Wolf Pup 16 FQ, we bought new for $13,400! Then went camping on weekends and long trips south from Massachusetts, all over the east coast from Bar Harbor to Key West. As far west as Pigeon Forge and Corpus Christi. Then in the winter of 2017, we started planning on retiring in Florida, so we went down in the winter camping and looking for an area we liked. Then instead of winterizing and bringing the Pup home up north, we stored it in Orlando. Then took two more trips down before sell our home on The Vineyard and driving back, picking up the Pup, signed papers to build a new home and headed west on a 4 month trip, in the 2016 Colorado Z71 Ext Cab 4x4, we had been using all that time with the Wolf Pup. Then during the last month of construction went back to central Florida, camping nearby. Then after moving in I brought the trailer in for maintenance and new tires. But left the Orlando Camping World with a 2020 Grey Wolf 24 JS, a similar floor plan like the 16FQ, walk around queen bed, full dry bath, but bigger all around, plus a nice sleeper sofa between the bed and kitchen area. With many amenities like power jack, outdoor kitchen with ice maker, full size RV fridge. Nothing like the monster 5th wheels you folk drag around, but even though we had no issues at all with either of out travel trailers I noticed a difference between the 2015 and 2020!! So much so we sold the 2020 when offered crazy money right at the end of Covid so I jumped on it. Then health issues were timely but still an issue. But now we are again planning to continue camping, with a new pop up tent, yea a tent, but it’s 8’ by 10’ and weights only 60 lbs in the nice bag, very dry and comfortable in temperate weather, rain and cold are not so bad with our electric fake cast iron heater, but with no AC? No summer camping! But we are in the process of buying a new Van, we are going to build a van camper ourselves so no quality issues and the Van is a proven Chevy 2500 Express I’m having converted to 4x4, has a V8, with lots of power with 8 speed trans for decent mileage, at least 18 highway built and loaded to go, anywhere, park in any parking spot, camp in any campground site. Because finding camp sites that are vacant is getting harder and harder. But a Van? We could stay in any parking garage if need be, or Cracker Barrel or WallMart Home Depot or Lowe’s. With ease and free. So happy trails, fun and good health and stay safe!
Yes, a van is a good choice. Thanks for sharing this. And good news, I have not seen full campgrounds in a while. I think things are easing up. Thanks for watching.
Hi Liz. I recently had a 2022 Winnie Class C. My observations, when compared to the Jayco and Forest River C’s I’ve had in the past is that the assembly of the Winnie was much better. Wiring wasn’t a rat’s nest, proper connectors/terminators on the electrical, plumbing was neat, etc. The quality of the rig itself though left much to be desired. The cabinetry was cheap, faucets, etc. Definitely not worth the price premium that Winnie charges. It still came with a plastic toilet for heaven’s sake (and yes we knew that when we bought it). After owning it for a year we couldn’t get over the overall cheapness of the unit. However, it didn’t have any outright failures or embarrassing moments. I’ve had way too many motorhomes over the past 13 years and my wife and I have decided to change our approach to the hobby. I have a F250 now and the next rig we purchase will be a towable; likely a Rockwood Minilite. We just don’t want the financial exposure that comes with motorized when it comes to this hobby. We’re hoping to keep it simpler the next go around (travel trailer, less complex less things to break). Going with Rockwood as most everything we can find online seems to show they are still trying to put out a decent product. They all have problems, and sometimes you get a real piece of junk coming off the line, but based on our research we’ll hedge our bets with a Rockwood towable.
I have enough $ to buy virtually anything I want but am thinking of doing exactly what you are doing, but in a Toyota Sienna minivan. I didn't retire early in life to be dealing with all the frustrations of cheaply made motorhomes.
I ordered a new 2006 38' Winnebago in the fall of 2005 and lived in it for 11 years travelling for half the year and working as an electronic circuit-board designer for the other half. It was an interesting life and I had very few problems with the RV. Several years later I was talking to a fellow at an RV park who had purchased a 45' 2015 diesel Winnebago and had spent the previous six months in and out of the manufacturer's facility to address one problem after another. As he explained it, the older workers from the baby boomer generation had mostly retired and taken their expertise with them. He said that 2008 was the last good year for quality in most RVs in the industry. Though the younger guys were more computer savvy, they didn't have the problem-solving skills and work ethic of the children of the Greatest Generation.
@@kittycat8222 warren buffet bought it up in 2005. Took the industry about 3 years for him to shift to cheaper/poorer/who cares construction i guess. Sounds about right…
Wow woman, you are spot on in regards to the RV industry going to hell in a hand bag. The happiest day in my life was when I was able to sell my motor home. NEVER AGAIN!
Good post. It's not just the big RVs either. The van I turned into a hi-top camper is a 2004 E350, and its way better built than anything new. The Sprinters, Promasters, Transits are all unibody. I wouldn't own one just for that reason alone.
Apparently, those older high-top vans are what people are looking for. I am not too keen on what they make today. I know someone that bought a nice-looking smart car...it stopped working because the computer wasn't able to communicate with the engine.
@@esterdrass4964 I couldn't find a low mileage one that wasn't stupid expensive, so I bought a cargo van with 70K on it, and had the top put on by Wasatch in Utah.
@@cabracove I think that is the way to go, if you can find the right van at the right price. I looked and gave up because, as you mentioned, they were stupid expensive, to the point of insulting. When I was at an rv show a few years ago, class b's were selling above 150. I thought I would have passed out at the price tag.
@@esterdrass4964 15 for the van, 8 for the top installed with lights and fan. Another 5 for all the appliances, diesel heater, battery bank, DC charger, etc. So I'm still under 30K. It's been to the 8 states closest to CA and to Alaska twice in the last 2 years. Still only has 95K on the odo. There's nothing luxury about it, but everything works as it should. I'm very happy with it.
@@cabracove That's fantastic and as long as its comfortable. I love the idea of lux but not for the price tag nor do I like the idea of lux taking over everything in the van and leaving little space. Enjoy your rving!!
Hi Liz, I'm trying to get through your video's that I somehow missed. I bought a 2008 Gulfstream Conquest class c and figured I was safe because it was actually built in early 07. I joined lots of rv facebook groups in an effort to learn as much as my old brain can absorb. I recommend you and your videos often to try to help get these people educated about these horrible products that are being put out. I hope you keep up the good work, I think I'm all caught up now and just waiting for your next video. Thank you for all you do!
Liz, this is what happened. 1Tim. 6:10a “For the love of money is the root of all evil: Without specific and good laws to protect the consumer the evil hearts of man will always rise up. Trying to shame the manufacturers into quality will never work. There needs to be serious new laws to protect the consumer.
@@JohnSmith-ug5ci don’t expect your legislators to protect you. You do know what lobbyist do, right? Honestly, being smarter about who you vote for and hold their feet to the fire is the only chance you have. Complacency will get you screwed.
I believe another issue with Covid, at least here in Australia was the massive demand on supply of caravans (I believe you call them travel trailers) and motorhomes (RV's) as there was no international travel for some time, Jayco and some others were importing caravans, putting them together here and selling them quickly en masse and of course the quality took a turn for the worse, you're doing such good work Liz you're the type of ally everyone dealing with the whole industry needs, love and peace from Australia as always 🦘😘
You are so right. Thanks for this, Ellie. It's true the RV industry went nuts during Covid. But I think that's no excuse for them slapping them together and thus compromising on quality. Very short sighted on their part. Thanks for watching
Good stuff, thanks. My neighbor bought a new RV a while back, spent over a year trying to fix everything. He even drove to Indiana (from home in Fla) and parked at the manufacturer for several weeks in an attempt to get things fixed.
Great video Liz I really considering keeping my 2006 Komfort I’ve now owned it for 12 years now just regular maintenance and very little issues thanks keep it going 👍❤
@@shaunnightfire8269 ya that’s excellent I’ve had my trailer for 11 years now and the Komfort is a pretty solid trailer prior to Dutchman purchasing them in 2009 your probably right I should keep it thanks 😊
I just sold a 20' 1976 Shasta towable camper. I was the second owner. My phone was literally ringing off the wall. It had more than a thousand views in two days. It was all original, no leaks and no rust. It was very well taken care of and mechanically perfect. The first guy that came out said it was unbelievable and gave me my asking price....5k.
Glad to see you knowledge on this subject. My wife and I agree with your comments 100%, but I am not sure that the industry can be saved from its demise! We have owned many different size campers, 5th wheel campers etc., and the ones made two decades ago have quality fit and finish, real wood and all the things mentioned. Not so today. I used to produce huge convention shows for 20 years nationwide, and everyone got into my shows with crowds of 50,000 to 80,000 in a two and a half day shows. Inside I put 200 of the largest food companies in largest shows, mid-size shows half that and home builders had a strong presence in most shows too, with everything in your home, plus an R.V. section outside for most shows, as the cost for square footage did not allow me to bring them into the convention centers. I did also have bass boats and other pleasure craft inside, but only in our Tampa Bay Food, Home, Health & Recreation shows would I allow large 50 to 100 million dollar yachts only five each year, do to size on the boat pier. Even Busch Gardens got in the shows, always a big pavilion in the front of the convention center, (big draw each year). However, free food from 100 or 200 of the largest food companies guaranteed a huge crowd for all vendors selling anything. Like they say, "if you keep the troops well fed they will fight for you", so-to-speak, as you want them staying for many hours to check all booths. If you have a party and NO one comes, that is not a good party! That was my goal. Back to the R.V. sections, well I as a person who knew R.V.'s having owned many, I saw also at my convention shows terrific quality down grades inside and outside most types of R.V.'s. We have many friends and family that own all kinds of R.V.s and all agree that it is a crap shoot trying to buy anything today that will hold up on or off the road. I think however, that Tiffin Motorhomes made in Red Bay, Alabama are one of few that is keeping their reputation for making high quality and luxurious and hand made RV's still. Check out their reviews and they want you there for the build at the plant, so you can see every step of production. I would like for this lady to look into these outstanding units, as I have been to the Alabama huge plant and been in dozens across the nation in shows and never heard a disparaging comment about Tiffin build quality. We do not trust the quality anymore, so we just stay in Hilton's all over America and the world now for our travels. Spent to many vacations repairing myself many R.V's even when they made the good stuff, but today forget it, as it is a full time job, keeping them working and running!
I have never been inside an RV in my life...... But I can tell you a few things about them. I'm a trucker. I see these things going up and down the road all day long. You see the name on the back of them. Ultra light... Feather light... Super light.... And I notice things like the suspension supporting these pieces of junk And it leads me to several very accurate conclusions. First... If you can haul something 30 feet long with a standard suspension F150 pickup truck.... It has to be very light. Tiny wheels Attached to very small suspension systems. One or possibly 2 leaf springs on the axles... Tiny toy Jacks that are supposed to support the weight of the trailer when it is not attached..... Standard ball hook systems...... It all points to one very clear and obvious Fact regarding the RV. These things are incredibly light. And that means there is nothing in the way of support infrastructure built into the trailer. There can't be. And that means it's junk that will not survive the wear and tear and vibrations of transporting it up and down the highway. It's also not going to support the wear and tear of people using it. It might look good at first glance but there's no possible way these things are going to last at all. You can tell just by looking at them how flimsy they are. There's no investigation needed. They would actually last longer if they were making these things out of hardened plastic Compared to the materials that have been used. Of course they are falling apart. Just stand there and look at the thing. There's no weight to it. That means there's no possible way there could be any strength to the infrastructure. Seems to me it's just common sense. How can you possibly be surprised? You certainly have no reason to be outraged. Unless it's by your own stupidity. Because only a stupid person could look at the product and not know instantly that it's not worth the money and it's not going to last a month once you start using it. Here's a hint if you're going to buy one of these things. If the tires look like the donut that your car has for a spare..... You are buying a useless piece of junk.
I love you for this video ❤ this is the exact same reason why when I bought my second home I made sure it was not a new construction home; although I had my first home built, it was quality but after covid like you said, quality completely dwindled and when I was buying this home (my forever home on earth), I made sure it was built even before my first home. This is another reason why I do not want to get rid of my RV travel trailer for a new one: quality real wood and solid frame, although there are bathroom leak issues 😢. And I did have issues with them not sealing properly. Overall quality has diminished significantly although prices have skyrocketed 🤨.
Hi Liz, you’re absolutely right. And it’s a shame, we live in RV manufacturing country. And I’m embarrassed, even though I’m not in the industry. I have family and friends who are. We have an older camper trailer. 2001 in fact. A Fleetwood. Obviously, it’s been maintained and upgraded over the years but it’s in wonderful shape. Everything works, even the air conditioning. The problem is… some campgrounds seem to discriminate against older campers. That’s been a problem for us. Thankfully, not at our local state campground… Yet. Thanks again.
I have heard that there is a "ten year rule" at some campgrounds but I have never had that problem and I have a 2005 and travel the country. A few places have asked me to send photos of my rig and then it's been fine. So keep trying as I think those discriminatory campgrounds are few and far between. And thank you so much for your support!!! Have a great weekend.
Good information! Always wanted a bigger RV. But I'm still loving my 1993 Ford E150 707 Freedom conversion van. Build so well with really nice cabinetry. 31 years old and still runs like a dream. knock on wood.
We bought a 2022 Thor Compass. When I walked in the first time looking around I couldn’t believe the lack of attention to detail and sloppiness of the building quality. Yesterday I was looking at why our bottom drawers wouldn’t stay closed and the magnets and flat steel pieces they stick to were about 2-3” out of alignment. We are also having our slide fixed on a TSB that has gashed the original floor and started on the new one we put in after it was supposedly fixed. The bad thing is it’s hard to find a dealership that you trust to do things right. I’m done messing around with people that don’t know what they’re doing so I do all my repairs myself. Thank goodness I have the tools and knowledge to do so.
Excellent video! I bought an LG stove. Nothing but problems. Everything today is junk. I live on the Great Lakes and I’m paying 100$ a month for water!
Back in the 1990's I worked at an auto salvage yard. My job was to remove useful parts from salvaged vehicles. This included vehicles from golf carts to big rigs. Even back then when I came across a travel trailer or motorhome I was amazed at the flimsy construction. We would joke these things looked like they were constructed with popsicle sticks, finishing nails, and fiber board.
In 2011 my wife and I bought a brand new Keystone Passport. The first camping season went pretty good, no big problems. For every season after that, that rig was one big money pit. We finally traded it off for a 2018 Winnebago Travato, we needed something smaller because the larger 28 foot travel trailer was getting to be to much work and we were sick and tired of having it the shop every season. We have had only one issue with the Travato, a slide out tray table swelled from the humidity and was difficult to operate. I agree with everything you said Liz, I can't speak for any of the other brands but it will be a very frosty day in h$ll before I would buy another Keystone product. Very good video.
We had a wonderful experience so far with our brand-new Winnebago Travato 59G class B RV. I realize there are much less moving parts than a larger class A or C. No slides and less systems to go bad. We've downsized from a larger class C as our needs changed over time. Also nice getting 17 mpg now. Taken 10 trips so far and no issues yet.
Not sure what year your 59 G is but I have a 22 59 K and have had 4 recalls with the major one being with the awning. Had 2 recalls on this and still no fix after 3 months. I love the Travato but recalls are a pain to deal with. Not sure what is going on with Winnebago/Carefree but this is not rocket science and this should have been fixed long ago.
@@petermenor8074 it's a 2023 and I did take it in to have the fuel line on the generator replaced. That was pretty minor. I heard about the possible recall of my awning prematurely activating while driving but nothing has transpired yet. Now that I'm thinking about it, I could just bind the awning with wire just to be on the safe side for my next long trip in May.
Very good information. We are looking for a class C and are in the process of informing ourselves. This helps a lot as do your other videos. Thank you.
Great video with excellent examples of where they cheap out now. Nothing will change until we stop buying this trash! Educating buyers is the only way to do it, and your videos are incredibly helpful! One thing that I find fascinating is that we've done a few videos ourselves on the terrible build quality and specific details in units that I advise folks to stay far away from, but there are actually owners of those units who comment and post on forums about how great of an experience they have, only a few minor things here and there, and work hard to talk more people into that specific make and model of RV. It seems to me that we don't all agree on the definitely of "quality"!
Exactly right! When we were going cross country 2019-2021, I couldn’t tell you how many people I ran into with brand new 5th wheelers that were broken in so many ways. Forest River being one of the worst. When I started looking used motorhome, I figured, buy the top of the line that you can afford. I bought a ‘92 Country Coach, which was the top of the industry at that time. Don’t regret it a bit. 1/2” tile floors, corian countertops, solid wood cabinets, and best appliances you could get at the time. No weight consciencness here. Lol the gillig chassis is still good, and old 8.3 cummmins, which got me 9mpg cross country, is still going strong. Headed to Idaho this summer. It pays to shop quality, do your homework, and do inspections before buying. Great video!
The pandemic brought light to the rv, Van life, Schoolie, tiny home movement due to social media. It was a trend and now everyone has moved on. Lots of deals now $$$
A sad story, especially the COVID supply chain issues. I traded in a 2018 Aerolite for a 2023 Rockwood Mini Lite last August. The Aerolite was pretty good and nothing serious went wrong in five years of ownership. The Rockwood so far has been impeccable. Well made, solid wood cabinetry, everything works, and it tows like a dream with the torsion bar suspension. The fit and finish is surprising in its quality. I expected to spend a day with my tools and fasteners finishing up what the factory left undone. Not needed.
We just bought a 2024 Flagstaff Micro lite 21FBRS, I looked it over top to bottom and it's really well built (no defects so far) compared to our last trailer, a 2021 Winnebago 2108 DS which spent the first two weeks of ownership getting defects repaired and then another 6 weeks at the dealer over the following year.
Good to hear about your Flagstaff Micro Lite (same as Rockwood Mini Lite). All of my research suggested Rockwood/Flagstaff were a stair step up in quality and appointments from many trailers. So far, as you have found, it is true. Maybe not the very top of the line, but even those silver trailers have their issues. Good luck!@@glennkemp7450
April 2021 sold my 2016 Mini-Lite and ordered a 2021 Rockwood 2606WS from Wana RV in Shipshewana Indiana. Got it just before the big Covid push and I must say it has been flawless. I’ve put almost 20,000 miles on it with no issues. Then again, that’s why I stuck with Rockwood. Perfect? No. Better than others? Yes.
We had planned to trade up this year, from a small travel trailer to a small class c. After doing much research and reading what owners were saying about lack of quality- we decided to keep our little camper (a 2022) and be happy we have had zero issues. One of the few and far between, eh?
Wow. Thx Liz! Happy with my 2010 Keystone 34 foot travel trailer. Live full time in it. Survived Hurricane Ian without a scratch during a direct hit. Some of the newer rigs didn't survive..
Airstream trailers were always known for there impeccable high quality. much higher than the rest of the manufacturers. but if they were bought out by this large conglomerate? then they may not be the same as previous Airstreams.
I used to go camping. Don't anymore. We only go away a few weekends a year. Camper $50k to $100k. Truck $80k. Campground $100 to $200 a night. Groceries almost same as restaurants. It's cheaper to stay in a hotel.
Another tip on used RV's is the length, seems the bigger it is the lower the price. That's something to consider, bigger/longer RV's have much higher maintenance, service departs charge more for the same service on longer RV's compared to shorter RV's, even the oil changes. Longer RV's aren't allowed in most national parks, can't just stay in a Walmart parking lot anymore. Driving the longer RV's takes skill, you don't realize just how wide 8.5ft is until you're on a two lane road or crowded freeway, turning radius, stopping distance. Also, just about any campground is very limited on long RV parking spots. Sweet spot is 24ft.
I've been wondering all that myself Liz! This is such a valuable video! Thank you for making this one and how that book coming along?😂😂😂 Liz we are blessed to have you❤
Hi Val, well you know I haven't written one word in the book lately. I have been so busy with the channel that it will have to replace any book that I may have written. Thanks so much for your love and support!
Right on. Anyone interested should check out Lehto Laws you have to be insane to buy an RV. He talks about the disclosures that new RV buyers sign that basically give up their rights if there is an issue. Keep up the great work and thanks for doing this.
Thanks for letting me know, Walt. I truly am on a mission to get the RV industry to wake up and start making quality products. They just can't stay in business if this keeps up.
Thanks. I really have never done any kind of travelogue. This channel is mostly educational for RVers, would-be RVers, and armchair RVers. I have done a lot of tips and tricks related to RVing in the past. Thanks for watching and for your feedback!
I've worked in RV plants. I installed door stops and awnings, then moved into swing crew, a position where I went up and down the line fixing stuff other people messed up or forgot. I can promise you that most of the guys I worked with were old back then. They were the guys who used to build conversion vans before RVs replaced them. All these good workers with lots of experience have left now. They are hiring anyone out of highschool. I've also worked at a place that made the sidewalls and the wheel well walls. These companies are cutting corners, lowering quality and hiring anyone that will show up for the day. Promise you it will only get worse.
Just got back from Detroit RV show and you are right, what happened to the quality? Have A 2014 Tiffin allegro open road 32sa and I looked at the 2024 it was awful. Cheap builds
A friend and I had to deliver 2 brand new Class A Motorhomes from Elkhart,IN to a show in Quartzsite, AZ. The first unit had engine failure 150 miles into the delivery and had to be towed to a freightliner dealer. The remaining unit had the driver side winshield wiper literlly fall off after a few hours of use during a rainstorm while en route. Both were Thor built
I told you this a while ago! That’s why I stick with 03-07 Bounders! The quality is night and day and for gas rigs the W22 Workhorse chassis is really good… has the GM 8.1 big block and the Allison 6 speed tranny. The workhorse was up I believe to 2010ish era so those rigs would be fine but somewhere around 07-08 they went to the cheaper thinner roof material and at 08 with the market crash I believe there was probably a couple years of not good rigs… depending on the company I am sure.. I definitely would NEVER trust a Thor or Jayco.. Edit: must have commented too soon your mentioned all this in your video 😂 Winnebago has NO structure in their roofs I would run from them. Watch az expert he re does many of them they are foam and filon
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Another great video Liz, thank you.
With the increase in mergers and consolidations, in the last few years....corners and more had to be cut. Just service the $$$ spent to buy these other companies. There are only a few parent companies making RVs today, and the investor class gets paid first !
Thankful you are taking a stand and hoping you stick with it. Your channel can influence these manufacturers!
The problem with buying an older RV is that many RV parks won't let older models in.
@@desertlandscapecreations577 What issues are leading RV parks to refuse entry? Perhaps a definition of what 'older' means. Liz seemed to be describing the recent differences from 2018 until present day models. Do parks have distinct time limit of how old a unit can be allowed to enter?
I don’t know why I click on this vid but this lady give more useful information in 5 minutes that all the youtubers I seen all day… an am not even in the market for an RV😂
Aww, thanks for your kind words, made my day!
Parking for the night is as much or more than a good hotel in the good places so no real advantage to RVs
I always heard RVs were sketchy at best but after listening to this young lady, I got more information on an RV and I’m not even looking for an RV😂
@@LizAmazing THE RV INDUSTRY IS IN DEEP TROUBLE ALSO BECAUSE THEIR RVS ARE TO EXPENSIVE EVEN THOUGH THE RVS OF TODAY ARE GARBAGE
same!
This lady provides more information in 15 minutes than my MBA professors did in 2 years. Wow, and I am not even a RV person.
😂
If this is true, you have the worst MBA in history.
My soon to be wife and I went to an RV show in January and we’re getting ready to spend $100k on a brand new Class C RV. This CHANGED EVERYTHING! I am now the proud owner of a well built well maintained low mile class C Dutchmen for less than $15k and with our interior remodel and upgrades which will include a solar package we will have everything for less than $20k but BETTER built! THANK YOU!!!!
I’m following suit friend! Solar is important as well
Good choice
Any pre Warren Buffet trailer will be MUCH better. The RV industry was in trouble long before covid. Warren buffet bought up everything and started cost cutting and profit taking. Quality plummeted. Dealers are really pissed and suffering as garbage shows up on the lot and falls apart and the manufacturers (Warren’s companies) NO LONGER honor their warrantee work and expenses.
That's freaking awesome 🎉
Any suggestions on what year for a class C?
The same thing that has happened to every other manual-labor-intensive industry since Covid: the very skilled, usually older workforce got fed up and left. The remaining management team quickly hired non-skilled labor to replace them and started cutting manufacturing corners to retain profitability. Those two things usually signal the death knell to every industry they touch.
you would never buy an rv if you knew the people who built them
@@rondav41
No doubt !
they hired anyone who would actually show up a couple days a week. Most people don't want to work.
@@adotintheshark4848 Correction most people don't want to work for the compensation package being offered. I like the company I work for, I like the team and I like and respect my manager and director. Most importantly the company pays me a good wage for my skills and time. At the end of the day however, it is a business transaction and I treat it as such. You owe the company you work for nothing, they owe you, usually monthly in arrears.
I've lived in Elkhart county, Indiana for nearly 40 years. RVs may have been a better level of crap 20 years ago but they were still crap. Say what you want about workers but the problem STARTS with ownership. 2nd and 3rd generations of families are only interested in profits and the family owned manufacturers that sold to corporations are worse.
It's all for profit and they don't give a hang about quality. And that's before COVID. I know lots of people who have been in and out of the RV industry and now is not the time to buy a new one, no matter the price. Fix the one you have.
LOL! You Nailed it! This is why I'm building a mini travel camper my self. This is also why I'm hanging onto my 1999 F150 with over 222,000 miles on it. Today's pick-up-trucks are over priced JUNK.
And you can do a lot of basic repairs on your '99 F-150 and save lots of $$$.
That's the way! Thanks for watching, Richard.
Old trucks rock. And they can last indefinitely. I'm proud of my '76 F250.
Even appliances are junk. What parts used to be made from metal are now all plastic and that’s why things don’t last
A lot of Professional drivers out there buying up Pre - DEF motors for their 18 wheelers! They don't want to give up their trucks!
Certified mechanic/welder here, last yr me and my gal crawled around under some units at a camper dealership.
5 minutes in I informed her we will not be buying new.
I built a better trailer frame for my canoe hauling trailer behind our wheelers!
Wow, thanks for sharing this!!!
I’m not even an RV owner … yet, but I thoroughly enjoy watching Liz’s videos. Your level of knowledge and forthrightness are refreshing.
I built them in the late 70’s around Elkhart IN, most were made around that location as well as all of the materials needed. We had pride in what we were building and the money was great for back then. My last camper trailer was an 1988, built when they were still built right.
Yes! That was a good year for campers! Thanks for your comment!
Proud owner of a 1987 Prowler 18' travel trailer. I've had it twenty years now and only replaced the water pump (easily accesible). Nothing else, not even leaks! And I've done NOTHING to the roof. I live in hot AZ and granted I only use it about 5 times a year but I've literally done nothing to it but enjoy the heck out of it. Alot of fun for just $2,600 (which I could get tomorrow for it). Basically, 20 years of free camping.
Born and raised right outside of Bristol(Mottville Mich). I cut my teeth on the industry. Coachman, even the Manufacturing House places Such as Dutch homes. They are so crap now.
YOU GO GIRL! Thank you for your willingness to confront the RV manufacturers. Without “tell it the way it is”, nothing will ever change. You are my hero!
I used to work in the service department in a large RV dealer and you are 100 % correct. Total junk being built and the manufacturers don't stand behind their product. In my state the consumer has no protections either.....LEMON LAWS do not apply because they are a RECREATIONAL VEHICLE and not a motor vehicle. Consumer is on their own. I saw staples put right into water pipes etc. On a positive note Winnebago seemed to be only manufacturer that cared and stood behind their product....the rest NOT SO MUCH. I got out of industry because customers were always mad at us because of the junk built and we took all the heat. I used to get customers tell me that they were going to stop making payments because it was such a lemon.....sad thing is this only hurt them and banks went after them; no impact on industry.
Thanks for sharing this. I hope by holding their feet to the fire that the RV industry will start to do better. At this rate they won't stay in business unless they shape up.
I was at an RV show, I think it was 2021..or maybe even early 2022...so the pandemic was sort of over. The show was mass packed and all I saw were 'sold' stickers on the units on display. They were offering 7% interest if you buy it NOW. I wanted to check out to see what was out there but so many of what they had were sold and all I thought was, did people just say 'yes' and that's it. Apparently, that is what happened. In past, people would take a minute to think about it but that day I went, it was like, you have to buy it now or the person behind you will. It was like a fire sale for RV's, this is your last chance to get this...get it now or you will never be able to buy one. I had a clue that there was something up because the pandemic shut everything down and now all of a sudden, all these rv's are popping up. Either they were hiding somewhere or these rv's were made super-fast. No time to think or inspect, just glue it together and roll it out.
Lemon Law not applying, is a Federal thing. Makes no difference what state you are in. You are however correct that Lemon Law applies to motor vehicles (for transportation), and not for recreation.
Is the industry in decline? Seems counterproductive to be that short term in thinking as the manufacturer.
I am looking to get a C class 32 ft any recommendation for a solid build used?
This was an excellent report, Liz! I’m so glad you’re not afraid to name names! Well done! 👏👏👏🍀🙋🏻♀️
Thanks Theresa, I sure appreciate your support. Enjoy your weekend.
It’s strange that it’s a totally unregulated industry totally driven by greed and capitalism, yet impacts highway safety.
Yes, thank you for that, being brave!
Has nothing to do with the RV industry the problem is if it’s made in the USA, it’s expensive junk. If you want junk then spend little money on Chinese made stuff. If you want quality spend the money you would spend on Made In the USA product on a made in China product and you will see highest quality. Manufacturing in this country is done because there is no workforce left, I work in manufacturing and I came here from overseas (Germany) the best manufacturing equipment these days is delivered to China! US build cars like Ford have one recall after another, Boeing airplane loose doors while flying ,RVs fall apart and about the defense industry junk we don’t have to talk…
@@freedomisnotnegotiablesorry 98% of stuff we use todat are chinese made. Doubt me? Check products in your home and notice what am talking about.
A few years ago I almost bought a brand new 2022 Travel Trailer but for some reason I end up buying a 2013 Travel Trailer after watching this video I'm glad I got an older RV and I love it.
In 2016, my wife and I purchased a 2001 Winnebago Minnie 31C class C motorhome. It is in great shape and we have had absolutely no issues with anything other than the fuel pump had to be replaced. It has been solid and no leaks anywhere. We plan to keep it as long as possible
Yes indeed, hang on to that Minnie! Thanks for your comment!
I have a 96 Winnebago Itasca class C. 65000 miles. No major problems. Ford E-350 chassis.
She's had 9 RVs? And she didn't know that new RVs are junk with all her knowledge and experience.
@@richj011she said she’s been rv’ing since the 90s so over 30 years.
I bought a 1994 camping trailer a few years ago.
Only cost me $2600.
It was in fair condition. Mainly needed a fresh 2020's paint job, and a few other things.
I got rid of the old 9" TV , then installed LED lights to replace the old ones.
The quality, durability, integrity, and feel of it (after modernizing) is uncanny. SOOO much superior than comparable sized trailers made today.
NO WAY would I buy anything made today with their cheap materials, flimsy doors, weak roofs, and unreliable electronics (really, who needs Bluetooth in a trailer?!).
I'm sure when brand new campers made today are in the junkyard, mine will still be ready for a weekend!
Yep I'm sure the junkyards are full of them.
@timbrock1000 Are you sure its uncanny? A strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way. Or are you just using words that you don't know how to use?
Bluetooth is very convenient, and most modern electronics use bluetooth for connectivity as opposed to cabling. I am almost 65 and love the ease of bluetooth to be able to connect to an external device to listen to music or play videos from a phone or tablet instead of hauling DVDs or CDs like we used to have to do.. As for your 1994 trailer, many RV parks won't allow it to be parked there. If you don't mind that limitation, that's great.
When I purchased a small new travel trailer from my local RV dealer, they would not sell it to me unless I paid an additional $3000 for a 5 year warranty. They told me the warranties from the RV manufacturer are worthless. I didn't like it, but I agreed and paid it at time of purchase. I am so glad I did. The few problems I've had with the travel trailer were all covered by the extended warranty I purchased. The dealer explained that they wanted happy customers and this was a way to that end. I appreciate the honesty of my dealer and would do business with them again.
I bought a 2015 keystone alpine 5th wheel in 2020 and purchased an extended warranty for 5 yrs, which I live in full time...no road travel
4 yrs. later no major repairs...getting ready to reseal the roof and replace the fabric that covers the slideouts...
I was fortunate that a friend of mine was an RV salesman and was given info on exactly what you said...buy newer used!!
I'm happy I did...thanks for your video
After watching your video and reading on different FB pages for RVs, we are so thankful for the fact that when we bought our Dutch Star last June a 2016 was the most we could afford. We ended up with a 2015 which we love and haven't had any problems except for replacing some parts for the jacks.
Yay! Thanks for this Cindy, and for watching. Enjoy that Dutch Star!
Liz. You are doing a great service to all us RV'ers! By you exposing these bad manufactures I hope they will change their bad RV practices, and terrible builds. I purchased my Keystone Carbon 349 in 2018, and aside from minor problems, it has been terrific for us. Glad I bought before the pandemic. I am very handy, so I can fix all the minor problems. As I always tell friends looing for RV's, " you better be a very handy DYI person, or have lots of money and time to keep bringing your RV back to the dealer time and time again". I too went to the RV show in Utah a few weeks ago. I am still amazed at the poor design of many RV's. Keep up the pressure on these mgr.'s, exposed all the BAD ones, so we can avoid getting bad ones.
I used to build yachts. It's the same progression. Fine wood and screws would change to cheaper screws and veneer. The craftmenship on the first few would be amazing.
Sad to hear this. Thanks for sharing.
Good enough reasons not to buy boats and RVs. Tent and vehicle camping seem to be better alternatives these days.
too many campers with leaking roofs my god
SAME with parade of homes...the price tags went sky high but the interiors were not upgraded at all. For that much cash why would I want an inferior tract home design & materials.
@@savannahsmiles1797 At least with homes, regardless of how they were built, command a much higher price tag (depending o the market) and manage to retain it value (with upgrades and maintenance) for the next buyer. We cannot say the same for boats and RVs. It is totally up to the next buyer on how aesthetically they want to value those things (boats and RVs), and what they are willing to pay for them.
I rented a Yukon for a month, with my GF, split the costs, tossed in a camping tent, stove etc..traveled all over the USA for a month and loved it. Turned it back in and walked away from any maintenance problems. We stayed in some motels/hotels when we got tired of camping and went into the wilderness too. It's a better way to travel. Love the USA for it's beauty, ease of travel and loved that Yukon.
Not a camper here with a question...what is a Yukon?
@@tomcarey-c4ka RV conversion or similar on the basis of a GMC Yukon I imagine.
GMC Yukon
Thank you for getting to the point and giving solid info rather than fluff and rambling like everyone else on RUclips
Add Holiday Rambler to your list and you're pretty much right on the nose. I bought an '04 because of their quality - solid wood, all metal roof, interlocking aluminum house frame, etc.
Yes! The Holiday Rambler- thanks for adding this! Enjoy yours.
Just bought a 2008 Holiday Rambler Arista 31.5 from an original owner with 18,000 miles.
The mother drove the R V.
till she was 83.
Wow that's wonderful she did that. My grandpa cant drive anymore at that age. Are these Ford Vans usually?@@usatennisproff
You might also ask what happened to the refrigerator industry? The refrigerators nowadays are total junk and you are lucky to get 8 to 10 years out of them. I think the standard is five to eight. What is going on? When I raised my kids we had the same refrigerator for 15 years and it was still working fine when we left that house. Growing up we had the same one for over 20 years. Industry in America has sold us down the river and the government has zero objections. This is seriously messed up.
Well said, we're going through the same issues, albeit so far, RUclips has let me do 'fix-it's to both our fridge and dishwasher, so I can at least cobble them up with new parts still, but with everything being plastic, I guess they are going to only last a select amount of time unfortunate, to force us to buy another new one. Or, as I do, fix it myself after watching a RUclips video on the issue.
Planned obsolescence
Our refigerator a Suburban couldn't stay below 45 F during the day. Total garbage.
Last year my parents’ refrigerator finally died. My mother was mad because she only had it for 49 years. She was hoping to get 50 years out of it.
Most refrigerator compressors have the dreaded MIC Syndrome - Made In China.
Thanks for the Great video ! I was also at the Quartsite show this year and noticed the lack of quality in the new RVs.
Yep! Thanks for backing me up, and for watching!
Liz, we were in the retail furniture business for 20 years here in Canada and I can assure you it’s not just RVs, it’s furniture, mattresses, cars, in fact everything made here in North America. Corporate greed is the basic reason.
We too went to the Tampa RV show and were shocked to see how bad some RVs were made, especially the high end rigs.
Also we visited some factories in Elkhart in May and what we saw was terrible. We have visited many many manufacturers production facilities and truss us how they are making RVs is not what it should be.
We are looking at smaller independent manufacturers for our next rig.
Yes, that is smart of you. I did a video about Oliver Trailers and will do more in the future of smaller independent mfrs. Thanks for watching and stay tuned.
I have a 2022 Thor Scope, the FB forum speaks of poor quality, I must have had mine built on a good day since I have had very little issues. The dealership has been good to me also (Lazy Days)
True
Corporate greed or people wanted inexpensive products. More than likely it is both.
It's not only corporate greed. People simply wont spend what is required for a high quality NA product. You can produce that, but your share of the market would be so small that your economy of scale would break you.
Nice video, Liz. I have heard the same comments from many, many people the last few years. I have helped people in campgrounds with their units to get generators started, jacks retracted, circuit breakers tripping, water leaks. Scary. We have a 1989 21’ Winnebago Warrior on a Ford E-350 chassis. That whole rig is so solid and after 127, 000+ miles, nothing is loose or falling off and we have been on some ugly roads, I tell ya. Minor screw tightening, the typical adjustments of door latches, steps, etc. are normal after being on rough roads or frame-twisting curb cuts. Everything works right, it’s clean inside, no rodent damage, plus I keep the unit under a cover, run the engine and all appliances once a month and it’s ready to go. But…we have switched over to a 2019 Airstream 23FB pulled by a 2017 Chevy Colorado with a Duramax diesel. Very nice combination and mileage is twice what our Warrior was. We spent a lot of nights in the old unit and I still love it. Just more comfy to have a bed on same level as everything else in the trailer. I’m not sure why we are keeping the Warrior. Just can’t bear to sell it? We started out in a little Scamp in 1977 and progressed from there. Airstreams are well built but still have a certain amount of hoki-ness and sloppy workmanship built in. I have done enough modifications and work on ours to have seen it myself. Thanks for the good show. Stay safe out there!
Hi Brian, thanks for sharing this. Sounds like you have good reasons to hang on to that 1989 Winnebago. And thanks for your kind words, stay safe as well.
@@LizAmazing Liz, You are welcome. I have subscribed to your channel and will look for your future shows!👍
Cant believe more people are not talking about this
Having owned an RV repair business, my opinion has always been that most of them are junk. "Build them quick, and ship them out". I will stick with my 1991 Class C. Even though I have replaced most of the common components, I have spent less, abut yet all the "working stuff" is pretty new. Nice job on this content.
What model year do you think the cutoff is that you should buy?
They definitely have always been built to fail with cheap material that once get wet it's over. Cheap chipboard roof decking and luan boards. As far as I know the cabinets have always been made of particle board in these campers.
Some quality reporting here. Thank you.
Bravo! You nailed it. Finally someone with facts who is calling out the RV industry. Thank you.
I bought a 2005 Winegago Vectra brand new and I still use it. Relatively few problems over the years. Solid build inside.
Yay, thanks for saying so, Eric!
We went out west with friends that had the 2005 vectors. He loaded it with the works (Tracking satellite, sound system, large flat screen, etc. ). It was truly a home on wheels with monster diesel to boot.
Keep up the pressure, great job
I just found you. You are very good in conveying your points and I will continue to follow you as I plan to get back on the road. Did full-time 25 years ago for a couple years and now want to get back to it. Really appreciate your perspective. Steve
And again a beautiful job, Liz, you hit the nail on the head. Over our last two years of fulltime RVing we hear more and more about the decline in quality within the last couple of years. People rather buy an older model or keep their own older ones. Keep going Liz, brave people like you can make a change. Good luck from your friends Brook & Wolfie
Thanks so much, big hugs to you both! I sure appreciate your love and support.
Keep em coming Liz these videos are on point !
Thank you, Glenn, I so appreciate you cheering me on!
I've owned several RV's and was a full timer for over a decade. My RV's were either HR, Air Stream or Silver Streak. I wanted the aluminum ribs and solid construction. I'm a retired Master Carpenter and know all about leaks and rotted wood in RV's. I've rebuilt and repaired several for clients and friends. The fit and finish of the older models was hands down much better than recent ones. My oldest was a 28 foot, 1970 Silver Streak and my newest was a 35 foot, 1995 Holiday Rambler. If you get anything between those years you'll have a gem!
That's why I bought a 1976 Serro Scotty. It may be mostly 3/4 plywood and yeah I have to peel and redo the luan in the roof, but it's rather simple and just requires willingness, elbow grease and time.
Liz you are simply Amazing helping others navigate the RV issues. We all appreciate all your hard work
Thank you so much, John! I feel I am making a difference!
@@LizAmazing You are keep it up
Good job Liz!! Informative video!
All very valid points. It is just a shame what has happened to Air Stream. Dealerships are also no help many many times. Thank you for sharing. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
Thank you, Norm! Enjoy your weekend.
I think Thor owns Airstream. There is a video from Colonial Airstream that posts lots of video. I saw the wiring they did and it looked as sloppy as the Winnebago. Not many companies nowadays puts pride in their work. I rather look at builders from up North like in Canada. I know that Pleasureway is still one the better ones, and Northern Lites. But not Airstream, I think they are overpriced for what they are. All of these companies main goal is volume to raise the stock price but they sacrifice quality and customer service.
I have not been in the travel trailer thing for long, our first for my wife and I was a meager 2015 Forest River Wolf Pup 16 FQ, we bought new for $13,400! Then went camping on weekends and long trips south from Massachusetts, all over the east coast from Bar Harbor to Key West. As far west as Pigeon Forge and Corpus Christi. Then in the winter of 2017, we started planning on retiring in Florida, so we went down in the winter camping and looking for an area we liked. Then instead of winterizing and bringing the Pup home up north, we stored it in Orlando. Then took two more trips down before sell our home on The Vineyard and driving back, picking up the Pup, signed papers to build a new home and headed west on a 4 month trip, in the 2016 Colorado Z71 Ext Cab 4x4, we had been using all that time with the Wolf Pup. Then during the last month of construction went back to central Florida, camping nearby. Then after moving in I brought the trailer in for maintenance and new tires. But left the Orlando Camping World with a 2020 Grey Wolf 24 JS, a similar floor plan like the 16FQ, walk around queen bed, full dry bath, but bigger all around, plus a nice sleeper sofa between the bed and kitchen area. With many amenities like power jack, outdoor kitchen with ice maker, full size RV fridge. Nothing like the monster 5th wheels you folk drag around, but even though we had no issues at all with either of out travel trailers I noticed a difference between the 2015 and 2020!! So much so we sold the 2020 when offered crazy money right at the end of Covid so I jumped on it. Then health issues were timely but still an issue. But now we are again planning to continue camping, with a new pop up tent, yea a tent, but it’s 8’ by 10’ and weights only 60 lbs in the nice bag, very dry and comfortable in temperate weather, rain and cold are not so bad with our electric fake cast iron heater, but with no AC? No summer camping! But we are in the process of buying a new Van, we are going to build a van camper ourselves so no quality issues and the Van is a proven Chevy 2500 Express I’m having converted to 4x4, has a V8, with lots of power with 8 speed trans for decent mileage, at least 18 highway built and loaded to go, anywhere, park in any parking spot, camp in any campground site. Because finding camp sites that are vacant is getting harder and harder. But a Van? We could stay in any parking garage if need be, or Cracker Barrel or WallMart Home Depot or Lowe’s. With ease and free. So happy trails, fun and good health and stay safe!
Yes, a van is a good choice. Thanks for sharing this. And good news, I have not seen full campgrounds in a while. I think things are easing up. Thanks for watching.
Hi Liz. I recently had a 2022 Winnie Class C. My observations, when compared to the Jayco and Forest River C’s I’ve had in the past is that the assembly of the Winnie was much better. Wiring wasn’t a rat’s nest, proper connectors/terminators on the electrical, plumbing was neat, etc. The quality of the rig itself though left much to be desired. The cabinetry was cheap, faucets, etc. Definitely not worth the price premium that Winnie charges. It still came with a plastic toilet for heaven’s sake (and yes we knew that when we bought it). After owning it for a year we couldn’t get over the overall cheapness of the unit. However, it didn’t have any outright failures or embarrassing moments.
I’ve had way too many motorhomes over the past 13 years and my wife and I have decided to change our approach to the hobby. I have a F250 now and the next rig we purchase will be a towable; likely a Rockwood Minilite. We just don’t want the financial exposure that comes with motorized when it comes to this hobby. We’re hoping to keep it simpler the next go around (travel trailer, less complex less things to break). Going with Rockwood as most everything we can find online seems to show they are still trying to put out a decent product. They all have problems, and sometimes you get a real piece of junk coming off the line, but based on our research we’ll hedge our bets with a Rockwood towable.
I travel in a small suv, about every 3 days I stay in a decent motel/hotel or shower at a t Loves truck stop. Life is good.
I have enough $ to buy virtually anything I want but am thinking of doing exactly what you are doing, but in a Toyota Sienna minivan. I didn't retire early in life to be dealing with all the frustrations of cheaply made motorhomes.
Saw your videos and bought an older RV with two owners the second one was a dyi guy and he did a lot of fixing up and upgrades in. It is very solid.
Glad to hear this! Thanks for the report. Happy travels!
I ordered a new 2006 38' Winnebago in the fall of 2005 and lived in it for 11 years travelling for half the year and working as an electronic circuit-board designer for the other half. It was an interesting life and I had very few problems with the RV. Several years later I was talking to a fellow at an RV park who had purchased a 45' 2015 diesel Winnebago and had spent the previous six months in and out of the manufacturer's facility to address one problem after another. As he explained it, the older workers from the baby boomer generation had mostly retired and taken their expertise with them. He said that 2008 was the last good year for quality in most RVs in the industry. Though the younger guys were more computer savvy, they didn't have the problem-solving skills and work ethic of the children of the Greatest Generation.
I agree. I've had 2 RVs. Both were 2008 builds. Found nothing but garbage after that.
I’m freaking out cause we are getting our 2002 Winnie tomorrow. 48k miles. Hope it’s all good.
@@kittycat8222 warren buffet bought it up in 2005. Took the industry about 3 years for him to shift to cheaper/poorer/who cares construction i guess. Sounds about right…
Wow woman, you are spot on in regards to the RV industry going to hell in a hand bag. The happiest day in my life was when I was able to sell my motor home. NEVER AGAIN!
I don't blame you, Jim. I hope the RV industry wakes up soon. Thanks for your comment and have a great weekend!
The only way the RV industry is going to wake up is people have to stop buying their products until they reform their ways. Or go out of business.
I am 55 and camp in tents, but learned a lot from your video. Thank you. :)
I thank you Liz for bringing up this problem up. I'm been watching your videos for a while, and I'm amazing how well you choose your content.
Aww, thanks Barb! I really appreciate your support. Thanks for watching
Good post. It's not just the big RVs either. The van I turned into a hi-top camper is a 2004 E350, and its way better built than anything new. The Sprinters, Promasters, Transits are all unibody. I wouldn't own one just for that reason alone.
Apparently, those older high-top vans are what people are looking for. I am not too keen on what they make today. I know someone that bought a nice-looking smart car...it stopped working because the computer wasn't able to communicate with the engine.
@@esterdrass4964 I couldn't find a low mileage one that wasn't stupid expensive, so I bought a cargo van with 70K on it, and had the top put on by Wasatch in Utah.
@@cabracove I think that is the way to go, if you can find the right van at the right price. I looked and gave up because, as you mentioned, they were stupid expensive, to the point of insulting. When I was at an rv show a few years ago, class b's were selling above 150. I thought I would have passed out at the price tag.
@@esterdrass4964 15 for the van, 8 for the top installed with lights and fan. Another 5 for all the appliances, diesel heater, battery bank, DC charger, etc. So I'm still under 30K. It's been to the 8 states closest to CA and to Alaska twice in the last 2 years. Still only has 95K on the odo. There's nothing luxury about it, but everything works as it should. I'm very happy with it.
@@cabracove That's fantastic and as long as its comfortable. I love the idea of lux but not for the price tag nor do I like the idea of lux taking over everything in the van and leaving little space. Enjoy your rving!!
Hi Liz, I'm trying to get through your video's that I somehow missed. I bought a 2008 Gulfstream Conquest class c and figured I was safe because it was actually built in early 07. I joined lots of rv facebook groups in an effort to learn as much as my old brain can absorb. I recommend you and your videos often to try to help get these people educated about these horrible products that are being put out. I hope you keep up the good work, I think I'm all caught up now and just waiting for your next video. Thank you for all you do!
Liz, this is what happened. 1Tim. 6:10a “For the love of money is the root of all evil:
Without specific and good laws to protect the consumer the evil hearts of man will always rise up. Trying to shame the manufacturers into quality will never work. There needs to be serious new laws to protect the consumer.
It might work. Warning us to stay away from them is good. It could hurt business and out the pressure on them
@@JohnSmith-ug5ci don’t expect your legislators to protect you. You do know what lobbyist do, right? Honestly, being smarter about who you vote for and hold their feet to the fire is the only chance you have. Complacency will get you screwed.
I believe another issue with Covid, at least here in Australia was the massive demand on supply of caravans (I believe you call them travel trailers) and motorhomes (RV's) as there was no international travel for some time, Jayco and some others were importing caravans, putting them together here and selling them quickly en masse and of course the quality took a turn for the worse, you're doing such good work Liz you're the type of ally everyone dealing with the whole industry needs, love and peace from Australia as always 🦘😘
You are so right. Thanks for this, Ellie. It's true the RV industry went nuts during Covid. But I think that's no excuse for them slapping them together and thus compromising on quality. Very short sighted on their part. Thanks for watching
Good stuff, thanks. My neighbor bought a new RV a while back, spent over a year trying to fix everything. He even drove to Indiana (from home in Fla) and parked at the manufacturer for several weeks in an attempt to get things fixed.
Great video Liz I really considering keeping my 2006 Komfort I’ve now owned it for 12 years now just regular maintenance and very little issues thanks keep it going 👍❤
Bought a used 2006 Komfort trailblazer. Ultra solid - Bought for $10k then sold 2 years later in 2022 for $10.5k. No reason to buy the new junk.
@@shaunnightfire8269 ya that’s excellent I’ve had my trailer for 11 years now and the Komfort is a pretty solid trailer prior to Dutchman purchasing them in 2009 your probably right I should keep it thanks 😊
I just sold a 20' 1976 Shasta towable camper. I was the second owner. My phone was literally ringing off the wall. It had more than a thousand views in two days. It was all original, no leaks and no rust. It was very well taken care of and mechanically perfect. The first guy that came out said it was unbelievable and gave me my asking price....5k.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this. They definitely don't build them like they used to. Thanks for watching.
Glad to see you knowledge on this subject. My wife and I agree with your comments 100%, but I am not sure that the industry can be saved from its demise! We have owned many different size campers, 5th wheel campers etc., and the ones made two decades ago have quality fit and finish, real wood and all the things mentioned. Not so today. I used to produce huge convention shows for 20 years nationwide, and everyone got into my shows with crowds of 50,000 to 80,000 in a two and a half day shows. Inside I put 200 of the largest food companies in largest shows, mid-size shows half that and home builders had a strong presence in most shows too, with everything in your home, plus an R.V. section outside for most shows, as the cost for square footage did not allow me to bring them into the convention centers. I did also have bass boats and other pleasure craft inside, but only in our Tampa Bay Food, Home, Health & Recreation shows would I allow large 50 to 100 million dollar yachts only five each year, do to size on the boat pier. Even Busch Gardens got in the shows, always a big pavilion in the front of the convention center, (big draw each year). However, free food from 100 or 200 of the largest food companies guaranteed a huge crowd for all vendors selling anything. Like they say, "if you keep the troops well fed they will fight for you", so-to-speak, as you want them staying for many hours to check all booths. If you have a party and NO one comes, that is not a good party! That was my goal. Back to the R.V. sections, well I as a person who knew R.V.'s having owned many, I saw also at my convention shows terrific quality down grades inside and outside most types of R.V.'s. We have many friends and family that own all kinds of R.V.s and all agree that it is a crap shoot trying to buy anything today that will hold up on or off the road. I think however, that Tiffin Motorhomes made in Red Bay, Alabama are one of few that is keeping their reputation for making high quality and luxurious and hand made RV's still. Check out their reviews and they want you there for the build at the plant, so you can see every step of production. I would like for this lady to look into these outstanding units, as I have been to the Alabama huge plant and been in dozens across the nation in shows and never heard a disparaging comment about Tiffin build quality. We do not trust the quality anymore, so we just stay in Hilton's all over America and the world now for our travels. Spent to many vacations repairing myself many R.V's even when they made the good stuff, but today forget it, as it is a full time job, keeping them working and running!
I have never been inside an RV in my life......
But I can tell you a few things about them.
I'm a trucker. I see these things going up and down the road all day long. You see the name on the back of them. Ultra light... Feather light... Super light.... And I notice things like the suspension supporting these pieces of junk And it leads me to several very accurate conclusions.
First...
If you can haul something 30 feet long with a standard suspension F150 pickup truck.... It has to be very light. Tiny wheels Attached to very small suspension systems. One or possibly 2 leaf springs on the axles... Tiny toy Jacks that are supposed to support the weight of the trailer when it is not attached..... Standard ball hook systems...... It all points to one very clear and obvious Fact regarding the RV. These things are incredibly light. And that means there is nothing in the way of support infrastructure built into the trailer. There can't be.
And that means it's junk that will not survive the wear and tear and vibrations of transporting it up and down the highway. It's also not going to support the wear and tear of people using it. It might look good at first glance but there's no possible way these things are going to last at all. You can tell just by looking at them how flimsy they are. There's no investigation needed. They would actually last longer if they were making these things out of hardened plastic Compared to the materials that have been used. Of course they are falling apart. Just stand there and look at the thing. There's no weight to it. That means there's no possible way there could be any strength to the infrastructure.
Seems to me it's just common sense. How can you possibly be surprised? You certainly have no reason to be outraged. Unless it's by your own stupidity. Because only a stupid person could look at the product and not know instantly that it's not worth the money and it's not going to last a month once you start using it.
Here's a hint if you're going to buy one of these things.
If the tires look like the donut that your car has for a spare..... You are buying a useless piece of junk.
This is an amazing video. I will only buy used at this point.
I'm with you. Thanks for watching.
I love you for this video ❤ this is the exact same reason why when I bought my second home I made sure it was not a new construction home; although I had my first home built, it was quality but after covid like you said, quality completely dwindled and when I was buying this home (my forever home on earth), I made sure it was built even before my first home.
This is another reason why I do not want to get rid of my RV travel trailer for a new one: quality real wood and solid frame, although there are bathroom leak issues 😢. And I did have issues with them not sealing properly. Overall quality has diminished significantly although prices have skyrocketed 🤨.
Hi Liz, you’re absolutely right. And it’s a shame, we live in RV manufacturing country. And I’m embarrassed, even though I’m not in the industry. I have family and friends who are. We have an older camper trailer. 2001 in fact. A Fleetwood. Obviously, it’s been maintained and upgraded over the years but it’s in wonderful shape. Everything works, even the air conditioning. The problem is… some campgrounds seem to discriminate against older campers. That’s been a problem for us. Thankfully, not at our local state campground… Yet. Thanks again.
I have heard that there is a "ten year rule" at some campgrounds but I have never had that problem and I have a 2005 and travel the country. A few places have asked me to send photos of my rig and then it's been fine. So keep trying as I think those discriminatory campgrounds are few and far between. And thank you so much for your support!!! Have a great weekend.
Beautiful job Liz. Thank you!!!
Thanks for watching, Kathleen!
Good information! Always wanted a bigger RV. But I'm still loving my 1993 Ford E150 707 Freedom conversion van. Build so well with really nice cabinetry. 31 years old and still runs like a dream. knock on wood.
I have friends who are planning to buy their first RV this spring. I am CERTAINLY going to tell them this report is a MUST-SEE! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Liz keep up the great work!!
Thanks, Nancy, I sure appreciate your support!
We bought a 2022 Thor Compass. When I walked in the first time looking around I couldn’t believe the lack of attention to detail and sloppiness of the building quality. Yesterday I was looking at why our bottom drawers wouldn’t stay closed and the magnets and flat steel pieces they stick to were about 2-3” out of alignment. We are also having our slide fixed on a TSB that has gashed the original floor and started on the new one we put in after it was supposedly fixed. The bad thing is it’s hard to find a dealership that you trust to do things right. I’m done messing around with people that don’t know what they’re doing so I do all my repairs myself. Thank goodness I have the tools and knowledge to do so.
Excellent video! I bought an LG stove. Nothing but problems. Everything today is junk. I live on the Great Lakes and I’m paying 100$ a month for water!
Back in the 1990's I worked at an auto salvage yard. My job was to remove useful parts from salvaged vehicles. This included vehicles from golf carts to big rigs.
Even back then when I came across a travel trailer or motorhome I was amazed at the flimsy construction. We would joke these things looked like they were constructed with popsicle sticks, finishing nails, and fiber board.
Yep. Thanks for your comment, very helpful!
Thanks for all those suggestions and answers however disappointing the years of the builds and quality.
Wow.
Thank you 😊😊
You are so welcome. I just posted an update here, and thanks for watching: ruclips.net/video/61NGKhMK9tc/видео.html
In 2011 my wife and I bought a brand new Keystone Passport. The first camping season went pretty good, no big problems. For every season after that, that rig was one big money pit. We finally traded it off for a 2018 Winnebago Travato, we needed something smaller because the larger 28 foot travel trailer was getting to be to much work and we were sick and tired of having it the shop every season. We have had only one issue with the Travato, a slide out tray table swelled from the humidity and was difficult to operate. I agree with everything you said Liz, I can't speak for any of the other brands but it will be a very frosty day in h$ll before I would buy another Keystone product. Very good video.
Thanks so very much for your kind words, and for watching!
We had a wonderful experience so far with our brand-new Winnebago Travato 59G class B RV. I realize there are much less moving parts than a larger class A or C. No slides and less systems to go bad. We've downsized from a larger class C as our needs changed over time. Also nice getting 17 mpg now. Taken 10 trips so far and no issues yet.
Yay! Thank you for this! Happy travels, Phil!
Not sure what year your 59 G is but I have a 22 59 K and have had 4 recalls with the major one being with the awning. Had 2 recalls on this and still no fix after 3 months. I love the Travato but recalls are a pain to deal with. Not sure what is going on with Winnebago/Carefree but this is not rocket science and this should have been fixed long ago.
@@petermenor8074 it's a 2023 and I did take it in to have the fuel line on the generator replaced. That was pretty minor. I heard about the possible recall of my awning prematurely activating while driving but nothing has transpired yet. Now that I'm thinking about it, I could just bind the awning with wire just to be on the safe side for my next long trip in May.
Very good information. We are looking for a class C and are in the process of informing ourselves. This helps a lot as do your other videos. Thank you.
Same with cars... Its seems the 90s is the best year even to this day.
Liz, thank you for everything you are doing to expose and help these people that spend so much money on junk. ❤
Great video with excellent examples of where they cheap out now. Nothing will change until we stop buying this trash! Educating buyers is the only way to do it, and your videos are incredibly helpful! One thing that I find fascinating is that we've done a few videos ourselves on the terrible build quality and specific details in units that I advise folks to stay far away from, but there are actually owners of those units who comment and post on forums about how great of an experience they have, only a few minor things here and there, and work hard to talk more people into that specific make and model of RV. It seems to me that we don't all agree on the definitely of "quality"!
Exactly right! When we were going cross country 2019-2021, I couldn’t tell you how many people I ran into with brand new 5th wheelers that were broken in so many ways. Forest River being one of the worst. When I started looking used motorhome, I figured, buy the top of the line that you can afford. I bought a ‘92 Country Coach, which was the top of the industry at that time. Don’t regret it a bit. 1/2” tile floors, corian countertops, solid wood cabinets, and best appliances you could get at the time. No weight consciencness here. Lol the gillig chassis is still good, and old 8.3 cummmins, which got me 9mpg cross country, is still going strong. Headed to Idaho this summer. It pays to shop quality, do your homework, and do inspections before buying. Great video!
Awesome! Those Country Coaches are such wonderful classics, hang onto yours! Thanks for watching and for your kind words.
excellent - very helpful, Liz, thanks!!
Thanks for being here, Ingrid! Have a great weekend!
Great reporting
Thanks so much, James, so glad you are here!
The pandemic brought light to the rv, Van life, Schoolie, tiny home movement due to social media.
It was a trend and now everyone has moved on. Lots of deals now $$$
A sad story, especially the COVID supply chain issues. I traded in a 2018 Aerolite for a 2023 Rockwood Mini Lite last August. The Aerolite was pretty good and nothing serious went wrong in five years of ownership. The Rockwood so far has been impeccable. Well made, solid wood cabinetry, everything works, and it tows like a dream with the torsion bar suspension. The fit and finish is surprising in its quality. I expected to spend a day with my tools and fasteners finishing up what the factory left undone. Not needed.
Glad to hear this, thanks for your comment, John! Enjoy that Rockwood!
We just bought a 2024 Flagstaff Micro lite 21FBRS, I looked it over top to bottom and it's really well built (no defects so far) compared to our last trailer, a 2021 Winnebago 2108 DS which spent the first two weeks of ownership getting defects repaired and then another 6 weeks at the dealer over the following year.
Good to hear about your Flagstaff Micro Lite (same as Rockwood Mini Lite). All of my research suggested Rockwood/Flagstaff were a stair step up in quality and appointments from many trailers. So far, as you have found, it is true. Maybe not the very top of the line, but even those silver trailers have their issues. Good luck!@@glennkemp7450
The CCP-Virus did not cause supply chain issues. The supply-chain issues were caused by authoritarian mandates from corrupt government operatives.
April 2021 sold my 2016 Mini-Lite and ordered a 2021 Rockwood 2606WS from Wana RV in Shipshewana Indiana. Got it just before the big Covid push and I must say it has been flawless. I’ve put almost 20,000 miles on it with no issues. Then again, that’s why I stuck with Rockwood. Perfect? No.
Better than others? Yes.
Always well researched information to keeping us safe from profiteers with no morals! Thank you Liz 🙏
Awww, thanks Bernard! Big hugs to you!
Right On! I've been considering returning to full-time RVing, but for the very reasons you detailed I'm going to forego the idea.
We had planned to trade up this year, from a small travel trailer to a small class c. After doing much research and reading what owners were saying about lack of quality- we decided to keep our little camper (a 2022) and be happy we have had zero issues. One of the few and far between, eh?
The day is not over yet........
Wow. Thx Liz! Happy with my 2010 Keystone 34 foot travel trailer. Live full time in it. Survived Hurricane Ian without a scratch during a direct hit. Some of the newer rigs didn't survive..
Airstream trailers were always known for there impeccable high quality. much higher than the rest of the manufacturers. but if they were bought out by this large conglomerate? then they may not be the same as previous Airstreams.
I used to go camping. Don't anymore. We only go away a few weekends a year. Camper $50k to $100k. Truck $80k. Campground $100 to $200 a night. Groceries almost same as restaurants. It's cheaper to stay in a hotel.
Another tip on used RV's is the length, seems the bigger it is the lower the price.
That's something to consider, bigger/longer RV's have much higher maintenance, service departs charge more for the same service on longer RV's compared to shorter RV's, even the oil changes.
Longer RV's aren't allowed in most national parks, can't just stay in a Walmart parking lot anymore.
Driving the longer RV's takes skill, you don't realize just how wide 8.5ft is until you're on a two lane road or crowded freeway, turning radius, stopping distance.
Also, just about any campground is very limited on long RV parking spots.
Sweet spot is 24ft.
I just got off the phone with my wife about RV or trailer . And this pops up on my feed.
I've been wondering all that myself Liz! This is such a valuable video! Thank you for making this one and how that book coming along?😂😂😂 Liz we are blessed to have you❤
Hi Val, well you know I haven't written one word in the book lately. I have been so busy with the channel that it will have to replace any book that I may have written. Thanks so much for your love and support!
@LizAmazing 👍❤️ I'll be the first to buy that book and I'll wait how ever long it takes. Consider naming it "The RV Travel Bible"👍
Right on. Anyone interested should check out Lehto Laws you have to be insane to buy an RV. He talks about the disclosures that new RV buyers sign that basically give up their rights if there is an issue. Keep up the great work and thanks for doing this.
Yes, those dealer contracts are nuts!! Thanks for your comment, Dan, and for your support. Have a great weekend!
I'm really grateful to have stumbled across this video, very helpful info! thank you!!
Have you looked at “Brinkley” ? If so what’s your opinion on them ?
Yes. I've heard good things and plan to talk about them in an upcoming video. Thanks for watching and stay tuned.
Since COVID I've noticed my breakfast biscuits have shrunk so I can only imagine what corners have been cut on RV components
Exactly! Thank you for watching.
Your channel is the reason we built a second home rather than an RV.
We appreciate you.
Thanks for letting me know, Walt. I truly am on a mission to get the RV industry to wake up and start making quality products. They just can't stay in business if this keeps up.
Looking forward to seeing more videos related to your travels.
Thanks. I really have never done any kind of travelogue. This channel is mostly educational for RVers, would-be RVers, and armchair RVers. I have done a lot of tips and tricks related to RVing in the past. Thanks for watching and for your feedback!
I've worked in RV plants. I installed door stops and awnings, then moved into swing crew, a position where I went up and down the line fixing stuff other people messed up or forgot. I can promise you that most of the guys I worked with were old back then. They were the guys who used to build conversion vans before RVs replaced them.
All these good workers with lots of experience have left now. They are hiring anyone out of highschool. I've also worked at a place that made the sidewalls and the wheel well walls. These companies are cutting corners, lowering quality and hiring anyone that will show up for the day. Promise you it will only get worse.
2019 Winnebago View. DEF isn’t a big deal, some minor issues like a screw coming loose but generally we’re happy with our motor home.
Just got back from Detroit RV show and you are right, what happened to the quality? Have A 2014 Tiffin allegro open road 32sa and I looked at the 2024 it was awful.
Cheap builds
Yep. Such a big difference. Thanks for your comment, Don!
A friend and I had to deliver 2 brand new Class A Motorhomes from Elkhart,IN to a show in Quartzsite, AZ. The first unit had engine failure 150 miles into the delivery and had to be towed to a freightliner dealer. The remaining unit had the driver side winshield wiper literlly fall off after a few hours of use during a rainstorm while en route. Both were Thor built
You are amazing! Thank you for all you're doing to reveal the poor quality in most RV's.
Thanks for the support, Diane. I am glad you are here! Have a great weekend!
I told you this a while ago! That’s why I stick with 03-07 Bounders! The quality is night and day and for gas rigs the W22 Workhorse chassis is really good… has the GM 8.1 big block and the Allison 6 speed tranny. The workhorse was up I believe to 2010ish era so those rigs would be fine but somewhere around 07-08 they went to the cheaper thinner roof material and at 08 with the market crash I believe there was probably a couple years of not good rigs… depending on the company I am sure.. I definitely would NEVER trust a Thor or Jayco..
Edit: must have commented too soon your mentioned all this in your video 😂
Winnebago has NO structure in their roofs I would run from them. Watch az expert he re does many of them they are foam and filon
Great minds think alike! Thanks for your comment, Chris. Enjoy that Bounder!