Is There Quality In Today's RV's?

Recreation Vehicles

January 4, 2009

583

January 4, 2009

It seems that we see more and more reported quality control issues from RV owners today. Is the quality of today’s motor homes and trailers really that bad when compared to earlier years? To understand that, we need to look more closely at what the common problems are and determine why they are happening.

By far the most common issue is failure or improper operation of a supplier component like refrigerators, electronic entry key pads, air conditioners, sidewall panels, engine sensors, engine fan assemblies, leveling systems, automatic steps and more. But why do these items fail? It seemed like this was never near the issue ten or fifteen years ago that it is today. Let’s look at what may have contributed to these failures.

Poor quality control at the component factory.
Improper installation at the RV manufacturer level.
Improper operation or maintenance at the owner level.
Improper component application at the RV design level.
Poor material or workmanship.

Then there are the manufacturer’s failures and misfits. Some of these problems include incorrect fitting of structural coach body mounting, poorly mounted or supported windshields, misaligned slide mechanisms, cosmetic faults and more.

There are chassis/engine issues also, seen all too often. Some of these deal with failed engine sensors, engine internal failures, fan drives, shock absorbers, pneumatic valves, axle bearings, seals and more.

So looking at the entire cross section of typical flaws and failures, it would be fair to say that the RV manufacturer is not the sole problem. In fact, perhaps far more times the issues land clearly with others, yet the RV manufacturer gets the blame.

In talking to many owners of relatively new rigs, it is interesting to learn that many are unhappy mainly due to the need for repeated repairs involving the same item. That is, the issue is not properly repaired, or soon breaks again. Also, perhaps of no surprise, most of these warranty repairs were carried out by a dealer, not the manufacturer’s service department. It appears the satisfaction level is considerably higher with those owners that choose to have the O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer) repair their rig. Likewise, the need to repeat a repair appears to be a very low to nil in frequency.

The somewhat less satisfying service record reported in regards to dealers may be due to several factors. First, the modern RV’s are now coming equipped with far more sophisticated gadgets than earlier years, like computer driven devices and multiplex wiring systems. In addition, these systems are changed or enhanced each year. Things as simple as operating the air conditioning are software controlled on some makes and models. This raises the next issue, getting experienced trained dealer technicians. This is a challenge given the dealer’s profit margins, not only the salary, but the cost of ongoing training, too. Then there is the dealer’s parts inventory. In most cases, the dealer may have to order the parts required from the factory. Many times this requires a minimum order size, creating more dealer costs.

Now, please don’t read this to say that all the dealers have inferior service, because that is not correct. There are excellent service facilities at a number of dealer locations, and in particular some excellent individual service technicians. Unfortunately, I believe these and they, are not the majority.

Is it possible that this apparent quality control level has not really declined, but rather the modern communication formats and media have made these items more well known? Blogs, forums and websites are capable of reaching all corners of the world in a fraction of a second. While this is certainly possible to a degree, we can not dismiss the increasing technical challenges of this ever increasing computer driven world. Simple auto tune up mechanics were made obsolete 20 some years ago unless they upgraded to the new computer age. This now extends far past what we would think, would ever be controlled or driven by logic or computers. Likewise, this technology also applies to the manufacturing, setting up, and testing of these vehicles.

So, what has your experience been? Is your dealer one of the elite servicing providers? Let’s hear from you.

With Some Quality Thoughts – Lug_Nut – Peter Mercer