RV Show November 03, 2021, 10:08:30 am I went to an RV show at Westworld in Scottsdale. Free admission and parking, what is not to like? Anyway, the class B RVs dominated the show and were interesting. There were about 300+ units to look at. The show was lightly attended on a Sunday morning. The one thing that really stood out was the poor quality of assembly of almost all of the RVs. Mismatched panels, poor fitup of interior items, loose latches, etc. I have heard horror stories about the new RVs and my RV mechanic says everything is crap that has been built in the past 3 years. He had a new Newmar in the shop and said that he had already spent many hours fixing issues for the owner. The last time I went to an RV show was 3 years ago and I dont remember the same poor build quality. 2 Likes
Re: RV Show Reply #1 – November 03, 2021, 11:34:47 am Rich,I can see the value & convenience of a Class B but there certainly has to be a quality build factor in the equation.I just watched this video last night… https://youtu.be/V9Qqcjwxxe4 For $160,000 I was shocked. The outside hatches were flimsy, the quick connect for propane was dangerously placed for campgrounds with rocks and the pop top bed was completely insane. So were the screens for the side and rear doors. All of the comforts of a small compact Class B were compromised by the lack of quality. There are better “B’s” out there, but the current pricing is the big joke and while I’m not buying I am laughing. What a joke.Kent 2 Likes
Re: RV Show Reply #2 – November 03, 2021, 11:52:19 pm I have to agree quality just ain’t there in the modern RVs, still hopping to get a TK in a year or so, but I have spent a lot of time looking for plan B in case the pandemic turns out to be the last straw for Lazy Daze.😞
Re: RV Show Reply #3 – November 04, 2021, 12:11:20 am The couple who sold me my current 19' Airstream Bambi bought a brand new 27' Airstream Globetrotter--a deluxe model that lists for about $125,000--to replace it. The day before they were about to leave on a trip, the bedroom closet fell off the wall, taking with it the TV set and various electrical outlets and wiring. Luckily he was standing there and was able to catch it!Then he noticed dimples in the aluminum skin around the front storage compartment. It turned out they were due to a sagging frame (!), which is apparently endemic in that particular year and model (although it wasn't in my 2017 27-footer, so what did they change?).Airstream is of course promising to repair these problems under warranty, but seriously--a cabinet falling off the wall? A bent frame? And Airstream is supposed to be a prestige brand? I'm realizing how lucky I am that nothing this catastrophic has afflicted the two I've owned. The only catastrophe was of my own making, when I backed the 27-footer into the corner of a building and bent the rear bumper. (The building was unscathed, which I guess tells you just how sturdy that bumper wasn't.) 1 Likes
Re: RV Show Reply #4 – November 04, 2021, 10:17:19 am Airstream is now owned by Thor. They seem to be using Thors "Quality Control." Go figure.Ron
Re: RV Show Reply #5 – November 04, 2021, 10:47:18 am "Airstream is now owned by Thor. They seem to be using Thors "Quality Control." "---Thor bought Airstream in 1980; over the past 41 years, Thor has acquired multiple smaller companies and expanded its product lines to include dozens of brands and categories of RVs. Thor and Forest River currently have about 80% of the RV market.
Re: RV Show Reply #6 – November 04, 2021, 11:19:05 am Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - November 03, 2021, 11:34:47 amI just watched this video last night… https://youtu.be/V9Qqcjwxxe4 For $160,000 I was shocked. The outside hatches were flimsy, the quick connect for propane was dangerously placed for campgrounds with rocks and the pop top bed was completely insane. So were the screens for the side and rear doors. All of the comforts of a small compact Class B were compromised by the lack of quality. Yeah but . . . it sleeps 5!
Re: RV Show Reply #7 – November 05, 2021, 12:21:17 pm Two years ago, after visiting the Mothership with my partner and my parents, we all decided to go on a tour of Southern California RV dealerships just to compare and contrast. Every Airstream we set foot in had doors falling off or misaligned, or something else that was broken. In the showroom! And the salesman was extremely pushy. All of the others were also of lower quality, but I always thought Airstreams were posh and high quality. It was shocking.
Re: RV Show Reply #8 – November 05, 2021, 12:36:05 pm Quote from: MeteorMick - November 05, 2021, 12:21:17 pm...... Every Airstream we set foot in had doors falling off or misaligned, or something else that was broken. In the showroom! And the salesman was extremely pushy. All of the others were also of lower quality, but I always thought Airstreams were posh and high quality. It was shocking.At the tail end of my working career I went to work for a very large world company ie Siemens. We assumed that the product on the sales floor or at the convention was the very best it could be. If there were any problems you could see there then there were problems that can't be seen also. If a company wasn't 'smart' enough to hide know problems then the company wasn't worth dealing with. Or the company was just calling the consumers stupid. I don't know about the others on this board but I've worked to hard in my life to give my money away on products don't do the job they were made to do.glen 6 Likes
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