RV Problems And Issues - What's The Truth About The State Of The RV Industry?

There is a lot of negativity about RVs these days from RV owners and RV influencers.
And it makes it hard to have confidence in the RV industry now.
This video explains the truth about what's going on and why there is so much negativity about RVs online.
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[@christianl7899]

Duane, what’s so frustrating is when your RV is in for repairs for weeks or months at a time and when you get it back, you still have problems with it. There’s a lot of incompetence at the dealership level with that being said if the manufacture focused more on quality control and less on profits, maybe the RV industry would have a better reputation!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

As I said in the video, the entire industry needs to up their game in the ways you've described going forward. But the point of the video is that RVs and RVing is not the awful mess that some try to make it out to be. Thanks for watching!

[@mikeleo5990]

As much as I like your takes Duane I’m with Christian on this - the hammer has to come down on the incompetent dealers and manufacturers- their the ones responsible for the bad reputation rvs are getting - brushing off customers who’ve spent their money on a lemon shouldn’t have to go through all the bs to get them fixed or replaced

[@martyi398]

Thanks for sharing, I've stopped watching the vast majority of RV U-Tube video's, some of these folks have less than 5-10 years of experience with the RV lifestyle, (totally clueless) we go with what we know after enjoying RV (part time) camping for over 30 years now, it's in our blood and we still get excited for every trip we take, and Boy oh Boy do we have some hilarious stories that we do tell over some challenges we've had on our adventures!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

It sounds like you have had some great adventures in RVing during the last 30 years Marty. That's so great to hear. And thanks for sharing your positive experience with us!

[@tsrvadventures3219]

You are right on point again Duane, great information. Yup the RV industry is a mess right now and those blowing their horn loudly about "Frame Flex" or broken frames on 5th wheels seems to be the rage right now. In almost 5 years of full-timing and 25,000 towed miles with our 5th wheel, we have had some minor repairs that we could fix ourselves, nothing major. Still living and loving the fulltime life style.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks so much for sharing your positive RVing experiences here. There is more than enough negativity to go around about RVs. But your experience is the one that is the most common among fulltimers. Have safe and happy travels.

[@petergerard8951]

I bought a new 2023 Forest River R-Pod in July 2023-(made in 2022, Covid Camper). BTW I have been RVing for 30 years. It is now May 2024 and they have not fixed my ongoing issues and I cannot use the trailer. I have had an entry door that will not close without several hard slams-(it's made of tempered glass). The door was replaced twice and I am waiting for a third door. The brakes do not work on the trailer. They tried to blame my brand new 2023 Ford pickup. I got a printout from the dealer saying there is no issue with the truck. The water pump runs but does not pump water (yes the tank is full). I could go on for several more paragraphs but you get the picture. My last message from the dealer was in November of 2023. Because of the dealer and Forest Rivers lack of response to fix my "New" trailer, I hired a lawyer to file a lemon law claim. As far as ALL RV's are bad, no they are not-just most of them produced when demand was high during Covid and when big companies bought the smaller ones. Look at the legit consumer reviews for your favorite camper. Talk to a real service tech for RV's and find out which ones have more problems. Right now, overall quality is really poor. Stay tuned.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

I'm very sorry to hear about all the problems you have had with you R-pod. Those are a lot more issues than the average RV buyer has to contend with. The problems you have experienced with Forest River's customer service after the sale is also one of the reasons I do not have Forest River products on my recommended list of better brands. I hope you get your RV's issues resolved to your satisfaction soon.

[@CLdriver1960]

Thanks Duane, I’m a newby, wannabe RV owner. I have zero experience in owning RVs, but starting to become familiar with the complexities of them. I’ve owned several airplanes in the past, and wouldn’t even consider buying one without a pre buy inspection. I’ll be treating my first RV purchase exactly the same way.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for sharing your experience with airplanes here. It always amazes me how many people are willing to spend huge amounts of money on an RV and just trust the dealer that it's in good shape when they get it. Getting a third party RV inspection is always the wise move in my opinion. Have safe and happy travels in your upcoming RV!

[@LarryReynolds591]

This is what I needed. We have been reluctant to buy because of the negativity. I'm going to use your online resources to help us get a good deal on a used RV.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

I'm glad the video was helpful. Larry. I always advise caution when buying a new RV, but there is no need for the extreme negativity we see so much now. I hope you find the perfect RV for your needs!

[@daviscrt]

There should be a third party inspector in each Facility to minimize the issues. Should get it inspected before you buy. Even after being inspected there could still be some little issues from being on the road from all the vibration. That's where the owner will need to do hi or her maintenance. Thanks Don

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Don. It's so true that issues can arise even when taking an RV down the road after an inspection. But a lot of RV owners now like the idea of the lifestyle, but don't seem to do the maintenance on their RV that helps them enjoy it. Anyway, thanks for watching!

[@bchlvrbob]

In my 50 years of rving I’ve watched the industry ebb and flow with the economy and fuel prices. Manufacturing seems to give little to nothing back to insure a firm customer base and dealers prey on the customer base to insure they are not “responsible “ for anything! In my opinion, the business will never “fix” itself as long as this disparity exists. When things get tough, manufacturers shut down, change names, open back up later when things improve, or sell to companies supported by the stock market. I have my 2005 Monaco, in ten years, one breakdown for an alternator. I’ll keep updating it and keep it. No warranty, no payments. Sticker price was $233,000, bought it for $166,000; less than most class B vans now😮

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

It sounds like you have a great rig. Monaco built some great motorhomes in the 2000's. Have safe and happy travels!

[@jocelynb8935]

Aloha Duane, I’ve been watching your videos for the past year or so I really appreciate your fair and honest outlook. I agree with a lot of your comments in this video, however I think a lot of influencers are highlighting major issues that need to be addressed and I’m glad they are doing it as this will affect both dealers and manufacturers reputation and bottom line $$$ and that is the only thing that will get these shady companies to finally change. Because of their greed and easy money they made from the pandemic these companies (not all but many) think they can continue to put our crap at high prices and consumers will just buy. The only way to protect ourselves as consumers is to educate our selves by doing our own research and by watching these videos. There is definitely a major issue within any industry you pay thousands of dollars for a NEW product and you still need an inspection. These units are built by hand….so what do are the higher end with better quality. The difference is these higher end/better quality manufacturers include a higher standard of quality control vs these cheapskate companies. That’s the difference these shady companies put profit over quality and pass it on to the dealers. And these shady dealers in turn pass it off to the unknowning customer. And now these customers are sick of it and want/demand CHANGE! That is why they are posting these videos. I do not own an RV and will be buying a used pre COVID RV and will get an inspection as I’ve been researching for YEARS now. If I was one of these customers that bought a lemon and these companies didn’t honor their warranties, u bet I’d scream it out loud too. Respectfully J.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Jocelyn. Thanks for supporting the channel for the last year. Let me say that I am not against online influencers sharing legitimate problems that clearly need attention. But the influencers I am addressing in this video often produce nothing but a steady diet of negativity and complaints about RVs when they usually only own one RV and have not really had enough exposure to RVs in general to be able to make the sweeping negative statements that they do about the industry. Also, some influencers I know actually don't know that much about RVs themselves. They may be traveling in one, but that doesn't mean that they care for it properly and treat it like they should. And personally, I am willing to give the manufacturers a little slack during the Covid years, because I know what incredible pressure they were under to produce a quality product at a time when demand was at its historical high and the worldwide supply chain and their workforce was simply decimated. But I agree that there needs to be a turnaround in quality soon even though I also appreciate that may take a few years and will not happen overnight. Also, in my opinion, the kind of change that we all want to see could be enacted better by customers requiring RV dealers to allow RV inspections on every new RV sold or they simply don't buy. If it happens enough, the message is sent loud and clear that poor quality will not be blindly accepted any longer. I actually look forward to the time when RV inspectors are not part of the new RV buying experience. But that time has certainly not arrived yet.

[@jocelynb8935]

Mahalo for your response and I agree. As far as those negative influencers thankfully I don’t think I follow any of them….or I did (WW) but stopped because of all the Debbie downer and excessive complaining. I’m looking forward to when I start my RVing journey, none of this changes my goal but it has made me much more cautious and careful which is not a bad thing. Continue to put out great content. :)

[@QLFProductions]

Everything you said is true. Some of these KZbin’s embellish problems to get more views. It’s true that new RV’s aren’t being manufactured with the same quality as before but I love RVing. I’m not full time, we go on trips 4-5 times out of the year. We only spent $10,000 on our first RV 1998 Fleetwood Pace Arrow gas. We took it from East to West Coast and back on a 2 month bucket list trip and we created priceless memories. After about 5years the driveline came off but we more than got our moneys worth. We now have a used 2003 Newmar Dutch Star DP and we love it. What helps is I’m handy and was able to fix 90% of all problems. If I wasn’t handy I’d probably hate RVing 😂. RVing has been great for my family after I retired from the Navy and it has brought us closer together.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Being handy is a huge advantage for RV owners. Getting the Newmar DS DP was a good move too. They really made some great motorhomes in those years. Thanks for leaving such a nice comment!

[@tuvia4082]

Thanks Duane, well said.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for listening. Have safe and happy travels!

[@billhalfrich369]

i was going to buy a 2023 refection 150 series. than I watched a negative on u tube regarding the quality of grand design. I thought that grand design was suppose to be a quality. unit. not cheap low end materials. can you shed some light on this for me. would you buy a ref lection?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Bill. Grand Design has more than its share of detractors online and there are some online influencers that take every opportunity to trash the GD brand. But there is a disconnect here. When you look at any RV review site online the owners of Grand Design RVs seem to be generally positive about them. And the company has won consecutive RV customer satisfaction awards for many years. My take is that GD is so well known and used now, especially among fulltime RVers, that they get more attention that they fairly should for the problems they have. Personally, I own a Grand Design Solitude fifth wheel and I have no problem recommending GD as a good brand as long as you employ a certified RV inspector to go through the coach and find its problems before you buy it. But I would advise that to be done on any new RV for sale.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

@@HappyTrails7 I'm so glad that my videos have been helpful for you. Thanks for the positive feedback!

[@mikeparkin7262]

There is so much buzz about a certain manufacture and so called frame flex issues i often wonder how bad is that situation really and how much of that is over dramatized on youtube just to get Clicks?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Mike. I think I know which manufacturer you are referring to and my opinion is that many of the issues attributed to them are exaggerated for effect. That's not to say that there aren't any issues at all. But overblown in my opinion. Lippert makes the vast majority of frames for fifth wheels and travel trailers. And there have been some issues with frames for almost all brands out there. But I haven't seen where it's such a major issue that it would warrant avoiding a certain brand.

[@melissapeper4603]

Do you do inspections as a 3rd party, and where do you travel to do inspections?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Melissa. Yes, I am a certified RV inspector. But my schedule is jammed for the foreseeable future right now. There are plenty of other NRVIA inspectors that I'm sure could do a fine job for you though. Just visit nrvia.org and select "Find An Inspector". Then you can view all of the local inspectors on the map there and contact them about their availability. Any certified NRVIA inspector has the necessary training to provide a top quality RV inspection for you. I usually recommend choosing the one that you feel most comfortable with.

[@pocokit]

Hi Duane, as I have posted in the past on several of your videos, I've been shopping since March of 2023 for an RV that I can part time travel in when I retire this spring. Your correct when you said to be careful about KZbin RV videos, and content creators influencing your decision. Ha, most of them were at "the show", in Tampa a couple of weeks ago signing autographs. However, Tampa was the second show that I've attended this year and I have to say, unless you spend a bunch of money, the entry level, and middle level RV's out there, though they look wonderful, are truly not well made. Now I'm not going to name any one particularly modle, but I saw sooo many with trim not even close to matching trim cuts, a handrail in a new 5th wheel hanging by one screw, the floor in many a shower stall I had to jump out of for fear my 155Ibs was going to crack and fall through. All these are not the fault of the consumer, I can;t believe that the dealers/manufactures would allow some of these to even go on display at the show, it really turned me off, Not from my dream of hitting the road this spring, but of the industry as a whole, .After kicking the tires, sitting on dozens of commodes, opening and closing countless cabinet drawers and doors and following many of the very useful inspection tips I've learned from you this past year, I've decided to bite the bullet & spend the extra cash, and purchase an Airstream. I realize just like any other RV, my Airstream will be going down the HWY and is susceptible to rivets shaking loose, etc.. however I doubt that I'll have any major roof our joint water leaking issues. I just want to leave my home base for a couple of weeks and feel somewhat confident that every thing is going to work. I'd venture to say after watching just about every KZbin walk through and sales pitch the majority of issues could be eliminated if the manufactures, { as you stated in this most recent video} would simply step up there game.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

The simple truth is that generally speaking you get what you pay for in the RV industry. You don't hear of nearly as many complaints for Class A diesel pushers as you do for travel trailers. And the more you spend in the travel trailer category, like buying an Airstream or an Oliver, the better overall quality you can usually expect. But the vast majority of buyers can't afford the higher priced RVs with better quality. So the challenge that RV manufacturers have is how to make lower cost RVs that the average RV buyer can afford and still keep the quality at a reasonable level when you are building them by hand and not by automated processes. I know that some manufacturers are working on ways to automate more of the process. And hopefully we will see things get better and more consistent across the board then.

[@99Moonbeam]

Agree 100%, we are very happy with ours. Newbies RV'ers need to understand RV's, Boats, etc. are not turnkey. There will be issues.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

So true. Thanks for leaving such a thoughtful comment!

[@petergerard8951]

Why don't they just build them right in the first place? I've been fighting Forest River to fix all THEIR build problems.

[@bikernu]

I believe that alot of these KZbin RV creators are really wanting to be Celebrities and do not have the talent to be on tv or in the movies. They like going to go to the big RV Shows and rallies to get recognised. Hard to find the ones that are really into camping without trying to sell you something

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

A lot of the influencers I see do fit that category. But there are some good ones too. If they are generally positive and helpful with their advice without too much drama and negativity, it could be worth following them. But the sad truth is that many people are bored by that kind of content. They want the drama and they feed off the negativity. So as long as that is the case, there will be influencers who are more than happy to fill that need.

[@bikernu]

@@RVInspectionAndCare Oh i very much agree. And i do watch a few that has not gone to the other side. But if they do turn the page i will stop watching them too. I want real life ppl and not wannabes Celebrities

[@cajunjamis9001]

Duane, all about the COST! What is it gonna cost? Like the fuel prices: Unleaded= Arm, Regular= Leg, Premium= First Born? Life experences should be an "Easy Loving time"! It seems it is "All about the money". I think this Lifestyle will be gone and forgotten! Did I mention "INFLATION"? Bless ya, Cajun

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Cajun. There is a lot of things that we would like to see improved in RV life. But in my opinion, overall it's still a pretty fun way to enjoy life.

[@cajunjamis9001]

@@RVInspectionAndCare Did I mention INFLATION?

[@gmdelatorre3759]

Well said! GM

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. Have safe and happy travels!

[@robertroth287]

I think we need to look at where the negativity that we currently are faced with stems from. We are faced with a lot of quality shy RVs that were built during Covid. Manufactures revved up to meet consumer demand (can easily say that also revved up corporate profit) and for whatever reason (shoddy workmanship, parts not available) the final product was substandard. Covid has abated, but RV prices remain high and quality lags on many models. Dealer wait times, for parts or service, can be appalling. US automakers only became interested in improving quality when they were faced with intense competition from Japanese cars, a condition which RV manufacturers don't deal with today. So I understand why consumers are less than happy. I do agree with you that we do NOT hear from the happy RV owner. That said, RVing is fun and I enjoy it immensely. But the best solution, at the moment, for the potential new owner is proper research and a good, independent RV inspector. We now return to our regular programming.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Those are all good and reasonable points Robert. Thanks for sharing them!

[@robertroth287]

@@RVInspectionAndCare And I appreciate your weekly videos. Thank you!

[@chrisschiel6741]

You hit it on the head. I used to listen to this one couple that owns a class B. All the videos have a gotcha caption to get people to watch. Slightest issue they have with their class B. They make it a big deal. Pretty much stop watching them

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for letting us know how you feel about that kind of content Chris. Unfortunately, there's a lot of RVers that keep falling for that kind of video over and over again. Have safe and happy travels!

[@wertz987]

It's not so much as all rvs are lemons, It's that the manufacturers aren't taking care of the ones that are. I just bought my first NEW rv and already have some issues right out of the box, we'll see how they handle it.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

If you bought it from a manufacturer that is known for customer service, you should be fine. And a lot of issues that people think they are having with the factory is just the poor communication that dealers have with the factory. So if things aren't working well on the problems you have, go straight to the factory to get attention. I hope you get them all resolved. But the next time you buy, you can save a lot of headaches by hiring an RV inspector to find the problems and get them fixed before you take delivery of the RV.

[@alan297]

Nailed it!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for the positive feedback Alan. It's much appreciated!

[@user-os5nk6hn7r]

I enjoy my rv. We are full-time rv's

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

So am I and we enjoy our RV too.

[@marychristie6194]

We ordered a brand new Newmar Dutch Star ⭐️ in 2023 -it had problems immediately-This was our second motorhome-First one was nothing but problems-We thought we were ordering top of the line -I think it sad that the manufacturers can’t seem to do much much better on quality-This Dutch Star costs more then our house-it isn’t just the Newmar house side, it freightliner quality and issues also -This is the truth -We enjoy the lifestyle but we aren’t going to buy anymore of these -It isn’t worth the money or trouble 🤯🤷‍♀️⭐️

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

I understand your frustration Mary. But Newmar Dutch Star RVs have a stellar reputation for quality and Newmar is also known for great customer service. Almost every DS owner I have ever talked to has had high praise for the company and the RV. But as I said in the video, you can get problems with any brand out there. That's why if you buy another RV you would do well to hire an RV inspector to find the problems it has and get them fixed before you take delivery of the coach. A little knowledge can save a lot of irritation.

[@cris_miko]

Great video. I am tired of negative click bait and I'm not buying! You are providing some very helpful information I am using as I shop for another rv

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for the positive feedback. And I hope you find your dream RV!

[@jerryplante4239]

So true about the 'influencers'. When you get down into the issues they have, most are because they are clueless. As an example, I watched a video about problems a prominent RVer was having with his the engine in his American Dream. Now, most of us would agree that an American Dream coach is on the high end of the quality scale, so I was surprised by the title, which was something like "Our Premium Coach Broke Down Again". The thumbnail was his coach on a wrecker's hook. Turns out he had a bad DEF head sensor and was just disconnecting the battery to get him another 75 miles down the road. He finally had it towed to a Cummins shop and it sat in the yard while they waited for the part. If you remember, these sensors were in short supply during Covid. After a few days, this guy went to the shop and took his coach un-repaired. Why? The yard was dirt and his coach was getting dirty. Now, the DEF head sensor issue was well known, and I know a few RVers that keep a DEF delete board in their spare parts for just this occasion. But this guy was totally clueless.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for sharing that video's content with us Jerry. From what I have seen, some of the issues that influencers like to push on their channel is actually real and I don't have a problem with that. In fact, it can be instructive if kept in balance and not hyped. But a lot of the other stuff I have seen from some influencers is way overblown and has very little really useful content. Unfortunately, the followers of those influencers often become spreaders of negativity that just seems to never go away and even grows over time. That's why I felt that I needed to make this video.

[@timnelson75]

Sadly, in today's world there are the people that seem to thrive on drama. The sky is falling, we're doomed, and so on. My wife, family and I have been camping for over 35 years now. During this time, we have had three travel trailers. We have lots of fond experiences and memories associated with each travel trailer. Now that our children are grown, they too have bought RV's and continue the family tradition of camping. I have to say this about camping, once you have an RV there's no going back to tent camping. Although we as a family do tent camp occasionally, and when we do, we sure miss our RV's...Ha!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks so much for sharing your RVing experience with us Tim. Safe and happy travels to you and your family in the years ahead!