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wireman
MURRIETA CA.
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Joined: 01/28/2004
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gbopp wrote:crasster wrote:Many dealers that push the "junk" out of Indiana factories can have customers leave their unit from 4-5 months to administer the warranty fix...
As long as we keep buying junk, they will keep building junk.
Exactly. The American auto industry of the 70's is where the RV manufacturers still exist.
For the most part American built cars are much better than the junk they use to build.
Most RV builders have done a 180 and build worse quality than the 70's. Always exceptions of course.
Read their brochures and you would think everything is gold plated.
Point blank, they just don't care.
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rbpru
North Central Indiana
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Joined: 12/18/2013
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Wireman you are correct. Except the public was willing to accept a 6 to 15 times increase in vehicle costs over the next 15 to 25 years. Quality, dependability and reduced maintenance was not free. People need,want and are willing to pay for dependable vehicles.
Few people are willing to pay for a top notch RV, so the industry builds what sells. Airstreams figured out how to attract an upscale market and it is reflected in the price.
If you want Rolls Royce or Ferraris quality at a Ford or Chevy price you are in to a long weight.
Twenty six foot 2010 Dutchmen Lite pulled with a 2011 EcoBoost F-150 4x4.
Just right for Grandpa, Grandma and the dog.
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colliehauler
Mc Pherson KS USA
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Joined: 01/27/2004
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rbpru wrote:Wireman you are correct. Except the public was willing to accept a 6 to 15 times increase in vehicle costs over the next 15 to 25 years. Quality, dependability and reduced maintenance was not free. People need,want and are willing to pay for dependable vehicles.
Few people are willing to pay for a top notch RV, so the industry builds what sells. Airstreams figured out how to attract an upscale market and it is reflected in the price.
If you want Rolls Royce or Ferraris quality at a Ford or Chevy price you are in to a long weight. Good analogy, I bought a new GMC half ton bare bones truck for 14,995 in 1994, now the discount on GMC's are about what I paid for a new truck.
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myredracer
Langley B.C.
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Joined: 04/27/2013
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I went to make the bed one day and the entire headboard fell off. Only held on by a few staples. This sort of thing shouldn't happen and is just poor workmanship. As long as it *looks* as it leaves the factory, that's all that matters. Have had lots and lots of ridiculous things like this happen. Pure sloppy-ness and could care less attitude. How much more time would it have taken to whap in more staples at the time?
![[image]](http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt26/zippyfiat/DSCF0002%20640x480.jpg) ![[image]](http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt26/zippyfiat/DSCF0009%20640x480.jpg)
Gil, Deb & Dougal a 15 year old Springer Spaniel
2014 KZ Spree 262RKS, Reese DC WDH, shocks and Endurance LRE tires
2012 GMC Sierra 2500HD crew cab, Bilstein shocks, heavy duty trailering option
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colliehauler
Mc Pherson KS USA
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Joined: 01/27/2004
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To bad it's not like the old days when you could purchase a RV in kit form and put it together yourself. Kit mfg went out of business a few years back.
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36guy
Princeton
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Joined: 05/22/2017
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I'm looking at my new Imagine through the window right now. Grand Design is a new company under the parent of Winnebago, I've owned rv's for forty years now, my last one an 05 cougar fifth, put out by the same people that formed Grand Design, back then they formed Keystone and before Thor bought the company, they put out a fine product. I was impressed enough to buy my Imagine, and so far, it has been a fantastic trailer, I had my cougar 13 years trouble free and I expect this Imagine to be the same or better.
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rbpru
North Central Indiana
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Joined: 12/18/2013
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In spite of all the whinging and complaints, the only thing I can figure is, the construction practices and rework levels on an RV are satisfactory for the market.
We expect phones, television's, computers, monitors and other cheap, off shore, electronic products to work first time and every times. Not so our RVs.
Go figure.
To me it comes down to price.
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colliehauler
Mc Pherson KS USA
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Joined: 01/27/2004
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rbpru wrote:In spite of all the whinging and complaints, the only thing I can figure is, the construction practices and rework levels on an RV are satisfactory for the market.
We expect phones, television's, computers, monitors and other cheap, off shore, electronic products to work first time and every times. Not so our RVs.
Go figure.
To me it comes down to price. I don't know about electronics lifespan but on ebay you can buy pallets of new television's that are non-functional. I know several people who have had issues with their phone and simply replace them or upgrade offten. My last washing machine went out after 8 years of use (plastic gears). My last high end HP laptop the mother board failed after just a few years, cost more to fix then replace. Good friend is on his 3rd Sony lcd tv, was told average lifespan was 8 years. Another friend was already having to replace their Blu Ray DVD player. Look at all the posts about the even cheaper RV electronics that go out or fail without making it out of the 1 year warranty.
I personally think a lot of the stuff we buy is garbage and we have become a throw away Society. I think planned obsolescence is alive and well.
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colliehauler
Mc Pherson KS USA
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Joined: 01/27/2004
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I purchase the Forest River and Keystone RV'S because of the low price. The devaluation on luxury high end RV'S is more then what I paid for my RV. With keeping up with maintenance and fixing things myself I can easily get a decade or two out of a RV. My cheap RV has taken me to some beautiful places and the price per year has been negligible, for me probably about 1k a year over the lifespan.
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colliehauler
Mc Pherson KS USA
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Joined: 01/27/2004
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Double post due to RV net not working correctly, kind of are apropos for the subject.
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