Are All RVs Junk! Problems With Our Grand Design RV.

Today I wanted to explore the idea I have heard that all RVs are junk. We have had our share of problems with RVs but are they all junk. I look at some of the problems we are having and look at a few new RVs at the dealership to see what the first look quality is like without digging in too deep. What do you think? Are all RVs Junk?

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[resiggy]

Went to a big RV show this weekend and was generally appalled at the quality of 95% of what was on display (Hundreds of RVs, dozens of brands). A salesman happened to overhear me complaining about simple things that could have been done to improve fit and finish. The salesman came over to “reassure” me that the RV dealership would fix most of my complaints in their pre-delivery prep. He said they spend on average 14 hours of labor to get a unit ready for delivery. Holy cow, it takes the dealer 14 hours to fix the sloppy workmanship by the manufacturer?? I think he thought that was a positive selling point but I view it as an inditement of the manufacturer. Makes me wonder why the dealers didn’t prep their show units before hauling them to the expo to show the public. Seems like a really sketchy business to me.

[phalypso]

I accidentally landed a tour of a major RV trailer manufacturer with the plant manager some years ago. How I got this personal tour with the brass is another story, but once he realized I had no interest in his products, he became much more at ease and that comfort pervaded the 1 hour tour and corresponding coversation. Of the many things I learned from him one stood out. "These trailers expensive or otherwise are not made to live in. They will not stand up to thousands of miles, potholes, road construction, flexing over the axles and uneven loading. We have to strike a balance between durability and towability. They are made to get out a few weekends and a 2 week vacation every year for about 5 years in varying levels of the comforts of home." I took him at his word.

[marvs]

As a retired Quality Assurance engineer I can tell you that there are VERY few companies that view QA as a ‘value-added’ component of manufacturing. QA finds mistakes and problems, which have to be fixed or reworked, which delays production, adds cost and decreases profits. In touring RV manufacturers you will most likely not see ANY in process inspections done by an INDEPENDENT QA organization, you’ll see workers check their own work and a QA inspection only done at the end of the build. I’d be willing to bet that RV companies that do have a QA department have it report to the production manager who’s job it is to build the units, not find problems with them. Ask any QA professional who wins unless the mistake is so large as to be a safety hazard risk that isn’t ‘acceptable’ or covered by insurance. I could go on and on.

[anthonyg]

These are the type of videos that need to be made by you big time YouTubers. You have the viewing capacity to change the RV industry and to inform potential buyers. If everybody would stop buying the cheap garbage they would be forced to spend more time on quality over quantity.

Thank you for this video !!

[timothyallbritton]

I own Holiday RV Repair LLC in Georgia and every week I see things that blow my mind. We just completely removed both roof and ceiling from front to back on a class C built by Thor. The roof was sagging starting at the cab over section and going back about 6 feet. After we took the ceiling down, we found that the factory failed to put 3 of the roof bows (rafters) in therefore the roof had zero support for the roof as well as the ceiling.

[ritalamers]

We bought our 2024 Z3100 Brinkley for 89, 000. It was expensive but we love it and it really does feel like a quality product that we will be able to keep for many years. We’ve had ours since August and, even living in it full-time, have only found one small problem—a missing light sensor in the pantry. I think the RV industry will have to up their game if more companies like Brinkley show the quality that is actually possible and customers start to demand a better.

[davehooper]

A few years ago, my wife and I bought a very tiny NuCamp and we’ve been considering replacing it for something bigger. After seeing this and other videos, I’m starting to realize the really high price per square foot we paid was worth it because we don’t have any of these issues.

[burlingtonbill]

Rosie and I are on our 8th fifth wheel. We've been doing this a long time. We had a Reflection, and I am pretty handy and fixed a lot of things. We had good backing from Grand Design. We actually toured the facility and met Micah and all the top guys. Then we got a Solitude and started having frame and spring and shackle problems. At first we had help from Nate at G.D. Then Grand Design changed, and our support ended. They put us off and finally just stopped responding. Well guess what? Micah and Nate along with many others had left (after G.D. sold to Winnebago) and started a company called Brinkley. We finally pulled the trigger on a Z3100. What a game changer. Not only in Quality but support. We have been to Alaska and back and will head to Yuma, Az. soon. H rated tires (cooper) Heavy duty shackles and springs. The inside is quality and modern. Solar on and ready to go plus I added (with guidance from Brinkley) a second 370-watt panel, a 3, 000-watt inverter and 4 Battleborn Batteries. We went down from Wisconsin to Indiana and had the red-carpet treatment at their beautiful facility. I do expect to have to fix things over time, but I can deal with that as long as I have support. This is Burlington Bill busking from the road and here on You Tube.

[RichardoBrit]

Good video. One of the key challenges for RVs is the need to hit price points and also weight targets. This leads to cheaper and lighter materials being used, which don’t last as long. This doesn’t excuse the sloppy workmanship, but it’s just a fact that many customers want or need to have an RV under a certain weight and under a certain price point.

[scratchsescape]

I got an Escape 5.0 TA back in 2019. It's a lot smaller than what most people use. Still, the quality is such that I go out of my way to show folks what the standard of quality should be. The wiring, especially the electrical distribution panel was perfection that I have never seen before. I might add, I've taken this trailer into places you wouldn't think about going in other RVs. I have to give credit to the Escape workers in Chilliwack, BC for being responsible for this kind of quality.

[ChrisGraham]

Great video Jared. We are in our second year of owning an RV and if I wasn’t a DIY type of person, I would definitely be discouraged with all the issues. If I was to rely on the dealer to fix everything, our RV would probably be there more than at a campsite. Keep up the good work!

[WrenchingWolf]

Every time I start watching videos about the build quality of modern campers and RVs, it makes me want to keep and (try) to fix my 1974 camper... Nearly 50 years old and it has less issues than some new RVs have from the factory...

[bigfokkerdog]

Good job of scratching the surface Jared. We are not new to the RV world, having owned what is now our third fifth wheel since 2015. Our first was a used unit which needed regular fixes during every trip. When we retired we purchased (after much research and evaluation) the Vanleigh Beacon. Unfortunately it was a 2022 model (read covid and shutdown news) and never was right. We went to the Tiffin Service Center and after 5 weeks of repairs and a repair valuation of $34K (warranty, nothing out of pocket) I traded the lemon in on a 2023 Grand Design Solitude 310gk. This unit, built in March of 2023, came with 660 watts of solar, 50 watt mppt controller and 2k inverter. I added my lithium batteries and generator. This is a better built unit than my Vanleigh ever was. I have 5k miles on it since picking it up (we are full time) and have not had to do anything but level our 12 volt fridge. I did clean up my electrical wiring (strictly for my mild OCD) but nothing leaks and none of my cabinets are falling apart. This being said, I totally agree that the manufacturers need to step up their game. Just build to quality and QA your product. There is no reason for a dealership to be responsible to repair shoddy work, especially since most dealership techs probably don't even know the product, just the basic systems, and even then, there is so much new tech coming out that many of the technicians don't even know how to fix it.

[jayecerruti]

I have 3 Maxxair fans that all started squeaking. I took them apart as you'll see on Youtube, cleaned them out, and had short term success. I found the bearings are the same size as sealed skateboard bearings... It's pretty easy to take the motor apart, clean it, replace the bearings, and they are quiet again. I haven't seen anyone else mention it, so... new pro tip

Happy RVing

[PSC]

My husband is a DYI guy, thank goodness. We've only had to have our Grand Design in for a slide repair, which was confirmed to be a bad install at the factory. Our RV was unavailable to us for 3 months. Grand Design covered the repair and extended the warranty on the slide. All other minor repairs we do ourselves. We had to add plastic corner protectors because of peeling wallpaper. The heat in AZ takes its toll. We replaced the TV already and some of the doors are warping from heat. It's an RV. We get it. At least Grand Design has been incredibly responsive. GD sent all new cabinet handles free to protect against cuts from sharp edges. Overall, I like Grand Design, and I'm still in love with our RV. I don't think I'd want to live in it full time. Love your content.

[gregoryskaggs]

Finally, someone (you, Jared) called out the RV industry on their products. Thank you! In my experience, it seems that the manufacturers push out the products and make the dealerships repair their flaws, but only if the buyer finds the faults. On my RV, first time new purchase, I was amazed at the lack of grease in the wheel bearings found at the first service. I'm surprised that they lasted 500 miles. I'm glad I didn't go farther that first year.

[dennisg.]

One of our RV's had the same annoying slide trim. Turns out, it was that way because there were components behind that off center trim that were a lot easier to access by just removing it instead of taking the entire 11 feet of trim off ( Which eventually fell off by itself while going down the road )

[ehudgavron]

If not your best, one of your best. Thanks for explaining, demonstrating, and documenting. We're not in the Brinkley category, but the suggestions on how to retrofit a lower-product works.

[RVTIPSANDTRAVELS]

Valuable information Jared. You bring up a great point, right in the middle of the road: balance. Current rv manufacturers need to get a little better, while there will always be a market for more expensive units for those willing to pay.

[runswithdogs]

When you have an RV you have 2 hobbies, using the RV and working on the RV. If you don't enjoy working on it or don't DIY or have to take it to someone to have things like you pointed out fixed you're not going to have warm feelings. It's never done.